I don't watch web series that much. I am more of a films guy that takes emotions in doses. So, it is not my thing to binge 5-6 hours straight. But, because it is lockdown and even my Online classes have been finished, I thought I could try a web-series. I do know about the brilliant Indian Web Series like Sacred Games or The Family Man but I was searching for a "family-friendly" one as we cannot tolerate the high society culture shown in some web-series. Then I found LOSER, a Telugu web-series that released on Zee5 on the 15th of May. I was hearing praise throughout and so I decided to watch it. Did the series impress me or did it make me sleep. Here is my take on Loser:
Loser is a 2020 sports drama web-series starring Priyadarshi, Annie, Shashank, Kalpanika Ganesh, Shayaji Shinde, Banerjee, Komali Sharma, Pavani Gangireddy, Viren Thambidorai in lead roles. It is directed by Abhilash Reddy. The story revolves around 3 players divided by religion but united by the spirit of sport. Their stories and how it coincide with one another to reach success wraps up the entire series.
You should remember that I don't watch many web-series. So, I had to consult some people and websites to make a right decision about my opinion. The people who I consulted were talking about the improvement of the Telugu web-series in OTT platforms. Other than that, their and my opinions are mostly the same. First of all, the second best thing in this series is its dialogues. They have a sense of poetry in them. They were very apt to the various situations it focuses on. Writers Abhilash Reddy, Sai Bhardwaj and Shravan Madala also succeed in elevating the emotions of each character with their characterisations. Point to note is that no character is unwanted. Also, after looking into the article of Film Companion, I could not un see the fact that the intentions of the makers was very noble. The feeling of national integrity seen in all these sports people just breaks the walls of religion and class.
The writing of the film is really good for the most part. The environment and timelines shown are very accurate and the writers give us clarity on it very well. While watching this series, you know that there are all kinds of sports cliches involved in the film and takes inspiration from many sports films like Chak De India, Saala Khadoos, Jersey etc., It shows talent, sports politics, religious problems, alcoholism, ego all connected to sports. So, you know that the series will get exhausting. By the time you reach episode 7 you are tired and I had to take a break to actually continue it again. Episode 9 actually is the ending but it drags on to Episode 10 which was unnecessary. Sometimes, the series can get preachy. It is inevitable in a sports drama but it could have been handled well. Overall, this series is a very very strong series.
Oh I forgot to mention the best thing in the film, the casting. It is perfect. I told that each character in the series is important. Therefore, every artist in the film gets to shine brilliantly. I purposefully mentioned all credited actors at the beginning. Priyadarshi as Suri Yadav is pure excellence. Despite being a recognisable enough star, he has a very relatable face value where he can be cast in any role. His acting range is quite shown in this series and he is proving that the is not just a comedian with his film and series choices. Annie also known as Baby Annie most known for her role in Rajanna is also very good. Her acting sums up the colourful and simple world of Ruby Shabana which comes to an end after a very unfortunate end. The surprise I would have never seen is Kalpanika Ganesh as the elder Ruby. The simplicity of the character is maintained by her but this role had some complications that the actress shows well. Shashank, an artist who gave good performances in films like Aithe and Anukokunda Oka Roju just slipped into the role and just lived it. His unique body-language, egoistic mindset and extreme anger is well emoted by the actor. Also, he also nails his old-age shade. The actor satisfies us in a well-rounded arc which leads to the final realisation. Sayaji Shinde most known for comic villain roles in Tollywood is very solid. His character arc is my favourite one as he just knocks it out of the park. Banarjee in just 2-3 scenes motivates us with his brilliant oratory skills(also the dialogue). Overall, this film is a collective effort in the acting department.
The technical aspects led by some executives in Annapurna Studios lives up to the standard. The cinematography of the series is very good. The editing should have been improved. The music and BGM were a highlight. The sets, art direction, costume design, make-up department have to be applauded for showing three different versions of Hyderabad in a subtle yet clear way. There was one thing that was sticking to me like a sore thumb were the B&W effect and the budget allocation. The monochrome effect was good almost distractingly good. Compared to the best web series, this film's resolution and production is not the best.
