Category: Telugu Webseries Reviews

Posted on

Vadhuvu: This Thriller Has Its Moments But Director Poluru Krishna Fails In Sustaining The Audience’s Interest Throughout

One of the things that work for ‘Vadhuvu’ is the short duration of its episodes. Each episode is a little above 20 minutes.

A watchable fare!

Vadhuvu (Telugu)

  • Cast: Avika Gor, Nandu Vijay Krishna, and Ali Reza
  • Director: Poluri Krishna
  • Producers: Abhishek Dogra and Shrikant Mohta
  • Music: Sriram Maddury
  • No. of episodes: 7
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Thrillers are one of the most tough genres to execute for any director.

Engaging the audience in the guessing game and making them feel a sense of high throughout is not an easy job.

Vadhuvu, directed by Poluru Krishna, has an interesting storyline and mysterious characters who come with a set of motivations. However, the director is not entirely successful in keeping the audience hooked.

For those who are not aware, Vadhuvu is based on a Bengali show titled “Indu“. Since I have not seen that, this will be a standalone review.

Synopsis

Poluru Krishna directorial Vadhuvu
Poluru Krishna’s directorial ‘Vadhuvu’. (X)

Anjuri Indu’s (Avika Gor) wedding gets cancelled when her younger sister runs away with her groom.

This affects Indu and her family psychologically. After a year, Indu finally gets another match. She is married to Anand (Nandu), but even this doesn’t happen smoothly.

After entering Anand’s house, Indu comes across some mysterious scenarios.

What are the reasons behind Anand’s family behaving suspiciously? Why did Indu’s sister run away with the groom that Indu was supposed to marry?

The rest of the plot is about unravelling answers to these questions.

Analysis

One of the things that work for Vadhuvu is the short duration of its episodes. Each episode is a little over 20 minutes. As a result, the viewers don’t feel restlessness even when things stagnate.

As mentioned above, the characters in Vadhuvu are mysterious, and this works for the series, at least initially. As viewers, you know something weird is happening, and this keeps you hooked on what might be the reasons behind it.

In the technical department, the background score deserves a definite mention. It is suitably eerie and adds to the tense atmosphere.

There isn’t much scope for the cameraman to showcase his work here since the series has an indoor setting. Nevertheless, the cinematography is quite good.

Performances

Avika Gor in Vadhuvu
Avika Gor in ‘Vadhuvu’. (X)

As far as acting is concerned, the trio of Avika Gor, Ali Reza, and Nandu do most of the heavy lifting. Avika Gor does a good job of depicting the turmoil of Indu.

Ali Reza gets a good amount of screen time as Indu’s brother-in-law Arya. He successfully showcases the grey shades of his role.

Nandu, as Iindu’s husband, is a delight to watch in the way he skillfully conveys the frustration and suspicious nature of Anand.

The rest of the actors leave little to no impact.

A major issue with Vadhuvu is certain repetitiveness in the proceedings and the slow pacing. There are some redundant scenes which the director could have easily done away with.

Also, the web show leaves you with more questions than answers. There are too many cliffhangers that come across as a major deterrent in the way of the audience’s enjoyment.

Final take

Vadhuvu is a web series that is just about watchable.

The mysterious characters and the performances of the central trio leave an impact. It is not a solid thriller though.

Posted on

Dhootha: This Riveting Paranormal Saga Makes Compelling Points About Politics And Journalism

‘Dhootha’ focuses on how Sagar (Naga Chaitanya) is related to the invisible forces and races against time to connect the dots.

An intriguing web show!

Dhootha (Telugu)

  • Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Priya Bhavani Shankar, and Parvathy Thiruthovu
  • Director: Vikram K Kumar
  • Producer: Sharrath Marar
  • Music: Ishaan Chhabra
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Amazon Prime Video

Filmmaker Vikram K Kumar is not new to the genre of paranormal thrillers.

For example, the director made a horror film in Tamil titled Yavarum Nalam (2009). The same was dubbed into Telugu as 13 B.

13 B was a gritty thriller where a TV set becomes a character in the story.

After making a series of romantic and science fiction movies, the filmmaker is back with a paranormal thriller and this time, the focus is on journalism and politics.

Synopsis

Naga Chaitanya Vikram K Kumar
Actor Naga Chaitanya and director Vikram K Kumar on the sets of ‘Dhootha’. (X)

Sagar (Naga Chaitanya) and Priya (Priya Bhavani Shankar) are successful investigative journalists. They both are in a happy space, professionally and personally.

