‘Arabia Kadali' web series review: Satyadev, Anandhi are the saving grace of this underwhelming drama

The Hindu

3 days ago

Arabia Kadali starts with an obvious disadvantage, basing its premise on incidents that have already inspired a widely watched Telugu film, Thandel (a major hit this year). It tells the story of fishermen from Andhra Pradesh arrested in Pakistan for straying into foreign waters, waiting tirelessly to return home and reunite with their loved ones, which feels like a distant dream by the day.
The show, co-written by Krish Jagarlamudi (and Chintakindi Srinivas Rao), underlines the extraordinary grit and persistence of the fishermen, while a woman back home fights tooth and nail to ensure their release. The VV Surya Kumar directorial begins by casting light on the mundane realities of fishermen, their debt-ridden families, the air of hopelessness that pushes them to migrate to Gujarat for employment and the exploitation of the corporates.
The only solace in protagonist Badri's (Satyadev) life is his childhood sweetheart Ganga (Anandhi); theirs is a love story that's expected to hold the show together. Unfolding over a flashback, Arabia Kadali brings to life the unfortunate circumstances in which the fishermen find themselves in Pakistan and how growing political tensions between the nations dampen their chances of a return.
Arabia Kadali (Telugu)
Director: V V Surya Kumar
Creator: Krish Jagarlamudi
Cast: Satyadev, Anandhi, Harsh Roshan
Runtime: 4 hours 30 minutes (8 episodes)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Story: As Indian fishermen are jailed in Pakistan, a woman goes all out to ensure their release.
The main issue with Arabia Kadali is its inability to make compelling characters out of the victims and build meaningful interpersonal relationships. Those pitted against them are portrayed as caricatures. The show portrays their struggles employing the usual cliches on the 'inhuman' neighbouring nation, without building a solid foundation. There are stock situations all around, and the detailing is sketchy.
Even as Badri and Ganga are teenagers, the latter, as a testament of their love, proclaims that she'll wait for him, come what may, in any given situation, leading up to the premise.
As Badri rots in jail, we get glimpses of what their relationship could have been, but never quite enough to justify its epic-ness. The obstacle in their way is a cliche as old as the hills — a father wanting to get his daughter married to a wealthier man.
While conflicts keep multiplying for Badri and the group over time, the drama is hardly captivating. The storytelling, establishing the tentative political situation and the characters set in Pakistan, lack honesty. Their hostility is intentionally aimed to provoke, and to avoid generalisation, a few good people exist there too, doing their bit to help Badri get back home.
How exactly do Ganga's efforts take her closer to her pursuit? There's no clarity, and the convenient writing and liberties never help the show's cause. Arabia Kadali nearly makes a saint out of Badri towards the end, as a man who wouldn't even intend to harm his enemy. An Indian's large-heartedness is supposedly enough to melt the heart of a hot-blooded Pakistani cop seeking to settle scores.
The later episodes, centring on the infighting among the fishermen, their subsequent change of heart, confrontations with an army officer, are mechanically shot. The subplot around Ganga's brother, who goes astray in the absence of his father, makes no impact. Time and again, you hear of jetties being the panacea for all ills, but how would it exactly alter the fishermen's destinies? You don't get to know much.
Amid all the disappointment, Arabia Kadali is gorgeously shot, capturing life on and beyond the seashores, binding the fortunes of two warring villages. The final line of the show — 'what we do with our newfound freedom is all the more crucial' — is thought-provoking. Satyadev and Anandhi's performances bring some respectability to the proceedings.
Kota Jayaram, Surabhi Prabhavati, Harsh Roshan, Ravi Varma and Poonam Bajwa make a mark among the supporting cast, while the big names — Nasser, Dalip Tahil — don't get anything worthwhile. Arabia Kadali had everything in it to be a heart-wrenching drama, but the moments just don't linger enough. Better writing, imaginative filmmaking could have saved the day, but all such hopes are drowned in the waters.
(Arabia Kadali is streaming on Amazon Prime Video)