Review – Loser 2

Streaming On : ZEE 5

Director: Abhilash Reddy & Shravan Madala

Cast: Priyadarshi, Dhanya Balakrishna, Venkat, Shayaji Shinde, Kalpika Ganesh, Annie, Pavani, Gangireddy, Shashank and Others

Producer : ZEE5, Annapurna Studios, Spectrum Media Networks

Music: Sriram Maddury

Annapurna Studios is slowly shifting towards OTT. Their latest presentation is Loser 2, the second season of the hit Telugu series Loser. The much-awaited drama series is streaming on Zee 5 and has Priyadarshi, Kalpika Ganesh, Sashankh, and Dhanya Balakrishna in lead roles. It is created by Abhilash Reddy.

Plot

Loser 2 is a period drama based on three different stories. The stories continue where the first season ended. Suri Yadav(Priyadarshi) finds a new job in the sports quota but he is dominated by his boss at the office. While Ruhi Shabana(Kalpika Ganesh) goes against her husband’s will and becomes this badminton coach. Wilson(Sashankh) who is a failed cricketer is forced to coach his son to become a fast bowler. Each of the stories and characters faces new challenges in the second season. What they are and how they overcome them is Loser’s second season all about.

Performances

The casting of Loser 2 is done right. Priyadarshi is amazing as the one with newfound fame and money. His character graph has multiple arcs for him to showcase his acting prowess and Priyadarshi was impressive. Kalpika Ganesh had so many scenes to perform in season one but that is not the case here as she is mostly calm and does what is required. Sashankh gets the best part as he needs to carry his past and son’s struggle within himself. He was very good. Dhanya Balakrishna plays her part as the stylish Ad filmmaker. Sayaji Shinde as the strict father had good emotional scenes in the second season. Harshith Reddy, who plays the young fast bowler is phenomenal. He does a superb job of holding his dad’s emotional baggage and is an actor to watch out for.

Technicalities

For Tollywood’s standards, Loser 2 is visually very grand as Annapurna has not compromised on the visuals of the series. As it has the period setup, the bygone era is brought out convincingly by the camera team. Sriram Maddury’s BGM holds most of the scenes. There was a good response to the first season and the makers have not let down the expectations. The writing by Abhilash Reddy and Shravan Maddala is taut as the characters indulge in quite relatable challenges this time around. The plot is predictable but logically, it does not have any issues.

Analysis

The first season of Loser dealt with three underdogs and how they came out of their shells to achieve something big in life. If one story was successful, the other had a sad ending. The same happens in season 2 as every story has merit and drawback which is set up nicely in the beginning episodes. What attracts you is the manner in which the conflict point is drawn into the story. It looks convincing.

Suri Yadav, irrespective of becoming a national shooting champion is looked down upon by his boss in the government office, and how Suri wants to break the shackles and grow big is shown so efficiently and with intense scenes. Out of the three stories, the dullest and most predictable episode is of Rubi Shabana. Having gone through hell in the first season, it is more of redemption for her and what she does to break free is shown which does not engage you much.

Narration-wise, the story is mounted on a slow pace but the characters and the way they come through by the end look logical. There was so much scope for the father and son relationship of Wilson and John to be developed more as it has intense drama but it does not happen as the characters are to themselves most of the time.

One more drawback is when there was scope for solid drama, the tempo is not raised. The makers have depended more on the logical ending and created more issues so that the characters have enough meat to deal with in the coming season. If the series had more dramatic and heartbreaking moments things would have been better.

Having said this, the gripping visuals, memorable performance, and simple emotions draw your attention. If you liked the first season and want to know what happened to Suri Yadav, Rubi, and Wilson in season 2, Loser 2 is worth a shot but gear up for the predictable ride.

Bottom Line – Emotional Loser