Web Series Name : Dupahiya
Release Date : March 7, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Sparsh Shrivastava, Gajraj Rao, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Komal Kushwaha, Yashpal Sharma, Bhuvan Arora, Renuka Shahane, and other
Director : Sonam Nair
Producer : Bombay Film Cartel
Music Director : Somesh Saha
Cinematographer : Piyush Puty
Editor : Yashashwini Y.P.
Related Links : Trailer
Prime Video has now dropped a village comedy-drama series titled ‘Dupahiya.’ The show stars Sparsh Shrivastava, Gajraj Rao, Shivani Raghuvanshi, and Komal Kushwaha in the key roles. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
The show is set in a remote village called Dhadakpur, which is hailed as the ‘Belgium of Bihar’ for its crime-free nature. Roshini Jha (Shivani Raghuvanshi), the daughter of a school teacher, Banwari Jha (Gajraj Rao), doesn’t like the village life and wants to move to the city. She accepts a marriage proposal since the bridegroom, Kuber (Avinash Dwivedi), works in Mumbai and earns a good salary. Kuber demands a five lakh worth dupahiya (Two-wheeler) as dowry. Banwari Jha’s family, with great difficulty, purchases a bike, but it gets stolen mysteriously. What happens next is the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
From the word go, the makers’ intention can be clearly understood, which is to entertain the audience. The team succeeds in this aspect with distinction marks as the series manages to leave a pleasant smile on our faces for the most part. While recent web shows have focused on bloodshed and profanity, Dupahiya is a breath of fresh air suitable for family viewing.
The residents of Dhadakpur take pride in their 25-year crime-free record. However, when the dupahiya gets stolen, some seize the opportunity to create chaos, leading to a fun-filled ride. Well-designed quirky situations make the comedy come alive, and the innocence of the villagers adds to the charm of the humorous scenes.
The series neatly depicts the discrimination faced by dark-skinned people through Komal Kushwaha’s character. Her role is superbly written and well-performed. Sparsh Shrivastava, of Laapataa Ladies fame, portrays a youngster fond of Instagram reels. His role also has an emotional touch, and the actor aced it to perfection. Gajraj Rao once again impresses, and his scenes with the smart cop Yashpal Sharma tickle the funny bones. Others did a good job.
Minus Points:
Shivani Raghuvanshi gave a good performance, but her screen time could have been higher. Since the series is centered around her, one would like to see more of her. The story is so simple that the nine episodes seem overstretched, and the makers could have wrapped it up much earlier.
Due to the rural setting and breezy humor, comparisons with Panchayat are inevitable, as it has set a benchmark in this genre. If one compares Dupahiya to Panchayat, the latter scores higher. Dupahiya also tries to address multiple social issues like that of Panchayat, but it succeeds only partly. The ending isn’t impactful. This is where the show sheds light on critical social issues, but everything happens hurriedly.
Technical Aspects:
Somesh Saha’s background score suits the light-hearted tone, but the series could have benefited from a popular title track. Piyush Puty neatly captured the countryside visuals with his lens. The production values are good.
Sonam Nair’s direction is satisfactory. She has ensured the series is filled with healthy humor and has extracted good performances from everyone. The ending could have been better, and the issues could have been addressed in detail.
Verdict:
On the whole, Dupahiya is a watchable village comedy-drama that serves as a breath of fresh air amidst all the intense web shows. The series has some well-written comedy sequences and benefits from the performances of Gajraj Rao, Sparsh Shrivastava, Yashpal Sharma, and Komal Kushwaha. The major drawback is less screen time for the female lead’s character. Given the simple plot, the duration feels a bit longer than necessary, and the social message could have been presented more effectively. Dupahiya could have been memorable, but it remains a decent watch due to its shortcomings.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
