Life is not all happiness and joy and hardship, difficulties and loss are also a reality. While everyone knows that this is what we have to deal with, how we go about it and learning to accept and overcome them is a tough process for all. Director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s ‘Paper Rocket’, streaming on Zee5, shows us how six people deal with their difficulties and how they find happiness in that moment.

The story takes off with Jeeva (Kalidas Jayaram), a smart entrepreneur, who is successful and is climbing the ladder of success rapidly. His father who lives in Kanyakumari loves him to bits and calls him constantly to check up on him. In the midst of his meetings, Jeeva misses his calls and suddenly finds out that his father has passed away. Jeeva returns to Kanyakumari and ends up meeting his father’s close friend, Francis’s (Kaali Venkat) dad, who is bedridden. When they admit him to a care centre, Jeeva also discovers that he is not able to deal with the loss of his father – on one side he feels guilt and on the other grief. He starts attending group therapy there thanks to the psychiatrist (Poornima Bhagyaraj) and meets a group of five eclectic people who each have their own issues – Elakya (Tanya Ravichandran), Tiger (Karunakaran), Valli (Renuka), Charu (Gouri G) and Unni (Nirmal Palazhi). Jeeva helps them go on a road trip and it’s then their healing process begins. What happens to each of them? Do they find happiness and peace? Are they able to find what they are seeking in life?

The theme of travelling to heal is not new but the way in which director Kiruthiga has conceptualised and shot it is definitely new and refreshing. The story around each of the six people in the group is relatable and one is empathetic to this. The series is not just drama but has its fun moments that bring a smile and cheer. The story takes off from Kanyakumari and thanks to the road trip travels around places like Karaikudi, Tirunelveli and Meghamalai. Cinematographers Richard M Nathan and Gavemic U Ary have captured the beauty of Tamil Nadu in the breathtaking visuals and the editing by Lawrence Kishore is also effective.

The series does have some minor issues in that the characterisations of some people like Unni and Tiger could have been stronger. Each of the stories related to the characters is not new to the audience so the ending is predictable. Being a feel-good entertainer, there are also not many surprises that you can expect from the series but it is really enjoyable and a breezy watch.

Importantly, 'Paper Rocket' also has its teaching moments for us. Like the series notes, no one can take away our memories and moments in life that bring us happiness. Kiruthiga’s story tells us to not just cherish those moments but to create those memories through life with our loved ones since life is so unpredictable. The predominant message that ‘Paper Rocket’ sends out is that in this age of text messages and voice notes, this is something that perhaps everyone should practice.