A Parodic Take on Andhra Pradesh Politics & Delhi’s High Command

RATING – ⭐⭐ 2/5*

Mayasabha Review movie Talkies:

Mayasabha may strike a chord with audiences in Andhra Pradesh who are politically inclined, and to some extent, it might offer mild relief to fans of Delhi’s high command. However, for neutral viewers, the series comes across as underwhelming and, at times, unintentionally comical. The root cause of its failure lies in its execution. On paper, Mayasabha seems like a well-written and authentic political drama. Unfortunately, the on-screen treatment is no better than your average daily soap opera. The series is marred by excessive over-acting, overly dramatic expressions, a jarring background score, and juvenile sequences that turn what could have been a gripping political thriller into a parody. Despite its allegorical title, Mayasabha lacks any real allegory. There’s no nuance, no finesse, and certainly no intellectual or emotional depth. The show may have a solid script based on real-life political history, but the vision, direction, and overall screenplay dilute its impact to a laughable level.

Mayasabha Story:

The plot centers on two close friends, K. Naidu (Aadhi Pinisetty), based on former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and MS Rami Reddy (Chaitanya Rao Madadi), inspired by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. They initially unite in politics with noble intentions for public welfare. However, they soon discover the murky realities of power, where success often demands corruption and compromise. From being student leaders to political allies, ministers, and eventually bitter rivals, their journey is sprawling and rife with conflict. Iravati Basu (Divya Dutta), a character clearly modeled on Indira Gandhi, rules over Andhra with an iron grip. Her dominance begins to falter when a popular film superstar (clearly based on NTR) enters the political arena. Across nine episodes, Mayasabha explores their rise, fall, betrayal, conspiracies, and everything in between, drawing heavily from actual events in AP political history.

But here’s the problem: the series drags far too long and fails to maintain narrative momentum. After the halfway mark, the plot becomes highly predictable—because most of these political events are already well-known to the public. When the anticipated twists finally arrive, they come too late to make an impact. Adding to the woes is the outdated, soap-opera-style treatment that kills whatever potential the Story had. The same mistake that Ajay Devgn’s Himmatwala (2013) made—a retro revival that nobody asked for—gets repeated here. The tone gets increasingly cartoonish, stripping the political subject matter of any seriousness. In one pivotal death scene, a character delivers a performance so exaggerated, it feels like a bad parody skit rather than a scene of political tragedy.

The series doesn’t shy away from taking political stances either. It can be viewed as anti-Congress, given how openly it exposes and critiques Congress leaders. From Emergency to Nasbandi and the controversial death of a Gandhi family member, the show offers blunt portrayals that are likely to anger Congress loyalists. The character based on NTR begins with a strong arc but is written off with a weak, unsatisfying ending. What’s worse, the real Story of Naidu’s rise hasn’t even begun by the time the series ends. The constant obsession with caste-based dialogues becomes repetitive and monotonous. Even the political theorizing—something that should elevate a drama like this—lacks the thrill and sharpness to engage viewers.

Mayasabha Cast:

When it comes to performances, it’s a mixed bag. Aadhi Pinisetty and Chaitanya Rao Madadi manage to stay watchable, but the rest of the ensemble descends into melodrama. Sai Kumar’s expressions are so outdated, they could make even NTR’s old clips cringe. How these ‘70s-style over the top expressions were approved for a 2025 political series is baffling. Divya Dutta, an otherwise brilliant actress, is miscast and underused. Her look bears no resemblance to Indira Gandhi, and her portrayal lacks the commanding aura required for such a powerful figure. Nassar appears as a media mughal and delivers a decent performance, with one or two memorable dialogues. Other supporting actors like Ravindra Vijay, Raghu Babu, Srikanth Iyer, and the extended cast are strictly passable.

Mayasabha Series Review

Technically, Mayasabha is mediocre at best. The cinematography and sound design are uninspired. The background score fails to elevate any scene, and while the production design is adequate in parts, it never truly shines. Editing holds up reasonably well during the first four episodes but completely loses grip in the latter half. Deva Katta had an ambitious vision of telling a bold political tale, but crediting him for the script—largely based on real events—feels unwarranted. The real disappointment is the direction. Katta and Kiran Jay Kumar should have considered making this a television serial and releasing it on a platform like MX Player. Maybe then, the expectations would have been lower—and the backlash less severe. It’s unfortunate to see such strong source material wasted by poor direction and lackluster execution. Especially after SonyLIV delivered a gripping series on Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination recently, this feels like a major letdown. In one word, Mayasabha is a failure—an example of good ideas gone terribly wrong.

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