‘Dayaa’ web series review: Director Pavan Sadineni delivers a solid thriller drama series headlined by a restrained and superb J D Chakravarthy. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar – The Hindu
Disney+ Hotstar’s Telugu net collection Dayaa relies on the Bengali collection Taqdeer. In the event you suppose they’ve taken a neater route with a remake versus an unique story, the multi-layered plot, because it unfolds, proves it’s ripe to be skilfully tailored to go well with a brand new area. Pavan Sadineni, who beforehand directed the movie Senapathi, ups the sport with Dayaa headlined by J D Chakravarthy.
It’s a coincidence that the sluggish burn collection set within the coastal area within the neighborhood of Kakinada and Rajahmundry arrives on the heels of 25 years of Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya which starred JD within the titular position. In one of many later episodes of Dayaa, by a whistle-worthy second, Pavan Sadineni doffs his hats to that iconic movie and its titular character named Satya.
Within the first episode, Vivek Kalepu’s digicam offers us loads of hen’s eye views of a market in a port city the place practically each inch of house is taken over by quite a few distributors who promote their catch. Dayaa (J D Chakravarthy) drives a freezer van and goes about his mundane job matter-of-factly. We get the sense of an underlying pathos in his eyes and the narrative drops refined cues to point that Dayaa is probably not what he appears. Anybody habituated to mainstream narratives can spot a turnaround from a mile away. A number of episodes later, when the rug is pulled from underneath the viewers’ ft, there’s extra in retailer. Even Dayaa’s title, which stands for mercy, has extra to it than that meets the attention.
Dayaa (Telugu)
Pavan, who has written the dialogues with Rakendu Mouli, presents Dayaa’s story as that of an underdog. The freezer van driver has been at work for 2 days at a stretch, sans meals and sleep. His pregnant spouse, Alivelu (Eesha Rebba), awaits his return. Once more, you get refined cues to deduce that Alivelu is probably not the archetypal damsel in misery. Issues flip topsy-turvy when Dayaa discovers one thing in his freezer van that pulls him right into a maze of crime and politics.
Ramya Nambessan, Kamal Kamaraju, J D Chakravarthy, Eesha Rebba and Vishnupriya in director Pavan Sadineni’s net collection ‘Dayaa’, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
We get flashes of Dayaa’s story — of his adolescence interval when he weeps over his mom’s physique — and extra. The narrative holds again from revealing an excessive amount of within the first season, not just for Dayaa but in addition a number of different characters. Kavitha (Ramya Nambessan) as an unflinching tv reporter, Kaushik (Kamal Kamaraju) as her author husband, their daughter, the workplace politics with Kavitha’s TRP-minded bosses and colleagues, one other younger reporter Shabana (Vishnupriya Bhimineni), Dayaa’s trusted pal Prabha (Ravi Josh), a no-nonsense cop (Mayank Parakh) and a number of other others are a part of the ensemble forged. There are additionally the stereotypical dangerous buys — a neighborhood politician (Babloo Prithveeraj) and one other venomous character who doesn’t communicate however sends a shudder down the backbone.
The subplots that discover a large number of points — a sexual assault sufferer’s identification being revealed by the media, an unethical pharmaceutical scientific trial — additionally expose the fault strains within the media, politics and police equipment.
The director will get satisfactory assist from editor Viplav Nyshadam in weaving collectively the completely different features, revealing segments of a number of backstories now and again, so as to add to the intrigue. Shravan Bharadwaj’s background rating and Vivek Kalepu’s cinematography intensify the drama with out drawing consideration to themselves.
Dayaa shouldn’t be with out niggles. I haven’t watched the Bangladeshi unique to know if the story and the characters have been replicated with out modifications, however sure features may have been higher. As an illustration, it’s foolish that an investigative journalist who is alleged to be among the many greatest within the nation is proven to prematurely reveal her findings to a strong suspect. Why, for heaven’s sake, would she additionally foolishly show a pen drive when there’s an imminent menace?
Regardless of such missteps, Dayaa makes for a fascinating watch. Season one is probably designed as a prelude to a bigger drama in season two. Alivelu’s character, for instance, looks like the trailer to an even bigger chance.
Dayaa’s power additionally stems from the performances. J D Chakravarthy is great because the understated and brooding Dayaa, shifting from being a hapless sufferer to a person who can name the photographs. Ramya Nambessan befits her half as a stoic crime journalist who can also be weak. Vishnupriya as Shabana conveys the passion and naivete required on her half. We don’t see sufficient of Eesha Rebba however she is effortlessly convincing as Alivelu. One hopes Alimelu affords extra within the subsequent season. Convincing performances additionally come from Kamal Kamaraju, Ravi Josh and Prithveeraj.
The reliable ensemble forged and the multi-layered, intriguing narrative make Dayaa an absorbing collection with potential for a better follow-up.
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