Priya is on maternity leave. But thankfully, director Vikram K Kumar doesn’t regulate her to just a one-note character.

Sagar is promoted as the chief editor of a newspaper called “Samachar“.

But the happiness doesn’t last long. A tragic accident claims the life of Sagar’s pet dog. Right before the tragedy, Sagar comes across a newspaper clipping which foretells what would happen.

The incident marks the beginning of many ominous messages foretelling future events and an external force targeting corrupt journalists.

Parvathy Thiruvothu plays an investigating officer named Kranti Shenoy.

In a nutshell, Dhootha focuses on how Sagar is related to these invisible forces and how he races against time to connect the dots.

Analysis

Naga Chaitanya in a still from Dhootha
Naga Chaitanya in a still from ‘Dhootha’. (X)

Vikram Kumar engrosses the viewers from the first frame. He does a brilliant job of balancing the suspense and supernatural elements.

A major strength of the Dhootha web series is how the director designs the character of Sagar.

Initially, the viewers see Sagar as an ideal husband and a righteous media person. He is an inspiration to many aspiring journalists.

But soon enough, layers upon layers come out. Sagar is a departure from the on-screen characters that Naga Chaitanya has portrayed thus far, and the actor more than rises to the occasion.

He does a splendid job, particularly when Sagar has mental and emotional breakdowns.

Backstory shines

Working still from Dhootha
A working still from ‘Dhootha’. (X)

The backstory of the newspaper involving Pasupathy and Tharun Bhascker also gives the web show some of its best moments.

There is a lot of impactful socio-political commentary.

For example, there are hard-hitting dialogues about how intersecting politics and journalism are dangerous for society. The web series also predicts that nothing good will come out of politicians running newspapers.

Apart from Pasupathy and Tharun Bhascker, Dhootha has many small characters. For example, Prachi Desai is Sagar’s PA, and Rohini is the mother. These characters have been neatly integrated into the main storyline by Vikram K Kumar.

For any thriller, it is necessary that the dots are connected, and the director has done a great job of connecting all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.

Like the television set in 13 B, the newspaper cuttings play a pivotal role in the web series. As soon as a newspaper cutting appears, the viewers feel tense about what will happen next.

Performances

Parvathy Thiruvothu doesn’t need an introduction. She has always been a solid actor. Here too, she makes a huge impact as the no-nonsense police officer.

Priya Bhavani Shankar Sagar, as spouse, is in good form. Her character comes with its grey shades.

Technically, the Dhootha web series is a solid product with top-notch cinematography and special effects.

However, one slight problem is the middle part where the parallel investigation of Kranthi feels a bit bloated.

Also, the closing episode could have been more impactful. However, these are just minor quibbles in an otherwise gripping show.

Verdict

In a nutshell, the Dhootha web series is a gripping paranormal saga that makes some pertinent points about politics and journalism.

Posted on

Mansion 24: An Unimaginative Horror Flick With Clichéd Jump Scares

Mansion 24 (Telugu)

  • Cast: Varalakshmi Sarathkumar, Satya Raj, Rao Ramesh, Tulasi, Nandu, and Avika Gor
  • Director: Ohmkar
  • Producer: Ashwin Babu and Kalyan Chakravarthy
  • Music: Vikas Badisha
  • No. of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

After carving a niche for himself in television, Ohmkar made his directorial debut with the film Genius (2012) which didn’t live up to the title and ended up being a dud.

But the filmmaker found success with Raju Gari Gadhi released in 2015. It was a mix of comedy, horror, and family emotions culminating with a message.

The movie was a success at the box office and this led to two more films made with the same title.

However, the subsequent films Raju Gari Gadhi 2 (2017) and Raju Gari Gadhi 3 (2019) weren’t financially successful.

Now, the director has made his web series debut with Mansion 24 where the story is heavily reminiscent of his previous work. The only difference in Mansion 24 is that you don’t have any comedy track to ease the tension-filled atmosphere.

Synopsis

Kalidas (Satya Raj) is one of the most revered archaeologists in this country. In the middle of a particular excavation, he disappears without any trace. Not surprisingly, he is labelled as a traitor.

Amrutha (Varalakshmi Sarathkumar) is an investigative journalist and daughter of Kalidas. She takes it upon herself to trace his whereabouts and clear her father’s name.

