PremiumDayaa, Vadhuvu on OTT - Telugu adaptation of Bengali shows strikes a chord
Both the web shows were produced by SVF for Disney+ Hotstar this year
Last Updated: 08.06 AM, Dec 17, 2023
Telugu film lovers and readers have always shared a close bond with Bengali literature, ethos and cinema over the years. The Telugu-Bengali connect dates back to the 1940s and 50s when Bengali novels were widely translated into Telugu and sold like hot cakes here. The commonality between the cultures was such that Telugu filmmakers were constantly in Kolkata to acquire remake and adaptation rights.
While the influence of Hindi cinema took over the Telugu industry in the 1970s, Bengali industry began to remake several popular Telugu films in the recent years. The OTT space is yet again helping reestablish the connection between Bengali and Telugu cultures. The success of two OTT shows year - Dayaa and Vadhuvu - emphasises the same. Both web shows were produced by SVF for Disney+ Hotstar.
For the unversed, Dayaa, directed by Pavan Sadineni was the Telugu adaptation of the Bengali show Taqdeer, which originally premiered on Hoichoi in 2020. It was adapted so well in the Kakinada backdrop for the Telugu audience that viewers already familiar with the original got to explore the tale in a newer light with enriching characters and an improvised screenplay.
Dayaa, a crime thriller, starring JD Chakravarthy, Eesha Rebba, Ramya Nambessan and others revolves around a freezer van driver, who stumbles upon a dead body in his vehicle, resulting in a series of events that change his life overnight. Meanwhile, the production house scored another OTT hit before signing off in 2023 with Vadhuvu, an adaptation of Hoichoi’s Indu, headlined by Avika Gor, Ali Reza, Nandu.
Indu’s conservative middle-class setup was used well by Vadhuvu’s director Krishna Poluru, who used his long experience in the television industry to his advantage. The suspense drama centres on a newlywed woman, who lands in a family with dark secrets. The sharp screenplay with a terrific cliffhanger struck a chord with audiences.
The other Bengali originals that were remade in Telugu recently (by aha on OTT) include Run (MX Player's 6), Sin (Hoichoi's Hello), which didn't taste much success.