‘Rana Naidu’ series review: Venkatesh and Rana’s walk on the wild side

Rana Naidu, the Indian adaptation of the American series Ray Donovan, is a dark crime and family drama that is replete with sex, nudity, and foul language. The show, which stars actors Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati, is a departure from their usual feel-good Telugu cinema roles. Despite its flaws and clunky moments, the show has a few redeeming qualities that make it worth watching.

Rana Naidu features Rana Daggubati as the titular character, a fixer who cleans up the dirty secrets of celebrities in Mumbai. He may be called upon to do something as bizarre as retrieving a semen sample being smuggled in an ice bucket. Rana's own life is just as messy as those of the people he helps, with scars from his past that haunt him.

The first two episodes serve as introductions to the members of the Rana Naidu family, including Rana's wife Naina (played by Surveen Chawla), who was once an actress in Telugu cinema before she married Rana and moved to Mumbai, and their children Ani (Madhav Dhingra) and Nitya (Afrah Sayed). Rana's older brother Tej, a stunt choreographer played by Sushant Singh, and younger brother Jaffa, played by Abhishek Banerjee, both bear the scars of a rough childhood. The family's semblance of normalcy is disrupted when their father, Naga Naidu, played by Venkatesh, is released from jail in Hyderabad and arrives in Mumbai.

The show is populated with characters ranging from brooding to over-the-top. Rana and his team, Lara (played by Lauren Robinson) and Srini (played by Adithya Menon), maintain a stoic facade no matter how dirty the job they are cleaning up. They barely speak and give away nothing. In one scene, a character asks Rana if he secretly cries while watching Baghban on television. At the other end of the spectrum are the character Prince Reddy (played by Gaurav Chopra), Naga's older brother Surya (played by Ashish Vidyarthi), the financier OB Mahajan (played by Rajesh Jais), and the many women they have liaisons with.

Despite its dark themes, the show has some compelling moments. The acting, particularly by Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati, is excellent. The relationship between Rana and his father is particularly interesting to watch, with both characters struggling to come to terms with the past. The show's exploration of family dynamics is nuanced, and the plot moves at a brisk pace.

However, the show is not without its flaws. Some of the scenes, particularly the ones featuring sexual content, feel gratuitous and unnecessary. The show's pacing is uneven, with some episodes feeling rushed and others feeling too slow. The character of Prince Reddy, in particular, feels like a caricature, and his scenes detract from the overall quality of the show.

In conclusion, "Rana Naidu" is a web series that should be watched with caution as it is not a typical feel-good family drama, as Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati have cautioned. The Indian adaptation of the American series "Ray Donovan" is a dark crime and family drama with sex, nudity, and foul language, but it still has some positive aspects despite being flawed and clunky at times.

The series introduces us to Rana Naidu's family members, and the first two episodes serve as character introductions. The characters range from brooding to over the top, with Rana and his team putting on a stoic persona no matter how dirty a job they are cleaning up. The series's portrayal of characters is the highlight, and it takes some time to get used to the dark tone.

Overall, "Rana Naidu" is an ambitious web series, but it doesn't quite hit the mark. However, it's still worth a watch if you're a fan of crime and family dramas with flawed characters. It's not for the faint of heart or for those who expect a typical feel-good family drama, but if you're in the mood for something dark and gritty, "Rana Naidu" is worth a look.