The content of our films or web series is getting outdated as they have become redundant with the same formulaic genres ruling the roost. Of course, there are some delectable efforts in recent times from the creators and makers trying to infuse some fresh content with concepts like time travel, etc. though in limited number.
If Baahubali is the answer to the Avatar which raised the bar and inspired many makers to think differently, Kudi Yedamaithe, the web series based on the time-loop that is streaming now on Telugu digital platform Aha is another inspiring effort in that direction.
Story
A food delivery boy Aadhi (Rahul Vijay) who aspires to be an actor goes through his daily routine but one day he encounters a unique experience where he can foresee what happens on a particular day. Similar is the case with Durga (Amala Paul), the Inspector of Crime Branch, Khairatabad who also experiences a similar kind of situation.
Durga who is desperate to crack the mystery around the kidnappings of young children and Aadhi who wants to clear his debts and do something big cross their paths due to the common connectivity point – time-loop.
How do they meet and how they overcome their desperation and channelize their mind and energy for a common cause makes an interesting watch which forms the remaining part of Kudi Yedamaithe.
Performances
It’s Amala Paul whose performance is on par with Aadai (Aame) who steered Kudi Yedamaithe with her mercurial presence as well as her splendid performance levels. As a cop, she looked flamboyant and gelled herself into the character like a glove, and on a personal front with a traumatic past too, she excelled in every frame. The only scene where she smiles at the fag end after listening to the love story of Aadhi was the silver lining that exposes her both sides, talent and beauty. Amala never gets older or go out of touch and Durga is an indication of that.
Rahul Vijay too had his wonderful moments particularly the audition moments and during the scenes related with his colleague Farooq (Hershad), his performance was quite admirable.
Ravi Prakash is bankable in any role and he puts his best in every character that comes his way making him the most reliable and he delivers what expected out of him with ease in a diabolic character, Mahendra.
Surya Srinivas as Inspector Thilak also had some bright moments and did well as also the remaining actors, Nithya Shri as Parvathy, Rudra Pradeep as Arjun who did their part exceedingly well. Pawan who donned the cap of actor too has proved his mettle in the short role of Dr Harsha.
Behind the scenes
Salute to Ram and Pawan for this intelligent thriller with an out-of-the-box premise. This is the first in the history of Telugu cinema that a novel concept like time-loop was introduced and presented quite successfully. Kudi Yedamaithe is definitely an answer to Source Code and there’s no doubt in this.
The writing of Ram Vignesh was extraordinary and the presentation of Pawan Kumar was spot on. It’s a very complicated subject which needs to be treated with great care and clinical precision. Hence, the hard work of both Ram and Pawan behind the creation was evident all through the series.
Though it took little time to establish the characters and the concept in the initial episodes, once it gets into 2nd and 3rd episodes, Kudi Yedamaithe races along leaving a trail of awesomeness.
There are many sparks like the tracks of Parvathy and Farooq which are dextrously imbibed into the storyline without distracting from the main theme shows the authority the director had on the script.
The repeated shots of banana and curd cup convey the smartness of writer and director along with the continuous focus on Feb 29th stand as acute testimony of a stronger screenplay and perfect execution from the writer-director duo.
The background score by Poornachandra Tejeswi SV was awe-inspiring as it’s one of the best for a Telugu show in recent times.
The cinematography of Advaitha Gurumurthy was another bright area that cannot be ignored and it enlivens the proceedings to a great extent.
The editing by Suresh Armugam played a key role and it augured well with the narrative so that it remained intact as well as compact all through.
Final Verdict
Kudi Yedamaithe is the best thriller in recent times that involved the viewer from the start to the end making him/her think apart from enjoying. We rarely get to see films or series which make us think and Kudi Yedamaithe has succeeded in doing this apart from the underlying excitement.
It would have made a much bigger impact if it was made as a full- length feature film as the web series robs the charm of continuity which is of utmost importance for a concept like time-loop.
Moreover, the open-ended climax raises more expectations on the next season which will sure provide the key to some unconnected dots.
Nevertheless, Kudi Yedamaithe delivers the thrills with an absorbing narrative making it a highly binge worthy series that cannot be missed. Go for it!