Rana Naidu Season 2 review: Rana Daggubati's family fix lacks bite despite a menacing Arjun Rampal

Rana Naidu Season 2 story:

In his final job before leaving the "fixing" industry for good, Rana Naidu (Rana Daggubati) takes on a family-threatening task, but he soon finds himself caught in a web of family strife and the shadow of a vicious criminal from his past.

Rana Naidu Season 2 review:

Filmmakers typically do not choose to make course corrections based on reviews and feedback. Many like to serve the audience what they think is best. However, things have changed for Rana Naidu this time, and they have toned down a lot more than expected. Two years ago, when I watched the first season, I was extremely unimpressed by the slurs, abusive language, and erotic scenes that overshadowed the story, which seemed purely intended to attract attention.

But the second season comes comparatively cleaner, barring a few scenes where the series goes back to its roots, but as the year passes by and the level of content keeps on increasing on OTT, viewers are expected to even boost their immunity to watch anything and everything that pops up on the screen. This time, like at the end of the first season, Rana keeps on saying that family is important, and as a fixer, that's where his priority lies. He aspires to depart from the world where he rose to prominence in the criminal underworld. However, to achieve that goal, he needs money; is Rs 500 crore sufficient for it? Well, Rana thinks that should be sufficient for his family.

Soon, the Oberoi family enters the scene, consisting of Rajat Kapoor as Viraj and his two cunning children, played by Kriti Kharbanda as Alia and Tanuj Virwani as Chirag, who are just like him. I thought Inside Edge started in the middle of Rana Naidu. Well, why wouldn't it? Isn't it the sweet spot for Karan Anshuman, who created both the series? But still, he managed to pull himself back to Rana Naidu by bringing in a notorious villain named Rauf, played by Arjun Rampal. Well, he does leave an impressive mark with his quirks, especially while having face-to-face interactions with Rana. 

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But now, everything is so predictable that you can even guess the next scene or who will die for a sacrifice. Over the years, we have observed that in the fictional world, law and order are easily neglected, and every police officer is corrupt, unable to take any action to uphold justice. However, Rana Naidu upholds the tradition of brutal justice among the rich.

The eight-episode-long series this time tried to be as precise as it needed to be, but there's an arc given to every character, and, to be honest, that slightly worked for me. Even Rana maintains his role as the show's antihero, taking charge of "fixing" things, particularly those related to his family. The season shows him at his most vulnerable while being a family man and less of a criminal, as crimes take place against his family, but we rarely see him unleashing the beast until the very end, which was also very subdued.

The one who bakes the cake and eats it too this season is Arjun Rampal as Rauf, who has never been considered a brutal character as he has been shown here. I thought no filmmaker would be able to top his act as the non-remorseful antagonist in Om Shanti Om, but here he is. The first episode portrays him as seeking revenge from Rana for killing his cousins, who had kidnapped Rana's son. Although he is shown as a gruesome villain who can't stand bad listeners and asks a person after killing them, it just describes his character and doesn't support the story very much. Nevertheless, Rampal upped as an actor, but we have seen him do his best work in movies too, about 10–15 years ago. 

Meanwhile, this season brought new additions, where Kriti Kharbanda was shown as a hot-headed, ambitious entrepreneur who is like her father Viraj and doesn't think of anyone else but her. However, her femme fatale act and constant expressions, reminiscent of the iconic Komolika, reveal that she is some kind of villain. Well, one can do that without lifting their eyes and pursing their lips every now and then.

In the middle of all these people, I think we shouldn't forget the real hero of Rana Naidu, that is, Naga Naidu, Venkatesh's infamous character. But where was he even in this series, apart from just being a catalyst of sorts? The show received significant attention for featuring Venkatesh and Rana in conflict onscreen, despite their affectionate relationship offscreen. However, this season was devoid of it, save for a few forgettable pick-and-throw scenes. Venkatesh's character tries to bring some comic relief, but it continues to be cringe, thankfully, not like the paedophilic act he had in the previous season. But still, nothing improves it.

Despite having many female characters who are taking the story forward, in the end, once again, it's all about the art of seduction, making them once again the one-dimensional characters that they have always been.

With the new season coming after two years and having sub-plots by adding a few more new characters, "Rana Naidu" mellows down but doesn't get better at being a great "fixer" as a crime as well as a family man.

Rana Naidu Season 2 verdict:

Rana Naidu Season 2 tries to "fix" its past mistakes but ends up fixing itself into a corner. With fewer f-bombs and more family feels, it swaps shock value for safe storytelling. Arjun Rampal chews the screen with delicious menace, but the plot often crumbles like stale cake under all that spice.