Ayyana Mane review: A streak of suspicious deaths, Dhaiva and a dose of mystery

India Today

25-04-2025

'Ayyana Mane' is a thriller drama written and directed by Ramesh Indira. Starring Khushi Ravi, of Dia fame, along with an ensemble cast of well-known artists from the Kannada entertainment space, this miniseries is an edge-of-seat thriller with a whole lot of mystery and misdirections, bringing merit to the product.Dhaiva, a traditional demi-god rooted in the regional culture of South India, rose to fame nationwide when Rishab Shetty's 'Kantara' went viral. Known by different names, the devotion towards a territorial 'Dhaiva' and the mystery surrounding it is an intriguing aspect that has triggered several filmmakers to explore them as plot points in films that came after 'Kantara'. This Zee5 original series, 'Ayyana Mane' also builds an interesting mystery thriller, placing Kondarayya's (Dhaiva) anger as its premise.advertisementBut is that it? Not at all. 'Ayyana Mane' is a very smartly constructed miniseries of six episodes. With each episode being only 18 minutes long, the narrative doesn't lag at any point, as the screenplay is as crisp as it gets. While the trailer creates some level of intrigue, each episode excellently places lots of questions, not to mention the impressive cliffhangers that almost certainly make you want to binge.
The biggest question of all is: 'Is the Dhaiva a punisher or a protector?' The thriller is most satisfying when all questions are answered by the end, leaving no questions lingering in your head that might turn the experience sour. The makers have ensured a tight ending to the plot with all questions being answered, and subsequently leaving one important message to society: pay attention to the mental wellness of people around you!advertisementWriter-director Ramesh Indira has drafted an excellent narrative that steadily establishes questions and misdirections while introducing characters. The treatment given to these characters may seem like a blend of style between a traditional TV serial and a modern web series. It was a technically written script sticking to the traditional structure of writing thrillers, carrying the good notes of a TV serial, minus the hyper-melodrama and looping dialogues like 'Kya! Kya! Kya!'Performances were the standout factor in this series, as it presented a good mix of realistic and dramatic acting, almost resonating a stage performance, yet managing to look convincing on screen. Khushi Ravi, who plays the lead character Jaji, has done a commendable job as an innocent young woman who gets married into a house full of mystery and terror. Playing the anchor role who is driving the narrative of finding out what's happening in 'Ayyana Mane' (Ayya's House), Khushi uses her charm to bring the audience to her side and makes them feel whatever her character goes through during the course of the series.The supporting cast includes Manasi Sudhir, Akshay Nayak, Hitha Chandrashekar, Anirudh Acharya, Archana Kottige, Shobharaj Pavoor, Khushi Chandrashekar, among others. Every single artiste has pulled off their character effectively, which subsequently heightened the efficiency of the story. A special shout-out to Archana Kottige for her portrayal of Charulatha, a borderline schizophrenic daughter-in-law of the house, whose paranoia induces a spine-tingling feeling, even with her limited screen time.advertisementAs the story unfolds, the twists start getting predictable and so do the motives in this series, which gradually turns into a whodunnit. While the director has used misdirections effectively to keep the audience guessing, there are several moments where these misdirections seem less organic, leaving behind a taste of outdatedness when you watch it. In what seemed like a desperate attempt to ensure the audience didn't know whom to trust, it turned out to be an extremely basic execution of misplacing focus.In terms of technicality, this miniseries had some digestible flaws but also showed moments of expertise. The cinematography was on point, with Rahul Roy consistently bringing an immersive feeling, as if the viewer is a third person witnessing some key moments of the series. At the same time, he also manages to capture the aesthetic beauty of Chikkamagaluru, a district of Karnataka known for its natural beauty. Other technical departments also contributed significantly, but there were moments of flaws every now and then.advertisementOverall, 'Ayyana Mane' is no doubt an interesting watch that is quick, crisp and time-friendly as well. For an avid binge-watcher, this miniseries must be a cakewalk to complete. The good thing is, even for someone who isn't a binge-watcher, this series is intriguing enough to make them one.'Ayyana Mane is streaming on Zee5 from April 25.3 stars out of 5 stars for 'Ayyana Mane'.