‘Vikkatakavi’ review: Initial suspense is drowned in a flood of contrivances

Vikkatakavi manages to do three things in one go: introduce a Holmesian hero who combines keen observation with brilliant deduction, drum up a fair amount of suspense about a string of strange occurrences, and feed stereotypes associated with Muslims.

The Telugu-language series, which is out on ZEE5, is set in 1970. The show’s title refers to the ratiocination skills possessed by Ramakrishna (Naresh Agastya). Ramkrishna’s swift solving of a murder in Hyderabad leads to a life-altering assignment in a village.

Thirty-one men and one woman have lost their senses after entering a nearby forest. The village’s former king Narasimha (Shiju Abdul Rasheed) firmly believes in local lore about a holy curse. Neither Narasimha nor his son-in-law Raghupathi (Raghu Kunche) wants Ramakrishna to start poking around, but that’s exactly what the young man proceeds to do.

Writer Teja Deshraj ensures that Ramakrishna’s discoveries are delivered at a dazzling rate over six episodes. Pradeep Maddali directs the twist-fest, relying entirely on Naresh Agastya’s efficient performance and the script’s pretzel-shaped turns to make an impact.

Vikkatakavi is staged like a television show, with the feel of a movie that has been stretched into a series for streaming. Despite the poor production values and largely cardboard performances, the conceit works for...

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