'Parampara' (Web Series)

'Parampara' Web Series Review!

Cast: Jagapathi Babu, Sarath Kumar, Naveen Chandra, Ishaan, Akanksha Singh, Divi, Naina Ganguly and others
Writer: Hari Yelleti
Screenplay: Hari Yelleti, Durga Shankar Kesanakurthi, V Srinivasa Rao, Penubothu Venkat, I Pradeep Kumar Reddy
Genre: Political - Crime Drama
Producers: Shobu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni
Directors: Krishna Vijay, Vishwanath Arigela and Hari Yelleti

After a successful first season, the team of 'Parampara' is back with its second season. Starring Naveen Polishetty and Jagapthi Babu in the lead, this Hotstar Special is a crime drama with a political backdrop. The first season ended up with a cliffhanger and the trailer for the 2nd season impressed the audience too. Let us dive into the review straight away to find out whether the expectations have been reached regarding the 2nd season or not.

Story:

After threatening to kill Naidu (Sarath Kumar) at Suresh's (Ishaan) marriage, Gopi (Naveen Chandra) gets arrested. He was sentenced to three years of jail time and he becomes a completely different person when he comes out. He plots an elaborate scheme to bring down Naidu and executes it perfectly. What are the challenges he faced and who he loses in this journey form the rest of the story.

Analysis:

The Telugu film industry has come up with a lot of interesting content on various OTT platforms over the past couple of years. 'Parampara' is a Hotstar Special that impressed the audience for its dramatic plotlines, scheming among the family members and struggle for power. Despite some flaws in the first season, the series managed to make get good marks from the viewers which made the streaming network to renew this series for a second season.

While the first season was narrated over 8 episodes, the second season was restricted to 5 episodes. People who watched the first season might have higher expectations on the second season but it is better to keep them in check. The series starts off with some interesting jail episodes which shed light on how Naveen's character gets matured and more focused on his goal of bringing down Naidu. These scenes really grab your attention and you expect the series to run on the same note. But the latter episodes slowly start to fizzle out.

The series is supposed to be like a chase game where two powerful characters make one move after another. The first season showcases both Naveen and Sarath Kumar's characters as equals and it is the veteran's character who gets the better in the end. But the second season falters a bit on that front. Gopi played by Naveen Chandra has tricks up his sleeve all the time and somehow gets the better of Naidu. There is no real challenge for him this season as he wins almost everything quite easily.

Also, Jagapathi Babu's role is written in a very passive manner and it doesn't take the spotlight till the very last episode. The major plus of this series is the action part which were nicely picturized. Along with that, the series runs on a fast note which leaves no time for the audience to think. You get so invested in the series that you fail to realise that not much has happened this season till the very end. The directors and writers deserve credit for it. The production values are quite good and the lack of proper detailing is covered up by the good performances from the lead cast. There are some interesting twists that grabs your attention but the series leaves a lot to be desired in terms of writing. When you watch a series that spans over 250 minutes, you expect a lot of drama and details in the story but things move from one thing to another which affects the intense vibe that this series is supposed to have. The makers left the audience clueless regarding the third season as one of the main characters dies at last and the protagonist loses a lot too. We need to see if there will be a third season or not.

Performances:

Naveen Chandra did a very good job. The whole series revolves around his character and he did complete justice. He fits the bill perfectly and showcased the rage when needed but looked composed most of the time. His styling is quite good too. Sarath Kumar was great as the antagonist. He elevated a lot of scenes with his screen presence but his own dubbing fails to bring the necessary impact. Jagapathi Babu is perfect in the role which is quite poorly written. He gets less screen time but did the best he could. Ishaan looked handsome but the lack of expressions in his face at times affected a few scenes.

Akanksha Singh is beautiful and had nothing much to do this season. She was strictly okay. Divi made her presence felt. Naina Ganguly was fine too in the first two episodes. Amani was impressive while the rest of the actors did a decent job in their respective roles.

Technicians:

The cinematography is fantastic. It creates a very intense mood with its cloudy and dark tones. The seriousness of the story can be felt through the visuals. The editing is fine as the series goes at a quick pace. The background score deserves a special mention as it elevates the proceedings during many parts. The production values are great and the direction is on point too.

It is the writing that falls short of expectations. While they made sure that the screenplay is fast, they failed to make the series more dramatic which is quite crucial in a web series. There were a lot of loose ends which were left untied in the second season. Also, the story doesn't progress much till the very last episode. The first episode and the last episode had a lot happening but the middle ones don't bore you but nothing really happens in terms of the story's progression. The makers should have taken more care about it.

Verdict: Parampara 2 - Quick & Interesting But Not Quite Dramatic

Rating: 2.25