Best of Tollywood web series 2024: A solid showcase for the evolving OTT space in Telugu

Web shows in Telugu have witnessed a slow yet steady growth both in terms of quality and quantity. The last few years have seen numerous impactful web series.

In 2023, there were two great shows Dhootha and Newsense. Both explored the topic of journalism through a different lens. Vikram Kumar’s Dhootha had a supernatural touch with a newspaper cutting playing a pivotal role. The Naga Chaitanya starrer made some important points on the dangers of intersecting politics and journalism, a relevant issue even today.

Newsense on the other hand directed by Sri Prawin Kumar was an insightful take on the nexus between media and rural politics. The story written by journalist Priyadarshini Ram reflected the lived realities.

2024 too gave us numerous web series, covering important social topics like Surya Manoj Vangala’s Brinda starring Trisha in a non-glamorous role. Using the genre of an investigative drama Surya Manoj Vangala explored the side effects of extremism both religious and otherwise.

Similarly, Paruvu directed by the duo of Siddarth Naidu and Rajesekhar Vadlapati was an engrossing social thriller focusing on different issues like caste, greed and communal harmony. The use of the funeral background also kept the viewers hooked adding to the tension.

Apart from thrillers, the second season of Save The Tigers went deeper into marital problems faced by today’s couples while maintaining the entertainment quotient.

This year also saw Telangana’s first detective web show Vikkatakavi: The Chronicles of Amarigiri led by an excellent Naresh Agastya.

Director Pradeep Maddali immersed the viewers into the world of Amaragiri. The director skilfully blended Telangana folk beliefs with the subplot of a bio-war

Following is the list of the best web shows in Telugu in 2024.

Brinda

Trisha in Brinda
Trisha in ‘Brinda’. (X)

Brinda opens with a disturbing prologue set in the mid-1990s, where a young girl becomes a scapegoat in a ritual to satisfy a goddess. This unsettling start sets the tone for the main plot. The story follows Brinda, a newly appointed sub-inspector, portrayed by Trisha.

Initially confined to desk work, Brinda suffers from anxiety and relies on medication. When a series of murders occur, she defies her superiors, leading to life-altering consequences.

A key strength of Brinda is how Surya Manoj Vangala expands the story beyond Brinda’s character. While Trisha is central, Ravindra Vijay, playing fellow cop Sarathi, also plays an essential role. Sarathi is waiting for a breakthrough in his career and personal life. The evolving dynamic between Brinda and Sarathi creates some of the show’s most compelling moments.

In addition to themes of extremism and blind faith, Brinda also addresses gender discrimination in the workplace and the importance of child care in juvenile prisons. Trisha breaks away from her glamorous image to deliver a nuanced performance. Alongside Ravindra Vijay, Indrajith Sukumaran also stood out as the charming yet calculating Dr Satya/Prof. Kabir Anand.

Save The Tigers Season 2

A poster of the series Save The Tigers Season 2
A poster of the series ‘Save The Tigers Season 2’. (X)

Save The Tigers Season 2 successfully took off from the immensely popular first one. New director Arun Kothapally did a great job maintaining the entertainment value while delving deeper into marital issues.

The theme of the seven-year itch stood out, through the character of Vikram, played by Krishna Chaitanya. Vikram works on a project with Harika (Darshana Banik). What starts as a professional relationship soon turns into mutual attraction. However, Vikram realizes that understanding his wife is more important, and a better sense prevails.

As in Season 1, the interactions between Abhinav Gomatam and the house help were a highlight. A memorable scene occurs when Rohini discusses her business aspirations, joking about what captions to write on an auto rickshaw, leading to some hilarious moments. The director also made some valid points about people who blindly believe gossip spread by news channels, particularly about actresses.

Priyadarshi, as Ghanta Ravi, continued to shine with his impactful performance, excelling in both comedic and emotional scenes. Among the female cast, Jordar Sujatha made the biggest impact.

Vikkatakavi The Chronicles of Amaragiri

Still from the series Vikkatakavi
Still from the series ‘Vikkatakavi’. (X)

Vikkatakavi, directed by Pradeep Maddalli, was a highly engaging detective thriller with a strong Telangana flavour. The story followed Naresh Agastya as Ramakrishna, also known as Vikkatakavi. Apart from being a brilliant student, Ramakrishna is renowned for his exceptional investigative skills. Due to certain circumstances, he embarks on a dangerous mission in the village of Amaragiri.

