{"id":7229,"date":"2024-07-13T11:31:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-13T11:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/entertainment\/ekam-web-series-review-prakash-raj-raj-b-shettys-anthology-is-a-languid-lilting-tribute-to-the-idyllic-karavali-region\/"},"modified":"2024-07-13T11:31:36","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T11:31:36","slug":"ekam-web-series-review-prakash-raj-raj-b-shettys-anthology-is-a-languid-lilting-tribute-to-the-idyllic-karavali-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/khabarok.com\/?p=7229","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Ekam web\u2019 series review: Prakash Raj, Raj B Shetty\u2019s anthology is a languid, lilting tribute to the idyllic Karavali region"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nA still from the episode Shoonya<\/i> (Void), part of the Kannada web series \u2018Ekam\u2019
\n| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sandeep P.S. and Sumanth Bhat are storytellers with conviction and clarity. As creators of Ekam<\/i>, the seven-episode web series co-produced by Rakshit Shetty\u2019s Paramvah Studios, the duo leaves you in\u00a0little doubt about what to expect as you dive into their maiden work. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In the animated Munnudi<\/i> (Prologue) to the series, the showrunners reinforce their commitment to stories; the ones you may have heard, the ones you could never imagine, the ones lived and bequeathed. So different, yet so similar. So many emotions and circumstances, all distilled down to the singular human experience. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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It is this universality of experience that propels the series, with the Karavali or coastal Karnataka region providing a lush backdrop of diverse communities and languages to set the myriad characters in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Ekam Season 1 (Kannada)<\/h5>\n

Creators: Sandeep P.S. and Sumanth Bhat<\/p>\n

Episodes: 7<\/p>\n

Runtime: Approx. 35 minutes for each episode<\/p>\n

Cast: Prakash Raj, Raj B Shetty, Prakash Thumminad, Manasa Sudhir, Shine Shetty, Basuma Kodagu<\/p>\n

Storyline: Seven different tales set against the culturally vibrant coastal Karnataka region celebrate a world where all stories mirror the singular human experience; from teenage romance to angst, from a writer\u2019s dilemma to a hunter\u2019s helplessness, from the perils of adhering to tradition to the dreams of building a simple life<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The series begins with a simple, almost straight-forward rom-com and grows in complexity, culminating with a metaphysical exploration of what it means to be a writer. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In Haaraata<\/i> (Flight), directed by Sankar Gangadharan and Vivek Vinod, a meet-cute between Manjula and Thomas must grapple with religious differences and\u00a0patriarchy even before love can blossom. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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Shoonya<\/i> (Void), shot in the Tulu language, traces the descent of Guruva (a stellar Basuma Kodagu) from a master hunter\u00a0to a human scarecrow. His transformation from a sought-after tribal huntsman of exceptional prowess \u2014\u00a0who can spot wild boars in the distance using just his sharp senses \u2014 to a crazy, old nobody weighed down by a mighty rifle and running across the forest in desperation\u00a0makes for a haunting visual.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Dombaraata<\/i> (Masquerade) is buoyed by actor Raj B. Shetty\u2019s unassuming performance as Dhanaraja, a gullible man who returns from Dubai to his hometown with hopes of setting up a dairy farm, Bhranti<\/i> (Delusion) deals with a young girl\u2019s accidental discovery that she may have been adopted. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nA still from the episode Poorvachara<\/i> (Tradition), part of the Kannada web series \u2018Ekam\u2019
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\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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In Swattu<\/i> (Legacy), an ageing movie star\u2019s disclosure of his sexual escapades in an autobiography shakes up the lives of a fan-boy and his maid. The short opens with the young fan\u00a0crooning to a song featuring his favourite actor. \u201cI\u2019m like your shadow, I\u2019ll follow you till the end of the world,\u201d it blares, setting up the premise for the episode\u2019s chilling conclusion. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s a funeral without a dead person?\u201d asks Poorvachara<\/i> (Tradition), which stars Prakash Raj and Ujwal U.V. \u201cCan there be an omen worse than death?\u201d There can be, it seems to say, if a living person \u2014 accidentally believed to have died \u2014 must walk himself to the pyre, choosing tradition and family prestige over his desire to live. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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What happens to a story untold?\u00a0Does it die a quiet death or does it lie in wait, festering within, until it becomes one with your memories and identity? In Asmite<\/i> (Identity), a Malayalam short, an old writer must tackle these questions with an unexpected visitor. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Episodes 2 to 5 have been directed by Sumanth Bhat, and seem more real and relatable of the lot,\u00a0while the last two episodes, addressing deeper existential questions, have been directed by Sanal Aman and Swaroop Elamon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n

\nA still from the episode Asmite<\/i> (Identity), part of the Kannada web series \u2018Ekam\u2019
\n| Photo Credit:
\nSpecial Arrangement\n<\/p>\n

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Ekam<\/i> attempts to bring seven disjointed stories to life by experimenting with genre and language. With no single theme binding it, the show puts the verdant, idyllic Karavali region in the centre-stage as a constant character, relying on its moods, customs, dialects and soundscapes to support the writing. Much of the show\u2019s pacing mimics the languid way of life in coastal Karnataka, and this does not always help the narration. \u00a0<\/p>\n

In a nod to the tradition of bhootaaradhane<\/i> (spirit worship) in the region, daivas<\/i> (divine spirits) like Panjurli, Koragajja and Guliga are woven into the script. Yet, as with most anthologies, there are some links weaker than the others in Ekam<\/i>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The series\u00a0released on July 13 and can be accessed on the TVOD (Transactional Video-on-demand) platform ekamtheseries.com. The show, along with a host of bonus content, can be rented for \u20b9149<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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