In this quest, she heads to a mansion that is both abandoned and haunted.

Seetharam (Rao Ramesh), the supposed watchman, tells Amrutha about the various paranormal activities that have happened in the mansion.

In a nutshell, the story is about the various challenges that Amrutha faces in her journey to find out about the alleged betrayal of her father.

Mini-stories fall flat

To give credit where it is due, director Ohmkar is initially successful in creating a strong emotional foundation, the viewers do want Amrutha to succeed.

Also, through the mini-stories, Ohmkar touches upon some societal issues by talking about the ghosts within us.

However, the problem with these mini-stories is the lazy writing. Most of the characters have been poorly etched. As a result, the viewers don’t enjoy these mini-stories as much as they should.

The only segment which has some meat is the one involving Nandu and Bindu Madhavi. Nandu plays a ruthless conman with the right amount of scariness.

The viewers feel afraid of Nandu whenever he appears on the screen.

Bindu Madhavi brings an emotional gravitas to her part of a woman, who has a personal score to settle with Nandu’s character.

Another big problem with Mansion 24 is the characterisations of Satya Raj and Tulasi. Tulasi plays the mother of Amrutha. Neither of them has been fleshed out sufficiently.

Adding to the woes is a melodramatic scene where the mother suddenly recovers from a severe health issue.

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is effective in portraying the different nuances of Amrutha. The actress manages to rise above the sketchy writing, the viewers wish that she had chosen a much better story.

Characters hear strange sounds, there is a man with a long beard who mouths Sanskrit slokas, and all the ghosts wear white clothes among others. The bankruptcy of ideas is clearly visible.

The cinematography and the production design are in tune with the show’s nature, but there is no element that particularly stands out. The tried and tested horror elements are all there.

Final take

To sum it up, it is high time that Ohmkar let go of the horror genre and did something different.

Posted on

Kumari Srimathi Season 1: A Heartwarming Tale About A Female Entrepreneur

Director Gomtesh Upadhye presents an enjoyable story with relatable characters

Kumari Srimathi web series season 1 (Telugu)          

Starcast: Nitya Menon, Gautami, Talluri Rameshwari, Prem Sagar Rajulapati and others guest appearance (Nani )

Direction: Gomtesh Upadhye

Writers: Uday Aghamarshan, Jayanth Tadinada and others

Creator and screenplay: Srinivas Avasarala

Producers: Priyanka Dutt and Swapna Dutt

Production Company: Early Monsoon Tales

Genre: Drama/comedy

No of episodes: 7

Streaming site: Amazon Prime

Contrary to the title of the web series Kumari Srimathi (Nitya Menon) is an unmarried 30 year old woman. The setting of this story is Ramarajulanka. Kumari Srimathi and her younger sister were brought up almost single handedly by their mother Devika (Gautami) and also grandmother Seshamma (Talluri Rameshwari). Keshava Rao (Prem Sagar Rajulapati) is the uncle of Srimathi. Srimathi is fighting a court case regarding an ancestral property that her uncle wants for himself.

In a turn of events the court gives Srimathi the option of buying her uncle’s share of property for 38 lakhs. But that is easier said than done. Srimathi who did hotel management course was working as a floor manager. At this point she decides to set up her own restaurant cum bar in her native village.  Devika is already vexed with her daughter’s adamant nature who refuses to get married and this decision only angers her further. The rest of the story is about the challenges that Srimathi faces in her endeavor of becoming a businesswoman and also whether she is able to win the court case.

Stories of family feud is a beaten to death genre but still Gomtesh Upadhye manages to bring a freshness. The newness comes from how he depicts the journey of Srimathi in establishing her restaurant cum bar. He makes a subtle point about how the society differentiates between man and woman while doing the same business.

The director talks about these things in a non preachy manner. Gomtesh Upadhye also deserves credit for his portrayal of Gautami’s character. She is not particularly happy with her daughter’s decisions. Still she comes around and becomes a strong pillar of support at a crucial juncture.

Kumari Srimathi also boasts of some chuckle worthy sequences. One of these include Gautami day dreaming about the consequences of her daughter’s actions. Prem Sagar playing the semi villain has some hilarious punches as well. For example there are moments where he is confused between his twin sons Mani and Phani. What also brings the house down is his understanding of the word ‘nincompoop’.

