Year-Ender: Best Telugu Web Series Of 2023

In 2023, different kinds of thriller stories like ‘Dayaa’ and ‘Dhootha’ have been attempted. However, non-thrillers like ‘Save the Tigers’ struck a chord with the audience.

Web series in Telugu have seen a slow but gradual increase. The quality of these shows cannot be compared to Hindi. However, there have been some good ones.

For example, the 2021 Telugu web series Unheard by Aditya KV was an impactful show that dealt with the freedom struggle from the point of view of Hyderabadis.

Ideological standoffs between the revolutionaries and different opinions about the Nizam rule were brought out well in the web show. Though Unheard had a stage-like atmosphere, which took some time to get used to, it was nevertheless a fascinating web show, particularly for those who are interested in history.

In 2022, acclaimed filmmaker Krish Jagarlamudi adapted the work of Malladi Venkata Krishnamurthy into a gripping Telugu web series titled 9 Hours. Krish was not the director but he was involved creatively.

As the title suggests the story was set in the stipulated time of nine hours. Three prisoners plan to rob three banks and go back to jail before anyone finds out.

The best part of 9 Hours was the unexpected revelations that shocked the viewers. Though most of the story takes place in a single location, it never comes in the way of the audience’s enjoyment.

Now, in 2023, different kinds of thriller stories have been attempted — even paranormal. For example, Pavan Sadneni’s Dayaa revolves around a freezer van driver whose life turns upside down when he finds a dead body inside his van.

Dayaa poster
A poster of ‘Dayaa’ Telugu web series. (X)

JD Chakravarthy played the title role in his OTT Debut. Pavan Sadneni did a good job of keeping the audience invested with his skilful direction.

It was a right mix of mystery and drama while dwelling on the dark side of human nature. JD Chakravarthy led the ensemble cast with his skilful acting.

Among the thrillers with paranormal activities, Vikram K Kumar’s Dhootha was a riveting saga, making important points about politics and journalism.

But other thrillers like Mansion 24Athidhi, and Vadhuvu could not create the same impact.

On the other hand, non-thriller web series like Save the TigersKumari Srimathi, and Newsense struck a chord with their target audience.

Interestingly, we have two major Telugu web shows in 2023 dealing with the nexus between journalism and politics.

Now, let us get into the details a little more:

Newsense

A poster of Newsense web series
A poster of ‘Newsense’ web series. (X)

Newsense directed by Sri Prawin Kumar was an insightful take on the nexus between media and rural politics. The story was written by real-life journalist Priyadarshini Ram. This clearly showed in the authentic presentation.

Newsense touches upon several issues like the impact of sensationalising news and doesn’t shy away from criticising media and its corrupt practices.

Thankfully, there are no filmy clichés despite being set in the much-abused area of Rayalaseema.

The perspective of a female journalist, rarely seen in Telugu shows, is another plus to this web series.

Bindu Madhavi played the role. Her interactions with Navadeep’s Shiva have a certain playfulness and the dialogues have the appropriate rustic touch.

Navadeep got into the skin of a street-smart journalist and embraced the many grey shades of his character with aplomb.

Bindu Madhavi also lights the frame whenever she is on screen.

Among the supporting cast, Nanda Gopal made a solid impression as sub-inspector Edwin.

Newsense has only one song Myneeru Pillagada. This track made for a soothing watch and listen.

It is streaming on Aha.

Save the Tigers

A poster of Save the Tigers
A poster of ‘Save the Tigers’ web series. (X)

Director Teja Kakumanu‘s Save the Tigers is similar to Anil Ravipudi’s F2: Fun and Frustration (2019) in terms of husbands having issues with their wives. However, this web show has its individuality.

What made Save the Tigers entertaining is how the director used the background of his protagonists. The title is a reference to married men — that they should be saved from going extinct much like the tigers.

The main protagonists are Ghanta Ravi (Priyadarshi), Rahul (Abhinav Gomatam), and Vikram (Krishna Chaitanya). There is nothing common between them in terms of their backgrounds. They only meet at the school where their children are studying. But soon start bonding big time.

Save The Tigers hits the ground from the first frame. Several scenes tickle your funny bone. The interactions between Abhinav’s Rahul and Rohini playing the servant were an absolute riot. Fortunately, there are no body-shaming jokes here.

The director was also successful in creating conflicts that have substance. For example, Vikram’s wife is an activist-cum-lawyer. Their daughter is the emotional anchor between them like many children.

The Telugu web series also subtly touches upon workplace harassment without breaking the entertainment flow.

The story of Save the Tigers is not high on logic but that does not become a major deterrent. The performances of the three main leads were flawless.

Priyadarshi got the body language of a dairy farm owner spot on. Abhinav Gomatam’s satirical humour leaves the audience in splits.

A particular mention must be made of the scenes where he is struggling to get over writer’s block.

Krishna Chaitanya’s character does not come with any major comic punches but still, the actor was mighty impressive in his scenes. His acting skills are most visible when he expresses his frustration on being sandwiched between his boss, mother and wife.

Save the Tigers is an absolute binge-watch with just six episodes of short duration.

It is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Kumari Srimathi

Thiruveer and Nithya Menen in Kumari Srimathi
Thiruveer and Nithya Menen in a still from ‘Kumari Srimathi’ web series. (iamThiruveeR/ X)

Kumari Srimathi directed by Gomtesh Upadhye was a heartwarming tale of a female entrepreneur.

