BOTTOM LINE
Few Silly Laughs
PLATFORM
AHA VIDEO
What Is the Show About?
The weekly series offers a light-hearted peek into the lives of various employees at a happening software firm – The Great Indian Company. A new set of freshers with contrasting personalities join the company and find uncanny ways to adapt with their colleagues. Meanwhile, Nisha receives an update about downsizing within the firm and must take harsh decisions about its future.
Performances
Mirchi Kiran, cast in a part that reminds us of his funny role in Malli Raava, does what’s expected of him (though he doesn’t get to do anything new). The verbal banter between Kiran and Ramana Bhargava provides momentum to the show. Mahesh Vitta continues to prove that deserves better opportunities with comedy and makes his presence felt in the brief screen time. Other familiar faces, like RJ Kajal, Akhil Sarthak, Raja Vikram and Vasanthika Macha, deliver the goods too.
Analysis
Telugu OTT platform aha, which has tried its hand at daily soaps and YouTube content (on its channel) in the past, has turned the spotlight on a new weekly series titled Vere Level Office. The series, a workplace comedy, is a Telugu adaptation of the widely watched Tamil show Vere Maari Office (also on aha), which entertained viewers for over 100 episodes across two seasons.
Vere Level Office, whose introductory episodes were released this Thursday, makes its intentions very clear. The creators’ idea is to introduce viewers to a wacky bunch of characters in an office setting, and place them together in farcical situations, focusing more on humour and less on the drama in their lives. Given that it doesn’t aim too high, it entertains in parts, though all the gags don’t yield the same results.
Some of the backstories around the characters make for interesting viewing, say how a cab driver and his passenger end up as colleagues in the same company. A girl, in a bid to leave her conservative household, shifts to Hyderabad for a job, with the excuse that she’s preparing for UPSC. An official from the head office conceals his identity in the company to keep track of workplace realities within the branch.
Nisha, the company’s go-to-person, is shocked to hear about the boss’ plan to sack a few employees (as part of downsizing). An Insta influencer views herself as a celebrity and captures every dimension of her work life. The conflicts between Paramesh and Subramanya Sastri over the power hierarchy within the office ensure a few laughs.
The treatment of the show is highly exaggerated and the director prefers to tread the slapstick path over realism. At times, it goes too far to keep the humour quotient in the show alive – say the portions where Mahesh Vitta talks of his smoking habits, another colleague discusses her weakness for food and the scene where an acquaintance of a key character mistakes him to be a janitor.
The initial glimpses of the series are strictly okay. Though there are occasional sparks with the catchy dialogues, it isn’t consistent with its writing. Probably, as the show evolves, the setting and its characters have a chance to grow on the viewer. Vere Level Office is very similar to scores of Youtube Telugu shows – not too bad, but you can’t take it too seriously either. It may be a good excuse to kill time and is tolerable provided your expectations are low.
Going by the experience of its director E Sathi Babu, who’s delivered several enjoyable low-stakes comedies in the past, Vere Level Office could do more to redeem itself in the coming weeks. The writing, especially, needs more freshness and a contemporary touch.
Music and Other Departments?
Ajay Arasada’s peppy title track stays true to the light-hearted vibe of the show and is musically appealing, while the background score is decent across two episodes. Chintapally Pradeep Reddy’s cinematography provides a lively visual exterior to Vere Level Office and the production design – especially the office setup – is one of its high points. The dialogues are entertaining at times.
Highlights?
Performances of Mirchi Kiran, Ramana Bhargava, Mahesh Vitta
Good dialogues
Novel backdrop for a comedy
Drawbacks?
Slapstick treatment
Inconsistent writing
Low-brow humour
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you have a taste for workplace comedies
Vere Level Office Review by M9