One of the standout aspects of Vikkatakavi was its world-building. Cinematographer Shoeb Siddiqui’s work was particularly impressive. The rustic village atmosphere, combined with thrilling night sequences, drew viewers in. The series also succeeded due to the constant tussle between superstitions and rationalism.

Naresh Agastya’s performance in the title role further elevated the plot. He brought the right mix of boyish charm and intensity to his character. Among the supporting cast, singer-turned-actor Raghu Kanche also impressed with his remarkable performance. His ability to convey negative traits through subtle expressions was a delight to watch.

Paruvu

A still from the series Paruvu
A still from the series ‘Paruvu’. (X)

Paruvu, directed by Siddarth Naidu and Rajasekhar Vadlapati, is a well-crafted thriller that tackles various social issues. While the core plot revolves around the theme of honour killing, what makes the show gripping is how the directors blend different aspects into the central narrative.

The story centres on Nivetha Pethuraj’s character, Dolly (aka Pallavi), and her husband Sudheer (Naresh Agastya). Dolly had married Sudheer against her family’s wishes and now returns to her native village, Guntur, to pay respects to her deceased uncle. Her cousin, Chandrasekhar (Chandu), picks them up. Dolly is heavily pregnant but this doesn’t soften Chandu. There is an exchange of heated words leading to a big turn of events.

A major strength of Paruvu is its well-written characters, beyond just the leads. Each character has shades of grey, with Sudheer and Pallavi occasionally appearing opportunistic.

The funeral setting adds to the drama, with the relatives insulting each other while settling old scores. At times, it seems like no one cares about the departed soul, enhancing the narrative.

Both Nivetha Pethuraj and Naresh Agastya delivered brilliant performances, fully embodying their characters. In the supporting cast, Naga Babu surprised with his portrayal of MLA Ramayya, bringing out the impact of caste-based politics in rural Andhra. Praneetha Patnaik also gave a noteworthy performance.

Bahishkarana

Anjali in Bahishkarana
Anjali in ‘Bahishkarana’. (X)

Bahishkarana, directed by Mukesh Prajapathi, is an intense rural drama that effectively transports viewers to the era of feudalistic landlords.

Anjali plays the mysterious Pushpa, who arrives in the village of Peddapalli. She then becomes involved with Shivaya (Ravindra Vijay), who assigns his right-hand man, Darshi (Sritej), to look after her. As the story unfolds, Darshi and Pushpa fall in love, with many twists and turns along the way.

A strong aspect of Bahishkarana is its period setting. Cinematographer Prasanna Kumar does an excellent job capturing the rustic landscape of Peddapalli. The love story between Darshi and Pushpa is well-developed, making the viewers hope for a happy ending.

The dialogues, written by Shayam, are perfectly in sync with the story. They offer impactful social commentary on the exploitation of the poor, while also addressing how society views women like Pushpa.

The performances of the three main characters were captivating. Anjali delivered a bold and compelling performance. Ravindra Vijay’s portrayal of Shivaya, with shades of legendary actor Rao Gopal Rao’s roles, was excellent. Shivaya appears to be a do-gooder but is, in fact, a womanizer, and Vijay brought this subtle menace to life. Sritej also impressed with his rugged portrayal of his character.

At times, the show felt reminiscent of Rangasthalam, but overall, it remained engaging.

(Edited by Sumavarsha)

Brinda: A gripping police procedural which examines the side effects of extremism both religious and otherwise

Writer and director Surya Manoj Vangala does an effective job in exploring multiple societal aspects

  • Starcast: Trisha, Ravindra Vijay, Aamani, Indrajith Sukumaran, Anand Sami and others
  • Writer and director: Surya Manoj Vangala
  • Screenplay: Jay Krishna and Padmavathi Malladi
  • Producer: Kolla Ashish
  • Production Company: Adding Advertising LLP
  • Cinematography: Dinesh K Babu
  • Music: Shakti Kanth Karthik
  • No of episodes: 8
  • Streaming site: Sony LIV

Tense investigative dramas are always a treat to watch provided audiences are on tenterhooks. Trisha’s OTT debut not only ticks the required boxes of a suspense thriller/drama, but it also ventures into topics that are tricky in nature. Thankfully Suraj Manoj Vangala along with the screenplay writers do a good job.

