Honestly, it’s rare for a show to just hit different. You know that feeling? When you're watching something and it doesn’t feel like a high-budget production, but rather like someone crawled inside your childhood brain and filmed your actual living room. That’s exactly what happened with the cast of 90's Middle Class, the Telugu web series that basically took over the internet by tapping into the collective memory of every 90s kid in South India. It wasn’t just a show; it was a time machine.
The magic didn't come from CGI or massive plot twists. It came from the faces.
Director Shivaji Raja (who also stars) knew exactly what he was doing when he assembled this group. They aren’t "movie stars" in the traditional, untouchable sense. They feel like your neighbors. They feel like that uncle who always complains about the electricity bill or the mom who can turn a single mango into a feast for five people. Let's get into who these people actually are and why their performances resonated so deeply with a generation that grew up before the smartphone took over our souls.
The Heart of the House: Shivaji as Chandra Shekar
Shivaji is a name most Telugu cinema fans know well, but for a long time, he was sort of in that "hero’s friend" or "second lead" lane. Then, he took a break. When he came back for 90's Middle Class, he didn't come back as a star; he came back as a father.
His portrayal of Chandra Shekar is the anchor of the whole series. He’s a government teacher. That’s a very specific vibe. He’s someone who values discipline, struggles with a modest salary, and expresses love through strictness because he’s terrified his kids won't make it in a competitive world.
There’s this one scene—if you’ve seen it, you know—where he’s dealing with the mundane stress of household finances. It’s not dramatic in a "Hollywood" way. It’s quiet. It’s the way he adjusts his glasses or looks at a bill. Shivaji plays it with such restraint. He captured the 90s dad perfectly: the man who wouldn't say "I love you" if his life depended on it but would ride a rickety cycle for five miles to buy you a specific textbook.
Vasuki Anand: The Return of the 90s Sweetheart
If you grew up watching Tholi Prema, seeing Vasuki Anand back on screen was like a massive shot of dopamine. She played Pawan Kalyan's sister in that iconic film and then basically vanished from the limelight for years.
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In the cast of 90's Middle Class, she plays Sujatha, the mother.
Sujatha is the glue. She’s the negotiator between the strict father and the rebellious kids. Vasuki brings a warmth that feels incredibly authentic. She’s not a "filmy" mom who is always crying or always cooking. She’s sharp. She’s funny. She’s the one who knows exactly where the hidden stash of money is when the month runs tight. Her chemistry with Shivaji is what makes the show work. They look like a couple that has been married for twenty years—they have those little non-verbal cues and bickering patterns that you can't just fake in a rehearsal room.
The Kids: Mouli, Vasanthika, and Rohan
The children are where the comedy lives.
Mouli, who plays the eldest son Raghu, is actually a pretty well-known YouTuber and content creator in real life. You might recognize his face from his viral sketches. Transitioning from YouTube to a long-form semi-biopic series is harder than it looks, but Mouli nails the "average student" energy. He’s the kid who is constantly under pressure to perform, stuck in that middle-ground where he’s not a genius but he’s not a failure either. He’s just... trying to survive his teenage years.
Then you have Vasanthika as the daughter, Deepu.
Her role is crucial because it highlights the specific dynamics of a middle-class household where the daughter is often more sensible than the sons but still has to navigate the traditional expectations of the time.
And then there's Rohan as the youngest, Aditya.
Every family has a "Chinna." The brat. The one who gets away with everything. The one who is obsessed with things that the older generation doesn't understand. Rohan’s timing is impeccable for a young actor.
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Why This Specific Ensemble Worked
It’s about the "Relatability Quotient."
Most shows try to make the cast look better than people actually look in real life. In 90's Middle Class, they look... normal. The costumes aren't trendy; they are dated in that specific 1990s way. The hair isn't perfect. The house they live in feels lived-in. When you look at the cast of 90's Middle Class, you aren't looking at actors in a set. You’re looking at a family in a home.
The show was produced by Naveen Medaram and directed by Aditya Hasan. Aditya clearly gave the actors room to breathe. You can tell some of the banter was improvised or at least felt very loose and natural.
The Cultural Impact of the Cast's Performances
We need to talk about why people are still Googling the cast of 90's Middle Class months after its release on ETV Win.
It’s the nostalgia for a simpler time, sure. But it’s also the validation. For many of us, our lives weren't about grand adventures. They were about the tension of a parent-teacher meeting. They were about the joy of getting a new bicycle. They were about the specific smell of a new textbook covered in brown paper.
The cast didn't mock these things. They didn't play them for cheap laughs. They treated the "smallness" of middle-class life with a lot of dignity.
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Real-World Recognition
The series didn't just win hearts; it actually moved the needle for the actors' careers.
- Shivaji proved he is one of the most capable character actors in the industry today.
- Vasuki Anand made one of the most successful "comebacks" in recent digital history.
- Mouli successfully bridged the gap between social media stardom and "serious" acting.
The show's success led to a massive surge in subscriptions for the ETV Win platform, proving that regional, character-driven stories can compete with big-budget action spectacles if the casting is right.
What You Should Look For Next
If you loved the cast of 90's Middle Class, you’re probably looking for more. While a second season has been the subject of many rumors (and the creators have hinted at it), nothing beats a re-watch to catch the subtle details you missed the first time.
Pay attention to the background actors too. The neighbors, the school teachers, the random shopkeepers. The casting director deserves a raise for finding people who actually look like they belong in the 90s.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this world or support the actors, here is how you can actually engage with the "90's" universe:
- Watch the Behind-the-Scenes: ETV Win and Mouli’s own YouTube channel have some great BTS footage. It shows how much of the "family" vibe was real off-camera.
- Follow the Creators: Aditya Hasan (Director) is someone to watch. His ability to pull these performances out of a mix of veterans and newcomers is rare.
- Check out the Soundtrack: The music by Suresh Bobbili is the "sixth cast member." It fills the silences that the actors leave behind.
- Explore the Cast's Other Work: Watch Shivaji’s older films to see the range he’s developed, or check out Vasuki’s 90s classics to see why she was such a big deal back then.
The cast of 90's Middle Class succeeded because they didn't try to be extraordinary. They tried to be us. And in doing so, they created something that will probably be remembered as a definitive piece of Telugu digital media for a long time. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most "cinematic" thing you can show is just a family sitting around a plastic dining table, arguing about who got the bigger piece of fruit.