What Is the Story About?
When Surekha (Priya Anand) runs away from her house, the local police Vamsi (Sushanth), is entrusted with the responsibility to bring her back. What Vamsi thinks is simple work to get his long pending transfer order turns out to be a game of politics involving the Surekha and a water tank at its centre.
What does Vamsi do when he realises the folly? How are village politics played around Surekha, and what happens, in the end, forms the series’ overall plot.
Performances?
Sushanth has made efforts to get the local accent right, and that’s the only change we see in the actor. The rest of the work is his routine which is seen most of the time. The character requires certain flamboyancy mouthing the dialogues, but it is missing. It would also have given it a mass appeal, which it definitely had, but it doesn’t come across that way at all.
Priya Anand, seen after a gap working in Telugu, is alright. She plays a regular character that is typical of the setting. But, she brings some genuineness to the part emotionally. However, there is nothing memorable beyond the visible scope as the character lacks depth.
Analysis
Lakshmi Sowjanya of Varudu Kaavalenu fame directs Maa Neella Tank. It is a social dramedy set in the background of a village. The story is simple, and the idea is to make the whole thing work with relatable characters and plights.
Maa Neella Tank highlights its strength and weakness within the first episode itself. The setup, casting related to it, and the writing providing silly fun make the whole thing tick.
The family of Sarpanch drives the narrative along with the lead. They are the people who provide fun. More than the characterisations, it is the writing which works. It lends to silly fun, the kind which we one might remember in the director’s Varudu Kaavalenu.
However, the whole thing moves in circles when it comes to the actual narrative and the story. There is no real progress, and considering the predictability of it (in the end), it feels stagnant. The proceeding moves forward, with one gag following the other.
After a point, even what worked initially feels overdone. There seems to be no point, but only to extend the narrative. The much bigger issue is despite the length, the critical change of heart (of the hero) comes across as rushed.
The climax is on expected lines. Additionally, it is clumsy and makes one forget the previous good bits.
Overall, Maa Neella Tank could have been a heartwarming, relatable tale set in a village milieu. It has some silly fun, but its length and predictable and overlong drama kill the interest. If you like small-town dramedy and don’t mind the excessive length, give it a try.
Other Artists?
There are many actors playing critical roles in the series. Most of them are used for entertainment purposes, though. The immediate ones to register are Sudarshan, Prem Sagar and Nirosha. Sudarshan is on home turf and does well as expected. Prem Sagar is loud, but many dialogues work for the same reason. Nirosha is fine playing the overprotective mom of a dumb son.
Vasu Inturi shines despite playing a routine role (for him). Divi could have been better utilised. Annapurnamma steals the show in brief appearances, whereas Narasimham is alright. The rest of the actors, too, are fine in small parts, but they don’t have anything memorable.
Music and Other Departments?
Naren RK Siddharth’s background score is alright. There is nothing particularly remarkable from him considering the setup. Aravind Vishwanath’s cinematography gives a short film vibe to the series. Considering the backdrop, there was good scope, but it hasn’t been utilised. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s editing could be sharper. The series is way too lengthy and deserves a lot of trimming. The writing is decent considering the entertainment. It is the dialogues by Kittu Vissapragada that evoke some interest in the first place.
Highlights?
Writing (Silly Fun)
Cast
Setting
Drawbacks?
Length
No Emotional Connection
Rushed In Parts
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge Reservations
Maa Neella Tank Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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