BOTTOM LINE
Toned Down, Watchable
OUR RATING
2.25/5
PLATFORM-RUNTIME
Netflix – 6 hours (8 Episodes)
What Is the Film About?
Rana faces a deadly mission to rescue his kidnapped son Ani, reluctantly teaming with his estranged father Naga. His conflict with underworld kingpin Rauf escalates, involving family tensions, a dangerous heist, and brutal attacks on his allies. As betrayal looms, Rana joins hands with a business honcho, Viraj Oberoi, to protect his family and confront Rauf’s forces, going on the offensive.
Performances
Rana Daggubati is totally in his zone as the angsty, middle-aged fixer and family man. He’s solid as a flawed character willing to do whatever it takes to protect his people. With his action-hero vibe, natural ease in family scenes, and steady presence around shady power players, he once again delivers strong, impactful screen presence. Surveen Chawla, as his troubled partner, delivers well in a meatier role this time.
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Venkatesh’s role feels like an extended cameo with occasional appearances. He doesn’t make much of an impact, but he’s good with the dark humour.
Arjun Rampal plays the smooth, cold gangster well, but his character needed more depth and feels a bit flat after a point. Dino Morea in a dual-layered role is a unique casting choice, though the twist in the character is too obvious.
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The big surprise is Kriti Kharbanda, who totally owns her part as the unapologetic, ambitious woman chasing her goals without flinching. Sushant Singh does what he can with an underwritten role, while Rajat Kapoor is perfect as Viraj Oberoi, delivering just what the part needed…Abhishek Banerjee feels a bit off as Jaffa. He doesn’t quite hit the man-child vibe the show aims for.
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Analysis
Handling the first season of Rana Naidu, a show featuring two heavyweights, Rana and Venkatesh, in a high-profile adaptation of the popular series Ray Donovan, was never going to be a smooth affair. The tone had to be set, expectations met, key characters established, and packaged in a way that grabs eyeballs.
With Rana Naidu 2, it’s evident that creator Karan Anshuman and his team have taken stock of the mixed feedback from the first instalment. The language, on-screen intimacy, and action have been sanitised (or compromised?) for wider reach. The distractions in the dense story are minimal. The storytelling is more focused, more intense, paving the way for a watchable, if not great, sequel.
Of course, the narrative trajectory remains familiar – Rana’s family is in trouble, he’s forced to take help from his father, gets entangled with a shady but influential man, and is dragged into a mess he has to clean up before all hell breaks loose. The ‘daddy’ issues for Rana continue, but the writing is considerably sharper this time, diving straight into the conflict without the flab.
The show starts with Rana dreaming of a peaceful tomorrow with Naina, leaving behind his thorny past, only to realise that his son has been kidnapped. Having to join hands with his father, Naga Naidu, yet again, he bails his family out of trouble, only to earn more foes, working for a shadier, richer man, Oberoi. Meanwhile, newer chapters unfold in the lives of Rana’s wife, children, and brothers.
Drowning deeper in the murky business, Rana is as busy as ever, leaving a lonely Naina drawn towards a new man, Naveen. Jaffa, his younger brother, finds an unlikely love interest in Tasneem, a woman carrying a complicated past that he’s willing to embrace. Tej, meanwhile, wants to take things forward with Ana and start life afresh. With loan sharks closing in, Naga wants to make a quick buck.
However, what stands out this season is Naga’s attempt to come clean. In a scene, he even tells Jaffa to be a better father than he was. Though he finds himself in fresh trouble, his intentions are genuine, and when it counts, he shows up. Meanwhile, a tender romance between rapper Rehaan and Rana’s daughter Nitya continues, though it leads to catastrophic consequences for the couple.
Much like the first instalment, where Rana’s past caught up with him despite his best efforts to make amends, karma proves to be quite the b**h again; his messy choices once more endanger his family’s safety. OB Mahajan makes way for two antagonists—Viraj Oberoi and Rauf. Viraj is the slick, high-society operator. Rauf is brutal, direct, and less subtle when it comes to settling scores.
With Rauf, the conflict is personal and driven by vengeance. With Viraj, it’s more layered—Rana is drawn into a high-stakes family feud involving the tycoon’s power-hungry daughter Alia, his film-obsessed son Chirag, and a shrewd son-in-law, Paritosh. The show builds all these threads gradually, only to crash into one another, while leaving you engaged and exhausted at once.
Like the iconic line from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the show is ‘all about loving your family’; only here, it’s given an unimaginably darker spin. The plotting and mind games are sinister, but the subplots are too incestuous for convenience, stitched together more out of necessity, without an identity. It keeps screaming for your attention, never giving itself the space to breathe.
Does Rana Naidu Season 2 work better than the first? Well, the answer is complicated. The first instalment was more raw and bold in tone and visual style, but the new season scores higher in writing, performances, and emotional depth. Despite its flaws and predictable beats, it somehow manages to keep you engaged, making it a watchable ride.
Music and Other Departments?
John Stewart Eduri’s score is emphatic, effective and straight on the face, milking the drama in the story, though the little moments get only minimal importance. Cinematographers John Schmidt and Anuj Samtani opt for a dark and, at times, muted visual texture as a contrast to the show’s ever-changing tone, accommodating the drama, action and the chills.
Editor Ninad Khanolkar clearly had his job cut out with the pacing, given the ample subplots that had to come together seamlessly, and he goes about it well, preserving the momentum of the show. The production design and costumes are classy, staying true to the ambience.
Highlights?
Rana’s performance
Family drama segments
Focused writing, subplots come together neatly
Drawbacks?
Sanitised treatment tones down its overall appeal
One-dimensional characterisation of Arjun Rampal’s Rauf
Too many subplots leave you exhausted
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts, but generally watchable
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, if you enjoy dark gangster family dramas with low expectations.
Rana Naidu Season 2 OTT Series Review by M9
