Hey guys! Just a friendly reminder that we’re halfway through 2024 already! Buckle up! For SonyLIV, the first six months have been a rollercoaster ride. While the streamer delivered some truly outstanding content, it also faced a noticeable lack of original projects.
Let’s delve deep into this analysis!
January 2024
SonyLIV kicked off 2024 strong with Cubicles Season 3. Abhishek Chauhan delivered an earnest and effortless performance as Piyush, the anxious freshie turned team lead. The rest of the cast, including Badri Chavan, Niketan Sharma, Ayushi Gupta, and Arnav Bhasin, all complimented him well. Cheran’s Journey, while featuring strong performances from R. Sarathkumar, Prasanna, and Aari Arujunan, suffered from Cheran’s overly sentimental approach. Shark Tank Season 3, another January release, wasn’t as impactful as previous seasons. Many viewers felt the show lost its edge without Ashneer Grover, and Deepinder Goyal didn’t resonate with them as well.
February 2024
Compared to January 2024, SonyLIV shockingly dropped only one show, Raisinghani VS Raisinghani, in February 2024, and that too, was a torture to many viewers’ eyes. This creation from Aniruddha Rajderkar and Bhavna Shrestha could have been so much better if it were a limited series. But no! Instead, we got a slow-burning soap opera that took a long time and many episodes to find its footing. Jennifer Winget is the only watchable actor in this one.
March 2024
March brought SonyLIV back on track with the highly anticipated Maharani Season 3. Huma Qureshi delivered a career-defining performance as Rani Bharti, completely dominating the season. Amit Sial also impressed as Naveen Babu. Widely considered the best season yet, Maharani re-energized viewers.
Mammootty’s Bramayugam offered another highlight in March. The film successfully transcended the horror genre, showcasing Mammootty’s versatility as one of India’s leading actors. Director Rahul Sadasivan’s masterful blend of horror and folklore created a truly chilling atmosphere.
April 2024
Family Aaj Kal benefited from its simplistic and light-hearted tone, and strong work from Apoorva Arora, Nitish Pandey, and Sonali Sachdev. On the other hand, Adrishyam was a total disaster. The performances of Eijaz Khan and Divyanka Tripathi were not enough to save this show. Indian makers have to realise that storylines about Muslim terrorists plotting an attack against India have become outdated. Today’s OTT viewers seek fresh and unique narratives. Adrishyam’s biggest drawback lies in its unoriginal storyline.
May 2024
Undekhi Season 3 was binge-worthy, but it failed to become as engaging as its predecessors, mainly due to the addition of numerous new characters. This scenario resulted in the undertreatment of many intriguing characters from previous seasons. Another noticeable flaw in Season 3 was its slow-paced episodes which quickly ran out of steam. But thanks to the veteran Harsh Chhaya for his phenomenal portrayal of alcoholic and unhinged patriarch Surinder Singh Atwal, aka Papaji.
Marathi series Lampan offered a heartwarming and engaging family-friendly experience with its nostalgic charm and well-made production. Fahadh Faasil’s Dhoomam, Hombale’s debut Malayalam production, premiered on SonyLIV this month but failed to impress viewers.
June 2024
One of Malayalam cinema’s highest grossers of 2024, Varshangalkku Shesham, arrived on SonyLIV in June. This Vineeth Sreenivasan comedy garnered praise for its direction, production design, humor, music, and cinematography, with particular acclaim for Nivin Pauly and Dhyan Sreenivasan’s performances.
However, Gullak Season 4 emerged as the true highlight of the month. Widely considered one of SonyLIV’s strongest Originals this year, the makers demonstrate a deft touch in expanding the show’s universe. Season 4 delivers natural and heartwarming stories with compelling character arcs, avoiding the temptation to simply capitalize on the show’s popularity.
Licensed releases like Murder Is Easy, The Miracle Club, The Hill, and Journey To Bethlehem received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences. Stay tuned for more updates.
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