Overall, if I had to suggest a series to get introduced to Telugu Web Series, you can start with Loser as it shows the emotions that make Tollywood a success and the subtlety that could potentially be seen in the future. It feels dragged for some but we can do nothing but to appreciate the writing of the film which is so good. Pair it with the excellent casting and we get a very good web series and misses the tag of the Best Web Series of TFI just by a little.
You should remember that I don't watch many web-series. So, I had to consult some people and websites to make a right decision about my opinion. The people who I consulted were talking about the improvement of the Telugu web-series in OTT platforms. Other than that, their and my opinions are mostly the same. First of all, the second best thing in this series is its dialogues. They have a sense of poetry in them. They were very apt to the various situations it focuses on. Writers Abhilash Reddy, Sai Bhardwaj and Shravan Madala also succeed in elevating the emotions of each character with their characterisations. Point to note is that no character is unwanted. Also, after looking into the article of Film Companion, I could not un see the fact that the intentions of the makers was very noble. The feeling of national integrity seen in all these sports people just breaks the walls of religion and class.
The writing of the film is really good for the most part. The environment and timelines shown are very accurate and the writers give us clarity on it very well. While watching this series, you know that there are all kinds of sports cliches involved in the film and takes inspiration from many sports films like Chak De India, Saala Khadoos, Jersey etc., It shows talent, sports politics, religious problems, alcoholism, ego all connected to sports. So, you know that the series will get exhausting. By the time you reach episode 7 you are tired and I had to take a break to actually continue it again. Episode 9 actually is the ending but it drags on to Episode 10 which was unnecessary. Sometimes, the series can get preachy. It is inevitable in a sports drama but it could have been handled well. Overall, this series is a very very strong series.
Oh I forgot to mention the best thing in the film, the casting. It is perfect. I told that each character in the series is important. Therefore, every artist in the film gets to shine brilliantly. I purposefully mentioned all credited actors at the beginning. Priyadarshi as Suri Yadav is pure excellence. Despite being a recognisable enough star, he has a very relatable face value where he can be cast in any role. His acting range is quite shown in this series and he is proving that the is not just a comedian with his film and series choices. Annie also known as Baby Annie most known for her role in Rajanna is also very good. Her acting sums up the colourful and simple world of Ruby Shabana which comes to an end after a very unfortunate end. The surprise I would have never seen is Kalpanika Ganesh as the elder Ruby. The simplicity of the character is maintained by her but this role had some complications that the actress shows well. Shashank, an artist who gave good performances in films like Aithe and Anukokunda Oka Roju just slipped into the role and just lived it. His unique body-language, egoistic mindset and extreme anger is well emoted by the actor. Also, he also nails his old-age shade. The actor satisfies us in a well-rounded arc which leads to the final realisation. Sayaji Shinde most known for comic villain roles in Tollywood is very solid. His character arc is my favourite one as he just knocks it out of the park. Banarjee in just 2-3 scenes motivates us with his brilliant oratory skills(also the dialogue). Overall, this film is a collective effort in the acting department.
The technical aspects led by some executives in Annapurna Studios lives up to the standard. The cinematography of the series is very good. The editing should have been improved. The music and BGM were a highlight. The sets, art direction, costume design, make-up department have to be applauded for showing three different versions of Hyderabad in a subtle yet clear way. There was one thing that was sticking to me like a sore thumb were the B&W effect and the budget allocation. The monochrome effect was good almost distractingly good. Compared to the best web series, this film's resolution and production is not the best.
Overall, if I had to suggest a series to get introduced to Telugu Web Series, you can start with Loser as it shows the emotions that make Tollywood a success and the subtlety that could potentially be seen in the future. It feels dragged for some but we can do nothing but to appreciate the writing of the film which is so good. Pair it with the excellent casting and we get a very good web series and misses the tag of the Best Web Series of TFI just by a little.
My Rating : 8/10
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