‘Yakshini’ (2024) Hotstar Series Review - A Typical Soap Drama

Maya, an apsara (angel) was banished from her residence where other apsaras were too, and sent to Earth. If she wants to return she'll have to kill a hundred men, and that too just because she fell in love with a human. What justice would that do? It itself sounds disturbing enough, and now she needs a virgin boy for her hundredth kill.

It's the same old story of seduction, in-laws, and jealousy. You can easily shift into your sleep mode in between and not miss much of the story because it's so predictable. Rahul Vijay as Krishna was her prey who fell perfectly in the trap without raising a question. After knowing Maya’s reality the poor and dumb soul was still ready to sacrifice himself just so that she could return back.

There's another Apsara Jwalamukhi who initially pretends to be helping Maya, and later on, her true colors are revealed. Mahakal, a Naga saint, wants to trap Maya and get the address to their magical land so that Naga saints can control it. There's a long history shown, and Mahakal is the same person Maya fell in love with.

The mythical world built around the story will initially intrigue the audience yet fails to hold their attention. Many fight scenes involved in the show are decent. This Telugu family drama series despite having supernatural elements isn't worth more than three hours of your time.

In my opinion, Yakshini is made for those people who like to watch soap dramas on TV and is better suited for those who like it as a short version.

The way Maya, the lead character and villain has been dressed appeared vague, and her styling has been overdone. All those sleeveless blouses and weird dresses didn't do justice to her character. Considering that she's an Apsara and is here to kill with her looks, you can justify it. Vedhika as Maya didn't appear convincing, and it might be the dubbing that went wrong. Many dialogues appeared out of place and in context.

The horror fantasy series boasts a mediocre plot and acting. There's not a single element in this six-episode-long series that fits right with the audience. We should also shed light and talk about how the show opened. A man is approaching Maya and he asks him what perfume she's wearing and her reply leaves me in utter shock. By coming close to his ear and in a seductive voice she says ‘Nature’. Jump to the next scene and they're sexually involved. This is one of the most cringe-worthy and vague conversations that I've ever heard, and with the sudden shift to the next scene, it appears no less than a B-grade film.

The opening scenes of the majority of the titles are enough for a person to decide which direction the show is heading towards and whether they'll like it or not and I had mine. There's a lot that went wrong including the ending of this show which is left open. If the ending had been something different, my take on Yakshini might have been a tad better.

Final Score – [4/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
Follow @_riyasinghhh_ on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times