Review of the series “Ekam Web”: The anthology by Prakash Raj and Raj B Shetty is a languid, exhilarating homage to the idyllic region of Karavali

Sandeep PS and Sumanth Bhat are storytellers with conviction and clarity. As creators of Ekamthe seven-part web series co-produced by Rakshit Shetty’s Paramvah Studios, the duo leaves little doubt about what you can expect when you dive into their debut venture.

In the animated Munnudi (Prologue) Throughout the series, the showrunners underscore their commitment to stories; the ones you may have heard, the ones you never imagined, the ones lived and passed down. So different, yet so similar. So many emotions and circumstances, all boiled down to the unique human experience.

It is this universality of experience that drives the series, with the Karavali or coastal region of Karnataka providing a lush backdrop of diverse communities and languages ​​in which the myriad characters are embedded.

The series begins as a simple, almost straightforward romantic comedy, becomes increasingly complex, and culminates in a metaphysical exploration of what it means to be a writer.

In Haaraata (Flight), directed by Sankar Gangadharan and Vivek Vinod, is about a sweet meet-cute between Manjula and Thomas, who must grapple with religious differences and patriarchy before love can blossom.

Shoonya – Translation (Void), shot in the Tulu language, traces the descent of Guruva (a superb Basuma Kodagu) from master hunter to human scarecrow. His transformation from a sought-after tribal hunter with extraordinary skills – who can spot wild boars in the distance using his keen senses alone – to a mad old nobody running desperately through the forest laden with a powerful rifle makes for a haunting image.

While Dombarata (Masquerade) is carried by the modest performance of actor Raj B. Shetty as Dhanaraja, a gullible man who returns to his hometown from Dubai in the hope of setting up a dairy farm, Bhranti (Delusion) is about a young girl’s accidental discovery that she may have been adopted.

In Swattu (German) (Legacy) An ageing movie star’s revelation of his sexual escapades in an autobiography throws the lives of a fanboy and his maid into disarray. The short film begins with the young fan singing a song with his favorite actor. “I’m like your shadow, I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth,” it booms, setting the stage for the episode’s chilling conclusion.

“What is a funeral without a dead person?” asks Poorvacharya (Tradition) starring Prakash Raj and Ujwal UV “Can there be a worse omen than death?” There can be, it seems, when a living person – mistakenly believed to be dead – must go to the funeral pyre himself, choosing tradition and family prestige over his will to live.

What happens to an untold story? Does it die a silent death or does it lurk, festering inside you until it becomes one with your memories and your identity? Asmit (Identity), a Malayalam short film, an old writer must resolve these questions with an unexpected visitor.

Episodes 2 to 5 were directed by Sumanth Bhat and feel more realistic and relatable than the others, while the last two episodes, which deal with deeper existential questions, were directed by Sanal Aman and Swaroop Elamon.

Ekam attempts to bring seven disjointed stories to life through experiments with genre and language. Lacking a unifying theme, the show centers the verdant, idyllic Karavali region as a constant character, relying on its moods, customs, dialects and soundscapes to support the text. The show’s pace largely mimics the languid way of life on coastal Karnataka, which doesn’t always help the narrative.

Following the tradition of Subscribe to (spirit worship) in the region, daiva (divine spirits) like Panjurli, Koragajja and Guliga are woven into the script. However, as with most anthologies, there are some connections that are weaker than the others in Ekam.

The series was released on July 13 and is available to watch on the TVOD (transactional video-on-demand) platform ekamtheseries.com. The show can be rented for ₹149 along with numerous bonus content.