Isakapatnam
Cast: Samuthirakani, Aishwarya Rajesh, Sunil, Naresh Agastya, Sudhakar Komakula, Banerjee
Director: Garry BH
Rating: ★★
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
When a web series begins with a lead character broadly generalising the concept of social war as a disease developed in the course of progress and fear as a root cause of it, without factoring in scarcity or feasibility, you know everything might not be as it seems. Isakapatnam is a great case study on how brutality is probably the only way to seek power, but it doesn’t make for a great web series.
Isakapatnam story
Isakapatnam (a barely masked alternative to Visakhapatnam) is a crime-ridden port town. It is run by a ruthless Naidu (Samuthirakani) who ensures that everything, from illegal businesses to the people who reside there, is under his control. His man Friday, Kottaiah (Banerjee), is the only one who remotely gets to see his soft side.
Bharathi (Aishwarya Rajesh), his daughter, is perceived as his total opposite. If Naidu wants to keep people in check with fear, she would like to help them in their troubles. Peddanna (Naresh Agastya) is an autodriver who has long wanted the best for the people and dreams of becoming a Corporator someday.
When troubles brew around the Jetty Yard, Kobbari Thota, Burma Camp and Auto Nagar, Naidu might get a taste of his own medicine.
Isakapatnam review
On the surface, Isakapatnam seems like a web series that should work. But then it takes the predictable route and makes you lose interest. The way Naidu takes over power from his predecessor is all brawn, and it doesn’t surprise you. The web series just stumbles from there when it sets up the characters and places that make up this world.
It’s only when a twist that you might see coming from a mile away (I know I did) is revealed that Isakapatnam finds some semblance of coherence, or even sparks your interest. Everything before that plays out like Garry is going through the beats of making a gritty web series where he wants to put people through the wringer as much as possible, particularly Peddanna.
The unending characters of Isakapatnam
Isakapatnam is crowded with numerous players, and you never know which one to invest in, besides Naidu and Bharathi. Some characters are introduced only to be killed off soon later, Game of Thrones-style. But the pay-off is never as effective.
Sunil, in particular, seems to draw the short straw where all his character gets to do for the most part is brood or school people. His ‘big reveal’ at the end also doesn’t land as intended. And then you have Raja Chembolu’s character, who is doing usual henchman work till he suddenly decides it isn’t enough.
The performances that stand out
Isakapatnam only keeps you invested through the wobbly bits due to the performances. While Samuthirakani and Aishwarya are good, Banerjee and Sudhakar Komakula (as Suri) excel in a way they don’t. Banerjee makes you believe he’s a good stand-in as a father to Bharathi, where Naidu lacks. And Suri makes you feel for him in scenes where he’s being played like a fiddle. Naresh also excels as a man constrained by circumstances.
The verdict
After sitting through seven episodes of Isakapatnam, you understand Gary’s intentions. You understand how this is meant to be a story of a daughter who is a product of her trauma. A father who always looks at her sideways because she knows the truth of his past. People who will go to any lengths for power, even if they seem like an underdog. Everyone in this tale comes with baggage and reasoning for doing what they do. If only all that translated as well on screen.
