The slim line between mainstream cinema and OTT is getting thinner with many notable actors and technicians entering the OTT arena. Devika & Danny, a hotstar specials web series streaming on the popular JioHotstar comprising of ensemble cast like Ritu Varma, Subbaraju, Kovai Sarala, Abhinayasri and others is another such addition to the ever growing OTT family.
This series, produced by Sudhakar Chaganti under Joy Films banner, written and created by Deepak Raj is directed by B. Kishore.
Story
Set in a village Ramapuram, Devika (Ritu Varma), a music teacher in a school who comes from an orthodox conservative family gets engaged to an eccentric Jaggi (Subbaraju) who is possessive and dominating. Devika after getting advise from her colleague Anni (Mounika) starts thinking beyond the 20 km radius that she was confined with in search of greener pastures.
Her chance encounter with Danny (Surya Vasistta) catapults her to cross the tolls that spread beyond her confined zone and transforms her into a new girl who starts thinking independently.
Devika now got an assignment from Danny who wants her to restore the orphanage back to Bharathi (Kovai Sarala) from the hands of gangster Mechanic Durga (Shanmukh) and his better half Hema (Abhinayasri) who forcefully takes the possession of the orphanage by evicting Bharathi and children.
How Devika completes her assignment amidst various challenges is the remaining part of the story.
Performances
Ritu Varma as Devika adds charm and acts as the driving force of the series. There is nothing wrong with her performance or talent but still her demeanour looks the same from her maiden venture Pelli Choopulu and this remains the biggest drawback of Devika & Danny. Seriously, her diction needs some fine tuning. However good her Telugu is, the pronunciation of some words sounds strange and gives a feeling that they were read straightaway from the script paper without putting soul into the dialogues.
Surya Vasistta gives out his best and its Subbaraju who takes the cake with his amazing presence. His performance stands out and adds the comic relief in many scenes especially two very short duration scenes with Chammak Chandra deserve applause.
Another noteworthy performance is from Siva Kandukuri who portrays a key character Subbu and he nails it with great authenticity.
Sivannarayana, Abhinayasri, Kovai Sarala, Gokaraju Ramana, Viva Harsha, and Ishwarya Vullingala exhibited flawless performaces that brightened the narrative.
Behind the scenes
Writer and creator Deepak Raj has taken enough care to present a familiar plot from a different perspective. Director Kishore has executed it well without much melodrama and unnecesary frills. The idea of narrating the story from the point of view of Devika looks commendable. Equally the idea of crossing the tolls sounds novel and the way this concept was presented is appreciable.
Music by Jay Krish, cinematography of Venkat C Dilip and editing by Karthikeyan Rohini flows with the narrative. BGM was good in some crucial scenes turning them more effective on screen.
Final Analysis
There is nothing new with the plot of a spirit coming to earth or entering a human body for seeking justice or revenge. But this plot was handled judiciously by the writer and director by adding some interesting elements in the form of characters like Jaggi and Subbu.
Aided by some good performances from Ritu Varma, Surya, and Siva, Devika & Danny series breezes through all the 7-episodes in no time that too without any blood, gore and foul language. Though there were some illogical connections, this series is worth a watch for the spirited effort put by the actors that was enhanced by some good writing and effective execution.
The second season looks more promising with more tolls to be crossed before Devika gets settled in her life. So wait and watch!
Also read: https://snooper-scope.in/devika-danny-web-series-trailer-released-by-jiohotstar/
