BOTTOM LINE
A Quirky, Low-Stakes Fantasy
PLATFORM
JioHotstar
RUNTIME
1 Hour
What Is the Show About?
Raju runs a public toilet complex for a living and struggles to make ends meet. He has a doting mother, who works as a maid, and an alcoholic father to take care of. He is in love with a sex worker, Satya, in whose company he finds solace. In a random act of kindness, when he saves an elderly woman from an embarrassing situation, he is granted a boon to see the future. How will it change his life?
Performances
Vishwadev Rachakonda is impressive as the ill-fated youngster, balancing between his tall aspirations and brutal reality checks. The basic plot elements: Raju’s vulnerabilities, his dreams, and the ultimate boon, are planted well. Shivani Rajasekhar brings lightness and approachability to a relatively morose character. Sruthy Jayan is decent in another key role. The most impactful member of the cast is Srinivas Avasarala, who adopts a refreshingly minimalist approach to play Tripathi.
Analysis
Low-stakes fantasy stories are fun to watch, as the canvas is limited, the characters take themselves lightly, and the premise offers ample space for fresh, unique plot developments. Varam features familiar names such as Vishwadev Rachakonda, Shivani Rajasekhar, and Srinivas Avasarala as leads, but what it sells viewers is its concept: a kind man, down in the dumps, receiving a boon and getting confused about how to milk it to the fullest.
In the initial couple of episodes, which barely last an hour, what we get are brief character sketches while laying a foundation for the premise to kickstart. Here is an ordinary man doing odd jobs, with big dreams and literally dirty realities, trying to make progress in life. Refreshingly, his love interest is not a typical sex worker who sees herself as a victim.
Satya cherishes the little time she gets with Raju. There is a nice contrast the show establishes between the two minutes of happiness that both Raju and a crooked politician, Tripathi, crave for in their time with Satya. One looks for solace and the other for instant, bodily gratification. Raju is hardly a typical male saviour, but a simple man in love looking to make it big.
Director Aditya Mandala, through a brief dialogue in a pivotal scene, indicates where the show is headed. As a woman gifts Raju the ability to view the future through a mobile news alert, he asks her whether it is a boon or a curse. That is Varam in a nutshell. What will Raju make of it? He has a loan to pay, dreams of a future with Satya, and the boon comes right at a crucial moment.
In Tripathi, a filthy-rich politician who sets his eyes on Satya, the show has a meaty antagonist to keep Raju in check. The filmmaker keeps the proceedings relatively light, swiftly moving across the events in the story while establishing the necessary emotional connection among the characters. There is only so much you can read into a show within an hour, but Varam catches your attention.
On a conceptual level, Varam brings to mind Rajinikanth’s Baba, showcasing a common man who has a gift beyond comprehension and uses it for trivial reasons. The creators adopt a more grounded, cautionary approach to the idea, offering something that is quirky and relatable in equal measure. It has the ingredients to build up into an exciting show and it ends on a cliffhanger, but it is still early days.
Music and Other Departments?
Siddharth Sadasivuni’s background score is low-key, allowing the dialogues and situations to find their rhythm while dropping enough musical cues true to the show’s main theme. The show navigates through cheap bars, narrow lanes, and brothels, yet the cinematography, by Fahad Abdul Majeed, retains a reasonable aesthetic within its limitations. The dialogues are light-hearted, believable, and crisp, never dragging a scene or its ideas beyond necessity.
Highlights?
Relatable characters
Good cast
Quirky and fun concept
Drawbacks?
Slightly simplistic
Silly at times
Did I Enjoy It?
The start is decent; you will not regret watching it.
Will You Recommend It?
If light-hearted fantasies are your forte, give it a chance.
Varam Web Series Reviewed by Kalyan, M9 News