Brinda begins with a prologue that is hugely disturbing. A young girl in mid-1990’s becomes a scapegoat in satisfying a goddess, the goddess is said to be very angry with the villagers. This girl wails loudly seeking for help but they fall on deaf ears. No one in the village including the mother and brother question this ritual murder. Brinda web series is peppered with numerous scenes showcasing how even in contemporary society these acts continue in the name of god.

The main plot of Brinda focuses on a newly appointed sub inspector. Trisha’s character is mostly confined to desk related work, she is a victim of casual sexism. Fellow cop Sarathi (Ravindra Vijay) is the only one who treats her with some respect. Later on, they form an unlikely bond that develops into a strong friendship. Brinda is a brooding police officer suffering from anxiety issues, constantly taking pills. Things take a turn when Brinda goes against her superiors when they try to close a murder case as suicide. She starts digging deeper with some help from Sarathi. Soon multiple murders start taking place. The rest of the story is about who is behind these murders while blending the personal and professional lives of Brinda and Sarathi.

Trisha as a newly appointed sub inspector
Ravindra Vijay as Sarathi

A strong aspect of Brinda is its world building. Although Trisha is the central pivot most of the other characters too have been written with lot of care. A very good example of this is the roles played by Anandasami and Ravindra Vijay. Sarathi is someone who is desperately waiting for a better turn in both his professional and personal life. In spite of a brewing inner turmoil Sarathi never loses his humanness. A scene deserving particular mention is Ravindra Vijay’s breakdown, this happens when Sarathi’s personal life takes a crucial turn. The writing coupled with the actor’s performance is simply terrific. Anand Sami as Thakur also chews the scenery with a spine-chilling act. His back story is very touching and in spite of him being an evil person the viewers feel sympathy. In the title role Trisha successfully sheds her glamorous image delivering a nuanced performance. She is successful in portraying both the vulnerabilities and resilience of Brinda.

Indrajith Sukumaran also excels in portraying the charming and calculative nature Dr. Satya/prof. Kabir Anand. The track of sibling’s rivalry though sticks out like a sore thumb. The teenage rebellion of Brinda’s sister Chutki feels like more of an unnecessary add on. Also, the process of an important character stealing someone else’s identity is not so convincing. However, these are just minor blips.

Indrajith Sukumaran excels in portraying the charming and calculative nature

As mentioned previously Brinda is a web series that tackles multiple societal aspects. For example, there is the track of gender discrimination. How Brinda is looked upon in a condescending manner is touched upon in a subtle yet impactful way. The series also highlights the importance of child care in juvenile prisons.

The power of religion in shaping lives and the dangers of blind faith is also an integral aspect of Brinda. These are just some of the numerous themes that the series examines. Surya Manoj Vangala along with the screenplay writers deserve distinction marks for the treatment.

There isn’t much scope for music in a story like Brinda, but Shakthi Kanth Karthick delivers a powerful opening song.

PS-2: A More Focused Film Than Part 1

In spite of the flaws director Mani Ratnam deserves credit for bringing alive a relatively unknown part of history

PS 2(Tamil) 3 out of 5

  • Starcast: Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayaram, Rehman, Trisha and others
  • Direction and screenplay: Mani Ratnam
  • Additional screenplay: B. Jeyamohan and Elango Kumaravel
  • Story: Kalki Krishnamurthy
  • Based on: Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy
  • Producers: Mani Ratnam and Subaskaran Allirajah
  • Production companies: Madras Talkies and Lyca productions
  • Genre: Historical drama
  • Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes

Kalki Krishnamurthy’s novel on the Chola dynasty is considered to be a significant part of Tamil literature. The novel Ponniyin Selvan was also serialized in the weekly editions of a Tamil magazine. PS-1 (Ponniyin Selvan) was Mani Ratnam’s dream project which finally came alive in 2022. Not surprisingly PS-1 worked more in the Tamil belt given the nativity factor. The film had a mixed response in other languages particularly the Hindi market.

