Telugu web series ‘Loser 2’ delves deep into the struggles of players and benefits from its worthy cast
Most sports dramas that tell the story of an underdog stop at the moment of victory. What happens after that? telugu web series season 2 Overthrown, Streaming on Zee5, starts soon after air rifle shooter Suri Yadav (Priyadarshi Pulikonda) wins the national championship. It shows us whether Suri’s life changes for the better and whether he can maintain his success. Other former players – Ruby (Kalpika Ganesh) and Wilson (Shashank) – have crossed paths before, to defeat their past demons and find a new purpose in life. Eventually, Suri too must rediscover her purpose.
This eight-episode season isn’t high on sports action. When a game is played, it comes at crucial moments and is effective in moving the play forward. loser 2 There is a lot of emotional drama. Director Abhilash Reddy takes his time to build momentum and explore different aspects of the story, which he has co-written with Sai Bharadwaj and Shravan Madala.
loser 2
- Cast: Priyadarshi, Kalpika, Harshit, Shashank
- Direction: Abhilash Reddy
- Streaming On: Zee5
The non-linear pattern continues in this season, shifting stories from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s to an in-depth investigation of what shaped the major characters.
The first few episodes detail the crushing reality faced by Suri and several former champions. An air rifle shooter does not have a warm welcome in his hometown. He arrives at a newspaper’s office, introduces himself and recounts his journey, only to see it published as an excerpt three days later. The national victory got him a job as a clerk; Again, no one greets or welcomes him.
The scene in which a colleague explains how many former champions the office has appointed and how they have all resigned to the ambiguity of pushing files, the fate of players in the absence of financial support to pursue their playing careers is a fact. As Suri learns about his associates, Naresh Ramadurai’s camera moves forward to give us an overview of the situation and how they all get lost in the crowd.
The first few episodes are deliberately paced, but stick with it, as it degenerates into a moving drama as it progresses. While Suri, despite all his patience and intention to work towards better sporting glory, despises his surroundings and begins to seek money and therefore power, Ruby has enough challenges on her plate.
Adding to the complexity, this season introduces Maya (Dhanya Balakrishna), who knows what it takes to survive in the world of advertising. She is good at portraying a character who is partly street smart and partly opportunistic, but unreadable at times – intentionally so.
Meanwhile, Ruby’s journey is as much about rising above the patriarchy as it is about sports. Years after threats of sexual abuse put an end to her badminton dreams, she deals with marital rape. She herself is inclined to take a step that might anger her conservative Muslim parents. When there is a change, it drives home sharp truths through these lines: ‘If you had stayed a few seconds after asking ‘how am I,’ I would cry out loud; If you had looked me in the eyes for a few more seconds while serving me food, I would have broken down…’
Priyadarshi and Kalpika Ganesh play Suri and Ruby respectively with skill and a lot of empathy. In one scene when a character asks Suri, ‘Do you look like a champion too,’ it makes her realize how working hard and winning is not enough. Priyadarshi can play the role of a downtrodden, everyday man and at the same time turn into a gentle, nouveau rich player. This is another good performance from him, which proves that he is dependable.
Kalpika plays Ruby in a rude manner and lets her body language do the talking at many places. The sequence where his badminton abilities are put to the test in front of school children stands out this season.
The third ‘loser’, so to speak, is Wilson. Now content with being a sports teacher in a school, he finds a new purpose when his teenage son John (Harshith) wants to become a bowler. This part of the story explains how nepotism works only from a place of privilege. The talented teenager has inherited her father’s flair and her contestant on the pitch reminds her of an old family enemy. Harshit is impressive as a young man who is desperate to leave, torn between his love for his father and dealing with memories of the past. Shashank is good enough as Wilson.
effectiveness of loser 2 It also stems from the fact that its writing doesn’t dismiss the supporting characters as spectators. There are short story arcs for many characters. Ravi Varma as coach Ravinder, Abhay Betiganti as Suri’s childhood friend, Gayatri Bhargavi as Ruby’s teacher, Shayaji Shinde and Satyaprakash as parents, Annie as younger Ruby, and many others. Register your attendance within a limited time.
As the story goes back and forth, the color palette and visual tonals go through a change, which is aptly complemented by Manisha Dutt’s production design and Sriram Maduri’s music.
If there is a bone to choose from, it has to do with less play action. With the full focus on the characters’ emotional journey, we don’t watch the game enough. But perhaps, this season is meant to build momentum for season three, the finale, where each player has his or her own task finished.
(2 streams losing on zee5)
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