Dayaa web series review: JD Chakravarthy is back with a bang

JD Chakravarthy has a penchant for crime thrillers and it is quite evident from his wide array of films since the early 90s.

A quintessential “Bombay Priyudu” for the girls of the 90s, he was an ideal boyfriend to die for during his heydays on the Telugu silver screen.

The radical change in movie-making with Ram Gopal Varma’s touch probably might have sidetracked him from being portrayed as a loverboy to picking characters worth stealth and intrigue.

JD Chakravarthy’s latest web series Dayaa on Disney+ Hotstar is something audiences have been raving about on social media. Let’s check what it is all about:

Dayakar (JD Chakravarthy), a native of the coastal town Kakinada, stumbles upon discovering a dead body in his freezer truck during one of his trips. The female corpse is a famous journalist Kavitha (Ramya Nambeesan).

While Dayaa’s pregnant wife Alivelu (Eesha Rebba) struggles at home with none to look after, he tries to wriggle out of the quagmire.

How does he do it? How the murder mystery unravels and how this sauve, soft-natured truck driver concealed with dreadful past, takes on the detractors is the story.

Alivelu is a ticking time BOMB of surprises 💣 ready to explode your expectations. 💥

Watch @YoursEesha kill as ALIVELU in #Dayaa#DayaaOnHotstar streaming now, only on @DisneyPlusHSTel.#HotstarSpecials #JDChekravarthy @nambessan_ramya @kamalkamaraju @pavansadineni… pic.twitter.com/A5h0XzT86s

— Disney+ Hotstar Telugu (@DisneyPlusHSTel) August 7, 2023

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Analysis

Writer-director Pavan Sadineni crafted an exceptional crime drama by giving reasonably good depth to the characters.

Dayaa could probably stand out as a rare crime series in Telugu OTT space which is otherwise known as a large pile of bland content.

Pavan Sadineni is skilful enough to narrate layers of stories without dropping curiosity.

The series has a slow start initially while it establishes the characters and sets the mood for the audience to dive in. However, a few sequences and characters look totally out of sync with the theme that the director wants to express.

Pavan Sadineni could’ve been more cautious while writing scenes depicting cops.

There is a scene where Kaushik (Kamal Kamaraju) casually walks out and tells an IPS Harish Chandra not to waste time on the missing case. And this senior cop explains to him how he would want to investigate the case further.

Just a moment before, this Mumbai-batch top cop casually introduces himself to Kaushik, “I am Harish Chandra, you can call me Harry.” Dude were you both batchmates in college?

And there have been a few bunch of stone-faced dumb characters playing journalists in the series.

There’s chief editor Shankar Rao Pola who puffs out smoke at her female colleague Shabana when she comes to him seeking information linked to journalist Kavitha.

He means that the region that Kavitha is handling is treacherous and dangerous, it is better she stays away.

The climax leaves the audience amazed. The cliffhanger makes you eager to wait for the second season.

Shravan Bharadwaj’s music is laudable. The background score is exceptional in a few sequences where the story unravels the crucial points of mystery.

Vivek Kalepu’s camera work is commendable.

He is BACK and MORE DANGEROUS than ever!💥#DayaaOnHotstar streaming now, only on #DisneyPlusHotstar.#HotstarSpecials pic.twitter.com/gNBxtx7nJw

— Disney+ Hotstar Telugu (@DisneyPlusHSTel) August 5, 2023

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Performances

Dayaa would probably stand out as one of the greatest performances in JD Chakravarthy’s career.

He deftly handles the complexity of the character while achieving remarkable perfection as Dayaa who is caught in a mysterious murder case and is also battling with his personal life.

Ramya Nambeesan’s portrayal of fearless firebrand journalist Kavitha is impressive. Her acting left quite an impression but a few sequences in combination with her colleagues could have been written well.

Young talent Vishnu Priya, who is looking for a firm ground in Tollywood, does well as crime journalist Shabana.

Babloo Prithiveeraj has put up a commendable performance as a politician.

Eesha Rebba as Alivelu looks good.

Josh Ravi does well in his space as a close buddy to Dayaa.

Also Read: Friendship Day: Iconic on-screen friends in South Indian films

Verdict

A taut crime drama, Dayaa comes as a refreshing breeze for OTT lovers this season who have been suffering from consuming bouts of bland content in Telugu OTT space.

(Views expressed here are personal.)