It did decently well in Telugu also but in Hindi the film didn’t attract many eyeballs. A big shortcoming of PS-1 was its convoluted screenplay coupled with the addition of too many subplots. There were also some editing lags.

Hence the anticipation around PS-2 was not the same as SS Rajamouli’s Bahubaali 2. However a Mani Ratnam directorial always garners attention even though the director has not been in his best form of late.

The second part begins at the exact point where the first part ended. The Cholas led by Arunmozhi Varman aka Ponniyin Selvan (Jayam Ravi), brother of Chola king Aditya Karikaludu and Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyadevudu (Karthi) are fighting with Pandyas in the sea. While fighting they fall into the waters. Fortunately, they are saved by a mute woman Mandakini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a double role). Later Arunmozhi gets treated by the Buddha monks in Sri Lanka. At the same time a conspiracy is taking place. Nandini (again Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) along with the Pandyas is planning to eradicate the Chola dynasty. There are also some Chola chieftains who want to make Madhuranthakudu (Rehman) the Chola king by dethroning Aditya Karikaludu (Vikram).

The rest of the film deals with how the power struggle maps out. And also who is Mandakini and what is her connection with Nandini? Do Arunmozhi and Vallavaraiyan Vandhiyadevudu return to the Chola kingdom? And lastly, who gains the upper hand- Cholas or Pandyas?

First and foremost – the screenplay of PS-2 is a definite improvement over the first part. Mani Ratnam does a good job in connecting all the loose ends and coming up with satisfactory answers.

Some of the twists and turns do catch the viewers unaware. A particular mention must be made of the Nandini’s back story.

The dramatic scenes in PS-2 have also been far better written. A good example of that is the love hate relation between Aditya Karikaludu and Nandini. Vikram and Aishwarya don’t have many scenes together, but the intensity is very much palpable in the brief encounters that they have. There is an important sequence late in the second half featuring the two. This scene does pierce the audience’s heart thanks to the direction and also the performances of Vikram and Aishwarya. Vikram in particular is brilliant with certain unhingedness.

Vikram and Aishwarya do not have many scenes together, but the intensity is very much palpable

As Nandini Aishwarya does a good job in bringing out the dilemmas that her character goes through. Nandini isn’t very likeable person but at the same time you don’t hate her completely either. It also does help that Nandini has a certain charm about her which Aishwarya portrays effortlessly. As Mandakini though she does fall short majorly due to the way the character has been written.

As Nandini Aishwarya Rai Bachchan does a very good job in bringing out the dilemmas that her character goes through.

The romantic scenes between Karthi and Trisha’s Kundavai have a classic Mani Ratnam stamp. There is a scene in the island where Karthi’s character is blindfolded, and subtle romance follows between the two.

Karthi and Trisha romance

As Vandhiyadevudu Karthi continues from where he left off in the first part. He not only provides entertainment with his antics, but also shows his all-round capability in the more emotional scenes. Jayam Ravi brings out the required authority. He commands our attention with his mere presence.

As Vandhiyadevudu Karthi successfully takes off from where he left in the first part
Jayaram Ravi brings out the required authority

Technically PS- 2 is as rich as the first one. The production design by Aparna Thota Tharani is fantastic. The production design enhances the work of the cinematographer Ravi Varma. He does a good job in showcasing the scale of the film through his lens. The VFX department also does a fair job.

Coming to the shortcomings PS 2 feels super stretchy as the first part. The run time of 2 hours and 50 minutes does feel quite long more so with the severely underwhelming battle scenes. The battle scenes have been rather clumsily staged and doesn’t provide the viewers with any high.

The portions featuring Jayaram is reduced to a stock comic character. Even the likes of Prakash Raj and Sarath Kumar suffer on the account of ineffective characterizations.

The film has also got some unnecessary slow mo. moments and close up shots that end up irritating the audiences more than giving an extra edge.

In spite of these flaws Maniratnam deserves credit for exploring a relatively unknown part of history on pan India screen. And in this he is aided by some good performances along with the technical team.