MUMBAI: The toughest test isn’t always on paper, sometimes it’s the year between. Sony Liv is set to premiere its long-awaited original series 13th on 1st October 2025, pulling viewers into the high-pressure universe of India’s competitive exam-prep culture.
The title itself is a nod to the “drop year” after Class 12, when thousands of students dedicate an extra 12 months solely to cracking the IIT-JEE entrance exam. For many, that 13th year becomes a make-or-break moment filled with sleepless nights, financial strain, and the constant balancing act between ambition and anxiety.
At the heart of the story stands mentor Mohit Tyagi (MT Sir), a real-life educator whose teaching revolution has reached over 20 lakh students across India. With his Youtube channel followed by more than 2.2 million learners, Tyagi has built an open-access classroom that rivals the mega coaching hubs of Kota but without the lakhs in fees. Over two decades, his consistency and discipline-driven methods have produced Top-100 ranks year after year, proving that resilience and rigour trump hype.
What makes Tyagi’s story remarkable is his rejection of crore-level salary offers in favour of free, quality education. His vision has reshaped the meaning of mentorship in India, cutting across economic and social divides. Instead of becoming a coaching magnate, he created a movement where students are treated as individuals with dreams, not just roll numbers on a register.
13th stars Gagan Dev Riar as the mentor, portraying a role steeped in both realism and inspiration. The series doesn’t sugarcoat the grind, it delves into the loneliness of hostel rooms, the sacrifices families make, and the crushing weight of repeated attempts. It also shines a light on the resilience of students who fight through failure, financial strain, and fear, armed with little more than hope and persistence.
Speaking about the premiere, Tyagi himself reflected on the deeper message: “Teaching has always been about much more than solving equations. It’s about resilience, discipline, and reminding students that they are more than their marks. 13th tells the untold story of lakhs of youth carrying gigantic pressure but also gigantic dreams.”
For Sony LIV, the series is more than just a drama, it’s a mirror to India’s youth, their aspirations, and the cracks in a system where education can feel like war. By weaving Tyagi’s mission into a scripted narrative, the platform hopes to start conversations in living rooms across the country between parents, students, and society at large.
With hashtags #My13thStory and #13thOnSonyLiv, the show is already sparking anticipation online. Come October, 13th promises to be more than binge-worthy content; it’s set to become a cultural talking point on what success really means when the journey is tougher than the exam.
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