BOTTOM LINE
Avika Makes It Watchable
OUR RATING
2/5
THERE PLATFORM
Disney+ Hotstar
What Is the Show About?
Indu (Avika Gor) encounters marital issues, leading her family to arrange her marriage to Anand (Nandu). However, her marital troubles don’t cease there. Upon entering Anand’s home, she discovers a series of mysterious events.
Anand’s brother Aarya (Ali Reza) too has a troubled marital history, and a murder attempt takes place within the household. Additionally, there’s another subplot surrounding the deceased wife of Anand’s brother. Each character behaves suspiciously. What is truly unfolding within the house?
Performances
Avika Gor plays the main character, the core of the series, and she handles it well. She delivers a subtle performance, primarily through her facial expressions, without going overboard, which works effectively. Her screen presence and simple styling add to the show’s appeal. While the character doesn’t offer much scope for a performer like Avika to deliver something truly memorable, she fulfills what the role demands.
The rest of the cast, including Nandu, Ali Reza, Roopa Lakshmi, etc., perform their roles, but none of them manage to grab attention. They deliver ordinary performances for the roles that have been written as ordinary
Analysis
Vadhuvu is directed by Poluru Krishna, who handles an intriguing core plot. The show starts off engagingly and successfully builds interest around the main character, Avika Gor. One must admit that if portrayed by an ordinary performer, it might not have had the same impact.
The director successfully builds high-level suspense, but it feels like there’s a lot of buildup with little happening when the revelation occurs, which is the main issue of the series.
Additionally, there’s a desperate attempt to make everyone seem suspicious, but the character design or writing appears ordinary, making it challenging for viewers to root for each character. Apart from Avika, not a single character through writing or performance manages to steal attention. However, the positive aspect is that due to the core suspense being kept secret and the concise episodes, it remains a watchable show.
Also, the repetitiveness without introducing new ideas to engage viewers, the show’s pace feels slow as it doesn’t explore much, and the tense moments remain at an ordinary level for a suspense plot.
Shorter durations are a major plus; however, there’s a feeling of dissatisfaction because even after seven episodes, the director leaves everything so vague. While it’s important to conclude some parts and leave others open for the next season, this doesn’t happen here.
Overall, Vadhuvu has an interesting start that weakens but still manages to be a watchable show for fans of the suspense genre.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Sriram Maddury and sound by Nagarjuna Thallapalli seem just alright. They delivered borderline output, nothing beyond that elevates the show. Cinematography by Ram K Mahesh brings an ordinary visual appeal to the show. Editing by Anil Kumar is sufficient, designed for shorter episodes.
Highlights?
Avika Gor
Core Plot
Occasional suspense elements
Drawbacks?
Ordinary narration
Unimpactful cast and characters
Big buildup, small payoff
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, few parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with reservations
Vadhuvu Web Series Review by M9
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