BOTTOM LINE
Delivers A Satisfactory Watch
OUR RATING
2.75/5
PLATFORM
Amazon Prime Video
What Is the Film About?
Sagar Varma Avudhuri (Naga Chaitanya) is a brilliant journalist reaching the top quickly. He has a happy personal life with a wife and daughter, and the couple are soon expecting another child.
Sagar Varma’s life changes upside down when horrible incidents mysteriously start happening one after another. What is the ‘mystery’ and how is it solved? It is the series’ basic premise.
Performances
Naga Chaitanya gets a well-written part with a good character arc. He is trying a bit too hard initially, especially when going all out, showing attitude and being slightly arrogant. However, Chaitanya settles eventually as the narrative progresses.
Naga Chaitanya is better in the emotional, panicky and scared portions. He conveys those emotions adequately and makes the character well-rounded and admirable towards the end.
Priya Bhavani Shankar does well as the pregnant wife of the lead, with a strong and independent mind. It is reflected in the way she carries the part.
Parvathy Thiruvotho lends an authoritative yet friendly nature to the investigative officer part. More than her performance, again, it’s the way it is carried that adds to the gripping proceedings.
Analysis
Vikram Kumar of Manam and 24 fame created and directed Dhootha. It is his debut on the OTT platform, and he picks an instantly identifiable story for the same and packs it in his style.
There is no waste of time as Dhootha hooks us immediately with the opening. Vikram Kumar returns to it later, but as it’s on the back of the mind, the following proceedings always have that intrigue.
The world of journalism is established briefly, and while it is the background for the entire series, the theme is more on journalistic integrity in presenting the truth. The protagonist presents a good case of the moral dilemma a journalist faces.
The good thing is Vikram Kumar doesn’t get into a moral lecture space related to integrity and all but presents the same in a thriller cum mystery format. The screenplay is the winner, and where it succeeds. One is always curious to know what happens next.
Some of the subplots, however, are very predictable. The director goes into uncharted raw territory in those parts. It comes across as a bit jarring. Luckily, the general suspenseful and ominous mood covers it. Still, some segments do feel like a drag, albeit slightly.
The narrative progresses smoothly, grabbing attention despite the minor hiccups in between. It changes once we reach the grand reveal. The whole thing is shot aesthetically, but a feeling of routineness does set in because of all the build-up preceding it.
Good acting and honest intentions help sail through the routineness, though. And then it is all about how things are wrapped. The final segment gives a rushed vibe. The various threads merge immediately to achieve a satisfactory yet highly predictable culmination. The ending also hints at further chapters with similar mysterious, paranormal cases.
For Vikram Kumar’s fans, Dhootha is a relief after his last disappointing outing (Thank You). That the same actor-director combo was part of it as well makes Dhootha a redemption of sorts.
Overall, Dhootha is a well-made and largely engaging series with a neat screenplay and theme. Some parts drag, and feeling routineness towards the end is a downside. Try it if you want to see a familiar theme told differently.
Performances by Others Actors
Many familiar faces appear playing the supporting parts, like Prachi Desai, Ravindra Vijay, Tanikella Bharani, Pasupathy, Tharun Bhaskar etc. Everyone comes up with satisfactory acts in their limited time and scope.
Music and Other Departments?
Ishan Chhabra’s background score fits the mood of the thriller drama well. It elevates the proceedings at the right moment. The sound mixing is also neatly handled, especially considering everything happening in a rainy atmosphere with wind noise and droplets falling.
The cinematography and editing are slick, as expected from a Vikram Kumar product. Mikolaj Sycula gets an ideal setting in Vizag’s backdrop. The dark and gritty images add to the ominous mood. Naveen Nooli is reliable, as usual. The writing is reasonably good, with the core message getting across neatly.
Highlights?
Story
Screenplay
Theme
Drawbacks?
Rushed At Times
Turns Routine Towards End
Unnecessary Cuss Words
Couple Of Subplots
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Dhootha Web Series Review by M9
