Zee 5 is ready with its new series Vikkatakavi. The period drama features Naresh Agastya and Megha Akash in key roles. Directed by Pradeep Maddali, the series is now streaming, and let’s see if it is worth all the hype that has been created.
Vikkatakavi Story: The people of Amaragir are in tension. All those who go to the Nallamala forest start losing their memory. Everyone thinks that it is the curse of God. But things change when Rama Krishna(Naresh Agastya) a local detective enters the scene and starts his investigation. Things are not what they seem to be as a massive gang of big shots is behind all this. How Rama Krishna aka Vikkatakavi solved this mystery is the basic story.
Performances: Naresh Agastya plays the main lead and does well in his key role. He plays a detective with aplomb and manages to give decent expression. He does not overact and the surprising and intriguing look on his face only helps matters. Megha Akash looks cute but she does not have much to do in the series. She is wasted in a way. Mukhtar Khan plays the bad guy and he is perfect in his role. Raghu Kunche is very good in a negative role. He gets a lot of scope to showcase his talent and he does so well in the series. Shiju Menon is also neat in his role. The rest of the cast were okay.
Technical Aspects: Shoeb has done the camerawork and it is amazing. What makes things work for Vikkatakavi is the visuals. They are great and enhance the proceedings solidly. The BGM scored by Ajay Arasada is also neat and does not sound loud. The editing is good and the dialogues are neat. The production design is superb as the bygone era is brought to life through amazing costumes and setwork. The story is written by Saitej and he has made sure that the script has enough twists and turns.
Analysis: Pradeep Maddali has directed Vikkatakavi and has made sure that the audience does not get bored one bit. How he has made the proceedings crisp is the best part of the series. Also, the runtime is only 35 minutes and this does not feel long. The pace of the series is slow, especially in the last two episodes. They are a big predictable and have been narrated on a simple note.
How the story is introduced in the first two episodes is very good. The way the village loses memory and the entire drama behind it is showcased so well. Also, the way the actors perform is the best part of the show. They do not overact and the thrills keep you engaged. The twists are not that great but the one involving the hero is very good.
Pradeep Maddali has made sure that the scenes do not bore you. The different feel and suspenseful narration is the best part of the show. The production values are also top-notch the cloud seeding issue and how it has been used in the narrative is very good to see on screen. The character development is very good in the series and logic does not go for a toss.
Vikkatakavi has so many good scenes and the way the climax is executed looks good. Everything has a proper closure and makes sure things end on a good note. The pace is slow and once the twist is out, one can get deviated but that is not the problem as the series is engaging for the most part and does not bore you waste subplots.
Verdict: Overall, Vikkatakavi is a decent web series that has decent thrills. The suspenseful narration, performances, and crisp runtime are major advantages and make the series a simple and easy watch this weekend.
Bottom Line: Decent thriller
Vikkatakavi Rating: 3/5
