With his first OTT series, Athidhi, Venu Thottempudi, who just made a comeback on the big screen, is back.
In addition to Avanthika Mishra, Venkatesh Kakumanu, and Aditi Gautam, the show is written and directed by Bharath Y.G.
Several Indian languages are currently being used to view the series on Disney Plus Hotstar.
Story: A writer named Ravi Varma (Venu Thottempudi) and his paralyzed wife Sandhya (Aditi Gautam) share a house.
Maaya, a mysterious woman (Avanthika Mishra), visits Ravi's home on a wet night and requests permission to stay in the mansion.
Ravi approves her entry, while Savari, a YouTuber known for ghost hunting videos, becomes frightened after encountering a ghost.
He also looks for refuge at Ravi’s mansion. When Savari sees Maaya there, he thinks that she is actually a ghost rather than a living person.
In order to save their lives, he advises Ravi that they should quickly leave the estate. Who is Maaya here?
What is the cause of her enigma? What then did Savari and Ravi do? The focus of the series is on this.
Performances: The main characters are skillfully introduced as the story immediately begins after the opening sequence.
The background’s scary element initially keeps things interesting. In this scary movie, Venu Thottempudi gave a nuanced performance.
Athidhi demonstrates he still has it with the excellent way he emotes in crucial scenes.
Avanthika Mishra excelled in her role, showcasing her impressive appearance and conveying a message to society with her cool performance.
As a YouTuber, Venkatesh Kakamanu was lovely. His straightforward but potent presentation makes an impression.
The beauty of Neninthe In the role she has been given, Aditi Gautam does okay. Bhadram and Ravi Varma carried out their duties as required.
The background music complemented the frightening theme. The series contains a few short stories, and they are well done.
Technicalities: The background music by Kapil Kumar is nice, and it improves the impact of a few scenes. Good cinematography was done by Manojh Katasani.
The series is moving rapidly, but it feels hurried as it approaches its conclusion, despite the acceptable production quality.
The writer-director Bharath created a compelling story, but he could have improved the way it was delivered. The subject’s promise isn’t fully realized because the show fails to successfully elicit frights and shivers.
Analysis: The series’ narrative is excellent on paper, but it was poorly adapted for the screen.
The horror effects, including jumpscare sequences, had potential to thrill viewers, but their execution was lacking due to the use of clichéd situations.
The show's biggest flaw is the way the twists are delivered, which could have been more impactful if handled fairly.
Some scenes make the turns obvious from a distance, which the program fails to address.
The series' conclusion is disappointing, with plot development lacking in the current episode, with sudden endings and requiring further explanation.
Verdict: Overall, Athidhi is a half-baked horror thriller with a few standout scenes.
Good performances were given by Venu Thottempudi, Avanthika Mishra, and Venkatesh Kakamanu.
Although the show’s premise and plot are intriguing, the anticipated thrills aren’t present. Because of how important twists are presented, Athidhi doesn’t quite rise to its full potential.
Rating: 2.5/5