There is also a love triangle where Thiruveer’s Abhinav and Nirupam’s Sriram compete for Srimathi’s affections. But this track feels out of place in an almost perfect tale.

Nitya Menon’s character is a huge fan of Nani. Nani has a special appearance at a most unexpected juncture. Nani’s presence is only for a few seconds but as viewers we feel a touch of nostalgia on seeing the Ala Modalaindi Jodi again.

Gautami

Cinematographer Mohan Krishna does a good job of capturing Ramarajulanka through his lens. Music directors Staccato & Kamran do a fine job with both songs and background score.

Nitya Menon effortlessly gets into the skin of her character. She portrays the courage and vulnerability of Srimathi in an arresting manner. Gautami and Rameshwari also provide solid support. The three of them together are such a delight to watch.

To sum it up Kumari Srimathi is a well made feministic tale that deserves your time.

Posted on

Athidhi: Venu Thottempudi’s Web Series Is A Ghost Story With A Message

Director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements to explore the negative shades in human beings.

The film industry across the languages has a fascination for horror/thriller stories. Periodically, one director or the other has revisited this genre.

Ram Gopala Varma was successful in delivering some genuinely scary films like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot (2003).

In the recent past, Amar Kaushik was successful in reinventing the genre with his film Stree (2018). In Stree, the director used the popular legend of “O Stree Kal Aana” (Oh woman, visit tomorrow) and gave it a feministic touch.

On the other hand, directors like Rohit Shetty and Anees Bazmee have made popcorn entertainers with elements of horror.

Now, director Bharath YG takes the familiar template of a big mansion with scary elements in this web series to explore the negative shades in human beings. The shades include lust, anger, and greed.

But the jump scares are presented in a very clichéd manner. It is high time that filmmakers do away with such clichéd elements for scaring the audiences.

Synopsis

Athidhi — now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar — marks Venu Thottempudi’s debut in the OTT space.

Ravi (Venu Thottempudi) is introduced as a writer, who is living with his paralysed wife Sandhya (Aditi Gautam). He is trying to reinvent himself as a writer.

At this point, a mysterious woman Maya (Avantika Mishra) and a Youtuber Savari (Venkatesh Kakumanu), take shelter in his house. Savari makes videos on the non-existence of ghosts.

There is also a cop called Prakash (Ravi Varma). None of these characters are what they appear on the surface. They have secrets of their own. Revealing anything more will not be appropriate.

Positives

One of the things that stands out in Athidhi is the technical department.

Special mention must be made of Kapil Kumar’s background score and Manoj Katasani’s cinematography.

The background music definitely enhances the key scenes.

Manoj Katasani successfully captures the show’s eeriness through his lens.

The most impressive twist is the flashback regarding the ghost. Through it, Bharath YG raises some pertinent points about greed and jealousy.

There is also an underlying message — too much greed will lead to disastrous consequences.

The ghost is presented as a messenger of God to teach this lesson to humans.

Performances

The performances in Athidhi are a mixed bag.

Venu Thottempudi is someone who is mostly associated with comic romantic roles. But here, the actor ventures out of his comfort zone. He pulls off an impressive act, particularly in the key emotional scenes.

The next good performance comes from Avanthika Mishra. Her character has quite a few layers and the actress does a good job.

But Venkatesh Kakumanu overacts as a YouTuber. Instead of feeling sorry for Savari, viewers feel irritated whenever he is on screen.

Aditi Gautam as the wife suffers on account of a half-baked characterisation.

Final take

Athidhi is not an entirely satisfying ride but the show has its moments.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

Posted on

Hostel Days: Entertaining And Relatable, Particularly To Hostelites

Without deviating from the usual tropes associated with this genre, director Aditya Mandala makes it an engaging watch.

Director Aditya Mandala’s Hostel Days narrate the tale of six engineering students and the various experiences that they go through in their hostel life.

At the centre of this story are Sai (Darahas Maturu), Chitharanjan Bhattacharya (Mouli) and Naveen Yadav (Akshay Lagusani). The series primarily focuses on bullies in the hostel, last-minute preparation for exams, falling in love, etc.

Without deviating from the usual tropes associated with this genre, Aditya Mandala makes it an engaging watch.

Subplots

Campus dramas have their own magic irrespective of what age bracket the viewers are in. The best thing about it is, as expected, the camaraderie that the director creates between the three men. It feels organic.

