Prime Video has now come up with a Telugu web series, Isakapatnam, headlined by Aishwarya Rajesh. Directed by Garry BH, the show also features Samuthirakani, Naresh Agastya, Sunil, and others in key roles. Let’s see how the series is.
Story:
Set against the backdrop of Isakapatnam, a port city, the series revolves around the quest for power. Mr. Naidu (Samuthirakani) arrives in Isakapatnam as a nobody but soon establishes himself as the monarch by killing Chinnarao (Rajeev Kanakala). Mr. Naidu enjoys the support of political leaders and the police department, but his daughter Bharathi (Aishwarya Rajesh) doesn’t approve of his actions. Meanwhile, his rival Prathap Varma (Ravi Varma) keeps trying to bring him down, and Naidu devises a strategy to counter him, leading to a series of intergroup conflicts, chaos, and ultimately, bloodshed.
Plus Points:
The series features very good performances from Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, Naresh Agastya, Jwala Koti, and Sudhakar Komakula. Though the writing doesn’t quite live up to the show’s ambitions, the performances make the series watchable to an extent.
Samuthirakani is solid as a man constantly hungry for power and dominance, while Aishwarya Rajesh is fine in a dual-shaded role. Naresh Agastya delivers a promising performance as a man striving to rise above his circumstances, while Jwala Koti, Banerjee, Sudhakar, and Raja Chembolu are apt in their respective roles.
Minus Points:
Race for power and the battle for dominance are themes that have been explored in umpteen films lately. Hence, something special must be brought to the table to make the series stand out, but Isakapatnam falters in this regard.
The pacing is maintained decently, but the screenplay doesn’t feature the required high moments and flashy sequences to hold the attention throughout. The much-needed tension is missing in the proceedings. There are some decent moments, but they are short-lived. The world of Isakapatnam is dark and has the scope of being an intense gangster drama, but the writing simply doesn’t deliver.
Most characters are grey-shaded but they aren’t developed properly and appear one-note beyond a point lacking excitement. The death of key characters aren’t handled effectively as the scenes leading to them aren’t strong enough to carry the impact. The twist reveal in the climax doesn’t pack a punch with the narrative already giving hint about it.
The threat to Samuthirakani’s character isn’t showcased properly, and hence the stakes remain low. Sunil is wasted in a poorly written role. The love track of Aishwarya Rajesh and the family dynamic of Naresh Agastya’s character both lack depth.
Technical Aspects:
Pravin Lakkaraju’s music is passable. Vamsi Patchipulusu’s cinematography is neat, capturing the series’ dark tone effectively. The production design is well executed, authentically recreating the 1980s setting. The editing is fine, and the production values are pretty good.
Direction by Garry BH could have been much better. The screenplay needed stronger scenes to do justice to the series backdrop and its dark world powered by war for supremacy. The premise had potential, but the presentation isn’t impressive.
Verdict:
On the whole, Isakapatnam is a so-so gangster action drama set in a gritty world. The series features good performances from Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, and others, and the premise gives scope for intense storytelling. However, the absence of strongly written scenes, poorly etched characters, and the lack of tension in the proceedings keep it from being fully engaging. There are some decent moments, but they are short-lived.