Release Date : May 19, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 2/5
Starring: Niharika Konidela, Akshay Lagusani, Sai Ronak, Harsha Chemudu, Bhavana Sagi, Rajeev Kanakala, Bindu Chandramouli, Jayashree Rachakonda
Director: Aditya Mandala
Producers: Sameer Gogate, Rahul Tamada, Saideep Reddy Bora
Music Director: Sidhartha Sadasivuni
Cinematography: Fahad Abdul Majeed
Editor: Srujana Adusumilli
Related Links : Trailer
Disney Plus Hotstar has come up with a new web series named Dead Pixels. The series is the Indian adaptation of the British television sitcom of the same name. Directed by Aditya Mandala, the show stars mega heroine Niharika Konidela in the lead role. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Gayathri (Niharika), Bhargav (Akshay Lagusani), and Anand (Harsha Chemudu) are obsessed with a video game called Battle of Thrones. Even in their office, they keep playing the game. They all have one goal in life, which is to finish the game. Roshan (Sai Ronak) joins Gayathri’s office, and she gets enticed towards him. Roshan, too, joins the game after a while. What happened next? Did the four complete the game? How did Roshan’s entry change things? This forms part of the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
Niharika Konidela gave a good performance as a video game enthusiast. Akshay Lagusani, Harsha, and Sai Ronak are decent in their respective roles. Bhavana Sagi, who played the friend of Niharika, did a very fine job. She was impressive as a person who tries to make her buddy change.
There are a few comedy scenes here and there that are good. The scene featuring Akshay and Rajeev Kanakala came out well. The senior actor though seen briefly, makes his presence felt.
Minus Points:
The show targets a niche audience, i.e., gamers, and for others, it would definitely be a boring ride. This is the biggest drawback, as the show misses out on the larger part of the audience. Why should someone who is not a gamer watch the show if it isn’t entertaining or gripping? It is also unclear what exactly the makers wanted to convey through the show.
All the time, the characters have only one thing to do, which is to play the game no matter where they are. For instance, one of the characters in the show is a pilot, but he plays the game during his work too. The other characters also keep playing the game in their office, but none bothers to question or check on them. Hence the show would sound over the top for the majority of the audience.
A character would realize in the end that the game is taking a toll on his personal life. Of course, this is expected, given the premise of the show. Though it is a routine element still, it could have had an impact, but the poor execution didn’t allow that to happen. Hence the emotional quotient is highly missing.
In the series Guilty Minds, one of the episodes is about online gaming in which a teenage boy kills a person due to the over obsession with the game. Even those who aren’t well versed or not interested in such online games would get intrigued as it dealt with the harmful side effects of video games. Something of this sort should have been included to attract the non-gamers too.
Technical Aspects:
The background score by Sidhartha Sadasivuni is more or less the same throughout the series, and it fails to make a mark. Fahad Abdul Majeed’s cinematography is just okay. The editing is alright. The show is shot in a very less number of locations, and the production values are decent.
Coming to the director, Aditya Mandala, he has done a poor job with the series. There was no effort to make the series appeal to regular audiences, and hence there is a high chance for non-gamers to get disconnected from the series straightaway. Just like the storyline, the narrative too moves in a clueless manner. As stated above, the creators should have tweaked the series by adding some elements to make it appeal to one and all.
Verdict:
On the whole, Dead Pixels is a highly boring series that is meant exclusively for gamers. Niharika and others are good in their roles, but the series will test the patience levels significantly with its poor story and narration. If you aren’t a gamer, then you can comfortably skip this series without a second thought.
123telugu.com Rating: 2/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team