There are also certain subplots which deserve a mention. These include body shaming and the love-hate relationship between parents and teenagers. They, too, are dealt with sensitively.

This web series also benefits from the witty anecdotes given by the college staff appearing at crucial junctures.

For example, there are the cameos of Jhansi and Rajeev Kanakala. These special appearances have been smartly integrated.

Performances

The acting, across the board, is quite impressive.

Darahas Maturu as Sai brings in the required innocence.

Mouli Tanuj as the wise Geek is also in fine form.

However, Akshay Lagusani steals the show with his uninhibited acting.

Among the female leads, Jaiyetri Makana shines the brightest as a youngster who is on the path of self-discovery.

Nevertheless, one major issue with Hostel Days is the hangover of 3 Idiots (2009) in the ragging portions. Though it works as a bonding tool between the three friends, the lasting after-effects of such bullying also needed to be exposed.

Final take

In all, Hostel Days makes for a breezy watch, particularly if you are in the mood for something light-hearted.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Save The Tigers: A Solid Entertainer With Good Treatment And Performances

A binge-worthy watch!

Save The Tigers (Telugu)

  • Cast: Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Abhinav Gomatam, Krishna Chaitanya, and Harsha Vardhan
  • Director: Teja Kakumanu
  • Music: Ajay Arsada
  • No. of episodes: 6
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Films about marital discord and frustrated husbands have a universal (should I say, male) appeal because of the way marital relationships have changed over the years.

Several films have humorously portrayed this and they have been hugely successful, too.

Director Teja Kakumanu’s Save the Tigers also follows the same route.

The husbands here come from three vastly different backgrounds but share one commonality – issues with wives. More than the story, what makes this show work is how the director used the background of his respective protagonists.

Synopsis

Ghanta Ravi (Priyadarshi) is a dairy farm owner, Rahul (Abhinav Gomatam) is an aspiring writer, and Vikram (Krishna Chaitanya) is a creative ad writer.

They meet at a school where their respective children are studying. Soon, they become friends and start bonding big time.

As mentioned above, they are frustrated married men. One day. they get arrested in a drunk-and-drive case.

Meanwhile, a noted actress gets kidnapped. The rest of the story deals with several aspects. Do the trio have any connection with her disappearance? What made these three men drink so much, and finally why do they call themselves “tigers”?

Highly entertaining

The title Save The Tigers here refers to how married men should also be saved from extinction as much as tigers.

The web series hits the ground running from the first frame. There are a lot of scenes that tickle our funny bones.

The case in point is the servant character played by Jabardasth-fame Rohini. Her interactions with Abhinav are an absolute laugh riot. What makes this track even more refreshing is the absence of body-shaming jokes.

Director Teja Kakumanu is also successful in creating conflicts that have certain credibility, more so if you are a male.

For example, Vikram’s wife is an activist-cum-lawyer who has issues with his mother. Like many children, Vikram’s daughter is the emotional anchor between them.

Save The Tigers also touches upon issues like workplace harassment, but without being preachy.

This comes out through the track of Sunaina who is a harassed employee working in the same office as Vikram. Harsha Vardhan plays the toxic boss.

These scenes are both poignant and entertaining.

There is also a passing comment on how literary standards are falling in recent times.

By the very nature of its story, Save the Tigers isn’t very high on logic.

Sometimes illogicality does come as a deterrent. The case in point is how the husbands bump into each other and realise that all their children study in the same school. The same thing happens to the wives, too.

Also, the kidnapping subplot needed to be etched far better.

Characterisation and performances

Priyadarshi’s Ganta Ravi has the trait of over-talking but this trait is never milked for stereotypical comedy.

On many occasions, his character repeatedly uses the word “paalu” which is similar to the pressure cooker obsession from the film Jathi Ratnalu (Jewels of The Nation, 2021).

The wife characters have also been written with some care.

A particular mention must be made of “Jordar” Sujatha who plays Priyadarshi’s wife. Her aspiration of wanting to live in a gated community has been well-written.

Out of the three men, Priyadarshi and Abhinav Gomatam are the best.

Priyadarshi gets the body language of a dairy farm owner spot on. The actor makes a huge impression starting from his body language to the way he delivers his dialogues in a particular accent.

Abhinav Gomatam is equally good with his satirical humour. The scenes where he is struggling to get over his writer’s block are hilarious, to say the least.

