What Is the Story About?
Krishna, who works at a hotel for livelihood, has little interest in marriage despite pressure from family members to tie the knot. When a potential bride tries to cheat him and continue her relationship with another man, he loses all hope in women. He’s instantly smitten by Maya, a nymph waiting to unite with a virgin man to overcome a curse and return to Alkapuri.
Performances?
It’s hard to believe that someone with Vedhika’s experience (over 17 years in films) would opt for a glorified trashcan of a role like Maya, even if it’s for a fat paycheque. While she is still fit and has the attributes to play a seductress, the character doesn’t do anything to test her mettle (Vedhika is the same actress who was once part of films like Kaaviya Thalaivan, Paradesi and Baanam)
There’s little doubt about Rahul Vijay’s potential. Even in a part as hapless as Krishna, he makes you feel for his dilemmas and comes up with an earnest performance. Ajay’s obnoxious avatar as the Mahakal merits no discussion; it just shows how clueless is the Telugu industry in using his services. Lakshmi Manchu is the most convincing of the lot in the shoes of a yakshini (maybe the Anaganaga O Dheerudu experience helped?)
While Praveen is funny at times, the regulars – Dayanand Reddy, Gemini Suresh, Naveen Neni, Sunitha Manohar, Sathya Sri and others – are cast in insignificant roles that don’t add much value to the proceedings.
Analysis
The streaming space aimed to bridge television and cinema and emerge as a welcome alternative to both mediums, empowering new-age storytelling. Yakshini, a socio-fantasy show backed by Arka Media (the makers of Baahubali, Parampara), precisely defeats this purpose, bringing back the same regressive tropes that ailed the small-screen into OTT as well.
Yakshini is a strange concoction of evil spirits, black magic and curses with sexual innuendos. Like every second Telugu film, the protagonist (Krishna) belongs to a joint (read giant) family and has to be a man on the cusp of marriage. When Krishna falls for an evil-minded, cursed yakshini (Maya) masquerading as a regular woman and marries her, his life takes a turn for the worse.
There’s more to Maya’s world when she has a new visitor in the form of a fellow yakshini Jwalamukhi, while another crooked man Mahakal is after her for redemption. Just when Maya gives up all hope on love (owing to a betrayal), a good-at-heart Krishna changes her view on relationships and she has second thoughts about using him as a scapegoat to return home.
The show captures Krishna’s moral dilemma as he realises the truth about Maya’s past, still likes her and also wants to guard his family. In a typical television-soap-style narrative, the director keeps finding newer excuses and layers to delay the inevitable. Yashwini alternates from comedy to fantasy to thriller and romance genres – the storytelling is patchy and all over the place.
The web series, much like Avika Gor’s Vadhuvu, is a deliberate attempt to woo television audiences towards OTT. In that pursuit, it’s disappointing that the creators need to undermine their intelligence and dumb down their standards. The freedom provided by long-format storytelling is misused at every step – the titillating premise is an excuse to indulge in voyeurism.
The lavish canvas and bigger names are only a distraction to mask Yakshini’s television soap leanings. If there’s anything that works in its favour, the storytelling is reasonably pacy and doesn’t leave you with much time to process the chaos. Towards the end, a flurry of backstories unnecessarily complicates the proceedings, leaving the door open for a sequel. For someone who has made socially conscious films like Johaar and Kotabommali PS, one expected more from Teja Marni (than a substandard web show).
Music and Other Departments?
Priyadarshan Balasubramanian’s score is in sync with the show’s needs, though there’s nothing pathbreaking to write home about musically. Jagadeesh Cheekati’s cinematography is one of the show’s few strengths, the frames are lively, and busy backed by aesthetic appeal. With a runtime of three hours, the show has six crisp episodes (each lasting about 30 minutes) that progress at a good pace, without beating around the bush.
Highlights?
Lakshmi Manchu, Rahul Vijay’s performances
Pacy narrative
Drawbacks?
Substandard storytelling
Voyeuristic at times
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Yakshini Series Review by Binged Bureau
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