Netflix original series, Rana Naidu marks the coming together of Daagubati duo Venkatesh and Rana. The series premiered on Netflix earlier and here's our review of it.
Story: Rana is a fixer. His name is involved with every major scandal in the film industry. While he isn't the one actually involved with these scandals, he is the one who settles them and makes hardships go away for the commissioned parties. He now has to battle his inner demons as his father (Venkatesh) comes out of prison and he is out for revenge.
How did the actors perform?
Rana is tailor made for his role and he is at ease in the same. He has done roles with similar shades in the past and pulling this off is no strange job for him. He showcases his panache in many scenes.
Venkatesh is the surprise package. He is one of the trusted family heroes in Tollywood. But he has undergone a stellar makeover for the show. He has done several A-rated scenes that are not suitable for family viewing. It is shockingly staggering to see him in a roll like this.
The rest of the star cast mostly comprise of unknown faces for the Telugu audience so there's not much reliability factor associated with them. But they deliver fine performance.
What about the technical finesse?
The show is an Indian adaption of Hollywood' Ray Donovan. But not many have seen the original, so there's a fair bit of freshness in this adaption. It mostly progresses along on an expected note.
The production values by Netflix are of elite quality, as one would expect from a Netflix original presentation. The cinematography is slick and the low-lit visuals standout. The background score sets the right mood for most scenes.
The director Karan Anshuman has done a fine job in creating a dark and tense atmosphere but his narrative isn't as gripping enough. His previous work, Mirzapur was far better in terms of drama and overall presentation.
Analysis:
Rana Naidu is the kind of series where the showrunners try to imply there's a lot happening but in reality, there isn't anything substantial happening. A better paced narrative is needed for dark series' like these.
There's not much thrill facto through the course of the series. The lack of X factor sequences mean that the narration is flat for most parts. This is a no-no for a web series with 10 episodes.
The performances from the cast are on point, as expected. But that's about it, as far as visual storytelling goes. The technical finesse is adequate but the story narration, which is the binding factor isn't good enough.
The sense of implying there's a lot happening in terms of story but lack of drive factor results in the whole show looking like a headless chicken.
Verdict: Rana Naidu is a poorly presented series that has very little thrill to offer to the viewers. The cinema stars scandalis vague and doesn't excite to the fullest. It needed better narration to make for a compelling watch.