Krishna Chaitanya does not have many comic punch lines but the actor is still mighty impressive in whatever he does.

He is particularly good in the scenes when Vikram expresses his frustration on being sandwiched between his boss, mother and life.

Final take

Overall, Save the Tigers is an absolute binge-worthy watch. It is just six episodes and the duration of each episode is short. Have a fun weekend!

Posted on

Unheard

Aditya KV’s “Unheard” is a series which packs in a lot. It addresses many issues like the ideological standoffs between the revolutionaries, differences centred on the rule of Nizam, varied opinions on the British rule and Indians who supported them as well as the dichotomy of individuals who are against the mighty empire. It is a lot to focus on but to the credit of the director he goes a good job of keeping you invested.

The series starts off with an idealistic young Gandhian Padma (Chandini Chowdary). She seeks help for an injured comrade played by Priyadarshi. Padma takes the help of doctor Chalapati (Bala Aditya). The night passes with Padma and Chalpati debating the benefits and banes of Nizam rule along with the price of freedom. The next episode is about a heated argument between two revolutionaries with different ideologies. Apart from Priyadarshi this episode also features Ajay who plays a blacksmith called Mallesh. Both of them want freedom for the country but the approaches are different. The rest of the episodes mostly bring back the familiar characters. Through the six episodes you have six different themes being talked about.

The biggest USP of Unheard is the way it introduces the struggle in Hyderabad on the eve of Indian independence. The director refers to many aspects of that time which aren’t really talked about. For example you have the topic of Vetti Chakiri (bonded labour), a system which exploited the poor peasant. The angst in the populace comes out perfectly in a scene when Padma questions how the killing of an Archbishop in Europe concern India.

The history of Hyderabad is something which is important at this stage. The reason being the BJP are trying to make their way in the southern state with their own lopsided version of events. Unheard makes an honest attempt at presenting different points of view: This includes the aristocracy which wants the status quo and the young rebels demanding freedom.

The makers also deserve praise in the way they present the conversations. The series is heavy on dialogues as the characters are frequently in the midst of letting out their points of view. The dialogues by Aditya KV and Anirudh are powerful. These dialogues aid the performances of the actors and also the script.

All the cast members are in good form led by Baladitya. His character is the most interesting of the lot. Technically also Unheard is a pretty solid product with particular mention to the background score. The background score lends in the right amount of emotion.

Where the show suffers somewhat is the stage like atmosphere. It takes some time to get used to this kind of presentation. Also the handling of the diverse plotlines could have been better at some places.

Unheard is a good watch particularly for those who are interested in history.

Posted on

Tharagathi Gadi Daati

“Targati Gadhi Dati” directed by Malik Ram is a remake of a Hindi series called “Flames”. The film doesn’t break any new boundaries as far as the plot is concerned but it is still watchable thanks to the lead characters and also the nativity touch that the director gives.

The story of this series is about Krishna aka Kittu( Harshith Reddy). He falls in love with Jasmine (Payal Radhakrishna). In order to impress her Kittu joins tuition as she is interested in studies. However the dreams of Kittu is different as he is more interested in becoming a chef than studies.

The rest of the story is about how Krishna and Jasmine get together, fall apart and finally what helps them get together.

What works best for the series is the innocence of teenage love portrayed through the lead characters. Director Malik Ram is successful in making the youngsters connect to the love story of Krishna and Jasmine. It also helps that the lead actors are in perfect sync. Payal Radhakrishna in particular stands out.

Another good thing about the series is the friendship bond between the characters of Harshith Reddy along with Nikhil Devadula and Snehal. The contrasting nature of these three characters is interesting to watch.

For example Krishna is some who is reserved, shy and initially comes across as someone who is not comfortable before girls. Nikhil Devadulu’s one on the other hand is shown to be an extrovert guy who is game for everything. Both Nikhil and Snehal work well in their respective parts.

The supporting characters don’t have much to do but the character of Krishna’s father who is also a teacher gets a decent part. Raman Bhargav does a good job in his role.

Cinematographer Monish Bhupati Raju effectively captures the locales of Rajahmundry and its surrounding areas.

The music and the background score are also pleasant. They make for a good hear.

In a nutshell “Tharagati Gadhi Daati” doesn’t offer anything new for those who are looking for something different but if you are in a mood for some breezy romance give it a try.