The storyline of the new streaming Telugu web series The Baker and The Beauty. Aha’s Streaming, which is a fairy tale romance. Between a bourgeois baker and an actress. As one character describes, this is a story about a boy who lives near the Jubilee bus station. Which is located in Secunderabad and a girl in the Jubilee Hills.
When I learned that the new Telugu series was an adaptation of the Israeli series of the same name by Asi Azar;
I was curious and went to have a look. The Telugu series is a faithful adaptation to selecting similar episode titles. “Artichoke Soup” to “Mushroom Soup” in an Indian context. The Telugu series adapts to the events of Hyderabad’s cultural environment. Significantly, it does not dilute the original content. This is the story of the baker, the story of his two siblings, and aspirations, humiliating family relationships. And acceptance of same-sex relationships. Its broad storey coincides with what we saw in the British rom-com Notting Hill (1999). And the more recently featuring in the Telugu film Sammohanam (2018).
The 10-episode series, with an average duration of 30-35 minutes each. It is an intelligent rom-com brought to life with various flair. The charming Santos Shobhan stars as baker Vijay Krishna Dasaripale. Who trades his visual arts dreams to run his father’s bakery, Venkateshwarlu (Srikant Iyengar). Vijay lives with his father, mother Padma (Jansi), brother Vikram (Sanget Shobhan) and sister Mira (Sai Suetha). Brothers can be stupid, obnoxious and amused simultaneously. And mom is a live wire so hard it’s impossible to keep secrets. In a sense, the thinking sister has her secret. The close-knit family is surrounded. By a really friendly but always curious neighbours, led by Sussela.
In an extreme contrast to this family is the world of actress Ira Vasireddi (Tina Shilparai):
Whose father we do hear about but never actually see. He is mostly alone in his home, and his career and life. which are governed by his shrewd manager, Lakshmi (Venkat).
Vijay and Ira intersect early in the story. And he is drawn into their glittering world. Though he always feels like a bit of outsider he could easily give up on. An extraordinary romance develops but is intensified by the disapproval of Lakshmi and her now-lost friend Vijay Maheshwari (Vishnupriya).
About a famous actress’ brilliance over a man. She’s just met and beg him to join her for a night out with her band. Soon he invites her to a house party (where adventure sports are being held. Apparently without a good security clearance) and a trip to Dubai! No problem, this is a fairy tale novel.
An unrecognizable Ira holds Vijay back, wondering if he’s recovered briefly from his breakup with the Bollywood star.
Vijay’s uncertainty gradually emerges. He was always afraid of being a loner. Which explains why he couldn’t leave Maheshwari. Even though he realized deep down that he didn’t want to continue their relationship. With Ira, he wanted to accept her, unsure if she would fit into his glamorous world. Ira’s hesitation completes the problem. At some point, Vijay asks her if she wants to meet someone her manager has chosen for her.
A furore broke out when the media heard about the Ira-Vijay romance. Jhansi is a pleasure to watch. It’s a role where she could quickly go overboard, but she gets the mix just right. She worries about her son and makes no mistake by meeting an actor who guarantees her a better financial future. The Telangana dialect makes the dialogue even more enjoyable.
Jhansi, Srikanth Iyengar and Sai Sweta continued to perform well. Santos Shobhan took the cake. It plays its role with a bit of charm and effectively shows the character’s insecurities. Tina Shilparage plays the ice girl role well. But her facial expressions are hard to judge. And unresponsive even as the story progresses. Venkat’s image of a manipulative manager takes more of a bite. It is worth mentioning the music of Prashant Vihari.
The rom-com could have been shorter than trying to recreate everything that happened in the original Israeli version. There are some apparent drawbacks. For example, which corporate office ordered an evening buffet and wanted it delivered overnight? The fact that the mother can’t feel anything while fishing is still a long way off.