Rana Naidu: Season 2 Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Rana Daggubati, Venkatesh, Arjun Rampal, Dino Morea, Sushant Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Surveen Chawla, Kirti Kharbanda & Others
Creator: Karan Anshuman
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Streaming On: Netflix
Language: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English with subtitles
Runtime: 8 episodes of 50 minutes each
The Daggubatis – Rana & Venkatesh are back with the Desi version of Ray Donovan, and if you were having doubts about this season being better than the last season or not, let me assure you – no one would be disappointed with this high-octane action drama! The gang (let us not call them a family still) led by dad Venkatesh and his three sons – Rana Daggubati, Sushant Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee are back with a wild ride of abuses and daddy issues!
The web series on Netflix is an official adaptation of the much-loved American crime drama, ‘Ray Donovan’. So, did it surpass the expectations – well slightly yes! In fact, barring the pace of this web series, mostly a yes!
The web series starts right where it left in the last season. Our fixer, Rana Naidu, gets more fierce, and it is the last battle he wants to fight before taking a settlement leap with his family. He’s still that coiled spring of intensity, constantly on the verge of snapping. While season 2 is focused on Rana’s last job after his son gets kidnapped, a lot of new characters arrive to make this drama spicier and more intense.
With the introduction of new characters and subplots, the story sometimes feels a bit too wide to come to a singular point, and it takes the wrong lane more than often with abrupt transitions and underdeveloped or rushed arcs. The show oscillates between high-octane action and lukewarm family drama, it struggling to maintain a consistent focus.
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Rana masking a volcano of emotions is exactly what works for the web series at a huge level, as he delivers like a hammer running hard and striking right at the point! Venkatesh’s unhinged charm as Naga Naidu continues to be the ultimate wildcard of this web series. I placed bets on him as soon as Venkatesh arrived in the web series trailer.
Venkatesh is the foul-mouthed ex-con father, and his vocabulary puts Gangs Of Wasseypur to shame. However, his ease and familiarity with the cussing are shocking yet strangely endearing. In fact, his volatile behavior provides comic relief, cutting the tension sharply! The father-son dynamic remains the absolute strength of this series, and their confrontations are still pure gold. Arjun Rampal’s entry as the new antagonist makes an impression! His Rauf Mirza brings a chilling precision and quiet menace to the character, making him a compelling threat and adding a much-needed fresh layer to the conflict.
I remember Venkatesh as the cute man singing Phoolon Sa Chehra Tera for Karisma Kapoor. Looking at him, F-Bombs has a shock value that I am sure all of us would enjoy! Just like people enjoyed Shah Rukh Khan turning into Don from Rahul and Raj!
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With the introduction of new characters and subplots, the story sometimes feels a bit too wide to come to a singular point, and it takes the wrong lane more than often with abrupt transitions and underdeveloped or rushed arcs. The show oscillates between high-octane action and lukewarm family drama, it struggling to maintain a consistent focus.
Season 2 certainly aims to be darker and more intense than Season 1, pushing the personal stakes higher. It delves into the dysfunctional family drama even more. However, Ray Donovan often had a plot that was much cleaner despite the complexities, and it made you more anxious than Rana Daggubati’s fixing issues.
Rana Naidu 2 is winning despite the flaws. It is chaotic and messy, but it wins with the storylines. Special mention to Abhishek Banerjee‘s Jaffa, trying to be a father, and his heartbreaking confession about wanting to become a good father, only that he doesn’t know how to be one! Interestingly, Rana goes through the same rollercoaster, only that he does not express it! The show is engaging, and it certainly entertains!
3 stars!
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