'Kumari Srimathi' is the latest Telugu-language web original in the town. Brought out by Amazon Prime Video, it is produced by Early Monsoon Tales and Swapna Cinema, both from the Vyjayanthi Movies stable.
Plot:
In Ramarajulanka somewhere in Andhra Pradesh's Godavari region, two warring brothers named Keshava Rao (Prem Sagar) and Visweshwar Rao (VK Naresh) have created a dispute. The ancestral home is claimed by Keshava Rao for himself and his twin sons Phani and Mani. After Visweshwar Rao runs away from home, his daughter Kumari Srimathi (Nitya Menen) starts fighting for the ancestral home, which she doesn't want to be demolished in favour of a new housing complex. After all, it's her late grandfather's hard-earned residence.
Srimathi's legal battle has been inconclusive for the past 7 years. At 30, she is unmarried. At this juncture, she decides to launch a bar so as to earn Rs 38 lakh in six months. Why does she need the money? Will she be able to amass that much money in the shortest possible time? What challenges does she face in the process? That's what this 7-episode series is about.
Performances:
Nitya Menen, as the protagonist, is present in almost all scenes. You can have enough of her if you are her fan. Although the star actress appears too light-hearted for the character she is playing, she is still commendable.
Gauthami as her mother, Rameshwari as her grandmother and Praneeta Patnaik as her sister get full-fledged roles. The first of them emotes too little, the second one over-talks and the third one is bearable.
The web series casts artists with outdated vibes. Besides Rameshwari, Prem Sagar comes across as an artist from a decades-old family entertainer. Gavireddy Srinivas, who plays Srimathi's old classmate, plays a convenient role that brims with superficiality. Nirupam Paritala as Srimathi's good-natured neighbour, Thiruveer Reddy as an old friend who crushed on her as a school-goer, and Avasarala Srinivas as an Exercise Department officer who could have married her are three of the most cliched roles.
VK Naresh as Srimathi's father in exile is the only artist who brings a semblance of naturalness.
Technical Departments:
The background score doesn't even make an attempt to sound refreshing. The songs tempt you to fast-forward to the next scene. The cinematography is average. The artwork is talented.
Since the series is backed by one of the richest production houses of Telugu cinema, the production values are decent. If artists like Nitya Menen could be roped in, that's because of the production house's goodwill. There is also a guest role by a star hero, whose presence is entirely attributable to Swapna Dutt and Priyanka Dutt, the daughters of C Aswini Dutt.
Merits:
The lead to the second season comes with an element of suspense.
The idea of a small-town woman setting up a bar to make a mark in a male-dominated business segment.
Some fun-filled dialogues.
Demerits:
Lazy resolutions to otherwise complex problems. In 99.99% of cases in real life, a 30-year-old single woman from a middle-class family would find it impossible to set up a bar after losing out on a lucky draw.
Srimathi doesn't look worried enough. Ironically, she looks most worried when she has achieved 80% of her target. She has to mop up just a few lakh rupees and cries like a TV serial actress when arranging the amount should be child's play for someone running a successful bar.
A lack of palpable tension in Srimathi's family. Despite facing rare adversities, they look happier than the average Indian. Also, it is simply frustrating to listen to their shallow conversations.
Vox Verdict:
'Kumari Srimathi' is adorned with rich production values for a web series. Its last episode is worth it. The show's premise deserves a pat. But the treatment is unserious and too simplistic. Although not a tiresome series, most of its resolutions are escapist.
Rating: 2.25/5
