Telugu cinema's new web series Kobali was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 4 February 2025. Directed by Revanth Levka, this eight-episode action-crime drama series is set in the backdrop of Rayalaseema. Actors like Ravi Prakash, Rocky Singh, Tarun Rohit and Shyamala have played the lead roles. Gowra Hari's music and Rohit Bachu's cinematography have tried to make it visually appealing. But due to weak story and excessive violence, the series failed to completely engage the audience. Let's know how Kobali is in this review.
Plot Summary
The story of Kobali revolves around the Sambaiya family settled in Mullakatta village of Rayalaseema. Sambaiya has three sons Gopi (Shiva) Srinu (Ravi Prakash) and Ramu (Tarun Rohit). Gopi moves to Venkatapuram with his second wife Sujatha whose brothers Ramana (Rocky Singh) and Peeri are criminals. A quarrel between Gopi and Sujatha results in the death of Sujatha following which Ramana's gang is on a quest for revenge against Gopi and his family. This incident leads to a violent confrontation between the two families. Srinu confronts Ramana to save his family but the cycle of violence goes out of control. Will Srinu be able to save his family and what will be the end of this bloody game? This forms the main plot of the series which is based on the theme of revenge.
Performances and Highlights
Ravi Prakash has done a brilliant job as Srinu. His subtle and emotional performance is the strongest aspect of the series. He portrays his character's anger and loyalty towards the family very well. Rocky Singh has played a ruthless villain as Ramana and his dialogue delivery and scary look impresses. Tarun Rohit has given a natural performance as Ramu but his emotional depth is weak in some scenes. Shyamala has played a good supporting role as Meera who adds depth to the story. Other actors like Shree Tej and Yogi Khatri have also given decent performances but most of the characters do not get a solid arc. Some viewers have appreciated the chemistry between Ravi Prakash and Rocky Singh especially in the scenes where the two are face to face.
Technical Aspects and Direction
Revanth Levka has tried to make Kobaali a traditional revenge drama set in the backdrop of Rayalaseema. The first two episodes are slow but the story picks up pace from the third to the sixth episode. Rohit Bachu's cinematography brings out the rustic landscape of Rayalaseema well and the Jathara festival scenes are visually impressive. Gowra Hari's background score adds strength to some important scenes but the songs are average. Kishore Maddali's editing has been weak as many scenes are unnecessarily long. In direction, Revanth has used excessive violence and profanity which makes the story artificial and tedious. The excessive use of vulgar language in the dialogues makes it uncomfortable for family viewing. Some critics have called it a misuse of OTT's creative freedom.
What is special and what was lacking
Kobaali's biggest strength is the performance of Ravi Prakash and Rocky Singh, which saves the series to some extent. The use of Rayalaseema's backdrop and Jathara festival gives authenticity to the story. Some action sequences like the pre-climax fight thrill the audience. But the weaknesses of the series outweigh its strengths. The story is extremely predictable and there are no unexpected twists. The emotional development of the characters is weak due to which the audience is unable to connect with them. Excessive violence and bloodshed makes the story uniform and boring. Out of the eight episodes, the middle part seems particularly dragged and the pacing could have been improved by removing one episode. Excessive use of obscenity in dialogues and weak screenplay make it average. Many critics have described it as an old-fashioned revenge drama that reminds of Telugu films of the 90s.
Audience response and impact
Kobaali has received mixed reviews on social media. Some viewers have called it a great action drama and praised Ravi Prakash's performance and production quality. A user wrote "Kobaali is the best series of 2025. Ravi Prakash and Rocky Singh's acting is amazing and the final episodes are thrilling". Some congratulated it for ranking number one on Disney+ Hotstar. But most critics and viewers have called it disappointing. A user said "The story lacks depth and excessive profanity makes it unsuitable for family". It has an average rating of 2/5 on Rotten Tomatoes while some fans have given it up to 4/5. Many called it worth watching once but considered it a failure to live up to the expectations of the first season.
Rating and Conclusion
Kobaali is a web series that initially attracts the audience due to the brilliant performances of Ravi Prakash and Rocky Singh. The backdrop of Rayalaseema and some good action scenes make it worth watching. But the weak story, predictable screenplay and excessive violence make it average. The lack of emotional depth in the characters and excessive profanity make it unsuitable for family viewing. If you are fond of action and rustic revenge dramas, then you can watch it once but it does not give a memorable experience. Our rating: 2.25/5. For Ravi Prakash fans, it is worth watching once but if you are looking for better OTT content, you should choose other options.