Touch Me Not Review: Navdeep's show has a familiar story with taut performances and a satisfying payoff

3/5

Touch Me Not Story

Raghav Rao (Navdeep) is an SP who lost his mother in a childhood apartment fire. In the same incident, Rishi (Dheekshith Shetty) lost his parents. Raghav raises Rishi and Megha (Komalee Prasad), the daughter of the watchman (Devi Prasad) who was blamed for the tragedy. While escaping the fire, Rishi suffers a head injury, giving him psychometry skills, and the ability to touch people or objects and sense their past. Ten years later, a hospital fire kills several people. How do Rishi’s abilities help solve the case? How does Raghav handle the investigation? To find out, stream the series on Jio Hotstar now.

Touch Me Not Review

For starters, Touch Me Not is the Telugu remake of the Korean series He Is Psychometric. Directed by Ramana Teja, the Telugu version delivers a decent adaptation, though a deeper exploration of the psychometry angle could have made it much more engaging. While psychometry-based stories are common in Hollywood, Touch Me Not brings a fresh concept to Telugu audiences, sparking immediate interest. Though the story takes time to grow on you, once it does, it becomes a passable watch.

As a crime investigation series, Touch Me Not requires strong detailing to work effectively, but Ramana Teja takes several cinematic liberties, rushing through key investigative scenes without delivering the expected thrill. A few more twists and turns could have added to the excitement. However, where he truly excels is in evoking drama. The emotional bonding between key characters and the way their stories intertwine are handled well.

Performances play a crucial role in the series, and seasoned actors like Dheekshith Shetty, Navdeep, and Komalee Prasad bring depth to their roles. However, Ramana Teja takes too long to enter the main plot, dedicating an entire episode to character introductions, which wasn’t entirely necessary. Fortunately, the final episodes compensate by delivering high drama and tension, making the series a must-watch for thriller lovers.

The makers leave the audience intrigued by withholding key twists and setting the stage for Season 2. One of the biggest mysteries is why Raghav, despite knowing Megha played a role in his mother’s death, chooses to raise her—a compelling hook for the story. The series also starts off slowly, requiring patience to enjoy the latter half.

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In terms of performances, Navdeep steals the show, delivering an intense and memorable act. With age and experience, he appears more settled and excels in emotional scenes. Komalee Prasad continues to improve with each project, and in Touch Me Not, she shines in a solid role, especially in emotional moments. Dheekshith Shetty gets one of the best roles and performs superbly, particularly in his psychometry-related scenes. Sanchita Poonacha also impresses, bringing depth to her character with a strong screen presence.

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Musically, Mahati Sagar’s background score is exceptional, elevating even the simplest scenes. The production values, intense camera angles, and set design contribute significantly to making the series visually gripping. However, the editing in the initial episodes could have been tighter to maintain better pacing.

Touch Me Not is a new-age thriller with an intriguing premise. While the twists could have been more engaging, the drama keeps you hooked, making it a worthwhile watch for thriller enthusiasts.

Touch Me Not Verdict

On the whole, Touch Me Not is a decent crime thriller that is high on drama. Taut performances by the lead par and an interesting backdrop make up for a passable watch this weekend.

Also Read: Best crime thriller series to stream on OTT