As the Indian film industry struggles because of the Covid-19 crisis, the South Indian film industry seems to be doing far better than its other counterparts. According to estimates, the South Indian film industry recorded Rs. 1,040 crores as revenue for 2020 in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and other regional South Indian markets. It was way better than the Rs. 870 crore revenue registered by it in markets dominated by Hindi speaking population. A host of other big movies and Telugu web series online are set to release starting April onwards. Producers will closely monitor these movies’ performance on OTT platforms like Aha to gauge the inclination of audiences towards returning to cinema halls. It will help them finalize the release dates for completed projects and work on their
marketing campaigns.
It is interesting to note that the producers’ decision to move to OTT platforms has not severely affected the South Indian film industry. A case in point is the Telugu movie V, which was simultaneously released on the OTT platform and theatres. It managed to do quite well on the OTT platform without impacting the footfall in cinema halls. An OTT release does not affect the South Indian viewers as much as it does the North Indian audience. South India has a culture where audiences worship stars like Rajnikanth, Ajith, Kamal Haasan, and several others. As such, they love to enjoy the experience of going to theatres and watching their favourite movie and stars on the big screen.
In continuation with our tradition of reviewing movies and shows, today’s pick is the Telugu web series Locked.
Storyline
The story revolves around DrAnand (Satyadev), a famous neurosurgeon researching medical science. One fine day, while at home, two women suddenly attack him. More chaos erupts when his colleague Misbah enters his house with a cop. What unravels is a series of crazy events that reveal a startling truth about Anand. The rest of the storyline is about what that truth is and how it affects others.
Direction
For a change, let’s talk about the director first. Pradeep Deva Kumar certainly has an eye for detail. The mood and the gripping atmosphere of the web series leave you mesmerized. He does not go around in circles and hits the nail squarely on the head.
Performances and Artwork
Satyadev, as the crazy neurosurgeon, is terrific. His expressions, body language, and the way he unleashes his negative streak are amazing to watch. The veteran actress Lakshmi is good on her part and nicely fits the story.
The production design has been managed nicely. The camerawork is sleek and creates a visual delight. How all the characters are portrayed looks impressive. The climax also seems justified.
All in all, the web series has a gripping premise and makes for a decent watch.
Subscribe to Aha today and watch Locked web series online. Aha is an OTT platform that offers online video-streaming services to cater exclusively to the Telugu audience.
Noel has always been an inspiration to young athletes. Now in his 30s, he trains and coaches young children in the community who shows interest in sports and writes his experiences on his personal blog.