The backdrop is a beaten-to-death genre of a family feud. Still, Gomtesh brought a freshness to this tale. The freshness comes from how he depicts the journey of Srimathi in establishing her restaurant-cum-bar in Ramarajulanka.

Some subtle points are made about how society differentiates men and women while doing the same business.

Apart from Nitya Menen’s Kumari, there were also other strong female parts. Whether it is the mother Devika (Gautami) or grandmother Seshamma (Talluri Rameshwari), the scenes between the three gave the show some of its best moments.

But the love triangle where two men compete for Kumari’s affection falls out of place.

Among the male characters, Prem Sagar made a big impact as the semi-villain. His character has some of the best punch lines too.

Nani has a special appearance which does not last long but the viewers feel a sense of nostalgia for seeing the Ala Modalaindi (2011) jodi again.

Overall, Kumari Srimathi was a well-made feministic tale. The Telugu web series is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Dhootha

Dhootha poster 2023
A poster of ‘Dhootha’ Telugu web series. (X)

Director Vikram K Kumar is mostly known for romantic and science fiction films, but he is also not new to the genre of paranormal thrillers.

Vikram earlier made a Tamil film with R Madhavan — Yavarum Nalam (2009). It was a nail-biting suspense thriller dubbed into Telugu as 13 B. In the movie, the television set was a major character.

In Dhootha web series, newspaper cuttings play a pivotal role. Whenever a newspaper cutting appears viewers get tensed up because there is a back story to the newspaper by the same name.

There are some hard-hitting dialogues about the dangers of intersecting politics and journalism. This web show makes it very clear that nothing good will come out of politicians running newspapers.

Naga Chaitanya as Sagar is initially presented as an ideal husband and righteous media person. In fact, many aspiring journalists look up to him. However, layers upon layers of secrets start tumbling down soon.

Naga Chaitanya did a splendid job in this grey-shaded role. A particular mention must be made of the mental and emotional breakdowns.

Newsense: A Web Show That Gives An Insight Into The Nexus Of Media And Rural Politics

Sai Prawin Kumar’s directorial Newsense consists of many threads that sustain the interest of the audiences for the second season also.

Stories centred on politics and journalism make great subjects because both are interconnected pillars of our society.

Newsense is one such show. However, this isn’t an easy genre to crack for a director as a certain authenticity is needed, as well as some political knowledge.

Director Sri Prawin Kumar looks at the nexus between politics and the media in small towns. He creates a web of characters who can’t be slotted as black or white.

He does a wonderful job for the most part. The director is also hugely aided by his cast, starting with Navadeep, who disappears into his part.

Synopsis

The backdrop of Newsense is a small town called Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh, set in the 1990s and 2000s.

The show primarily explores unethical journalism practised by a set of stringers, along with a few politicians who want to grab power at any cost.

Shiva (Navadeep) is a street-smart journalist who belongs to the same category.

But sometimes, he deviates from the norm by presenting the truth (although not completely), and as a result, he gets into trouble.

For Shiva and his fellow stringers, it is a battle between doing the right thing, and also staying alive. Often we see them accepting covers of money from both political parties.

Newsense deals with several issues like the role of media in society, and the impact of sensationalising news, among other things. It does not hesitate to criticise the media and its corrupt practices.

Though the story is set in the Rayalaseema region, the director thankfully doesn’t resort to over-the-top action sequences that the viewers are forced to see in typical action movies.

Newsense grips the viewers from the start with its multi-layered narrative. As viewers, we empathise with the sufferings of the local people, who are sandwiched between two political parties.

For example, there is a farmer who fights for his land, which has been illegally occupied by miscreants, a woman searching for a missing husband, etc. There is certain believability about the problems they face.

Despite the show’s serious tone, there is also some raw humour which comes as a respite.

The chemistry between the leads

Neela is an aspiring news anchor and Shiva’s love interest.

Through the character of Neela, the director touches upon the perspective of a female journalist in a town that is dominated by male journalists. The interaction between Shiva and Neela has a certain playfulness combined with a local flavour.

This has been both wonderfully written and enacted. The chemistry between the duo is spot on. Newsense’s light moments mostly feature Shiva and Neela (played by Bindu Madhavi).

Talking about the leads, both Navadeep and Bindu Madhavi are in very good form.

Navadeep gets into the skin of his character, starting from the dialect. He embraces the several grey shades of his character with aplomb.

Bindu Madhavi lights up the frame whenever she is on screen. She is supremely natural on her part.

Strong technical aspects

What also adds to the impact are the dialogues of Jayasimha. He does a good job of making the viewers introspect without resorting to rhetoric.

The background music of Suresh Bobbili goes well with the flavour of the series, Newsense. There is only one song in the show— Myneeru Pillagada. This track makes for a soothing watch, both for the ears and the eyes.

Three cinematographers are involved with this web series— Anantnag Kavuri, Vedaraman and Prasanna. They capture the rustic terrain wonderfully through their lens.

Nanda Gopal to rescue

There are some moments where the graph does go down.

But thankfully the show gets back on track with the entry of Sub-Inspector Edwin (Nanda Gopal), in the fifth episode.

Nanda Gopal has an arresting presence which makes the viewers look forward to his portions despite the limited screen time. The rest of the supporting actors also make an impact.

Final verdict

Overall this web show is binge-worthy, particularly if you have a keen interest in politics and media. It shows how lives are ruined because of the unholy relationship between two great pillars.