Loser Season 2 review: A middling sports drama undone by unimaginative writing, dull performances

2/5

Story:

Suri Yadav, fresh after his win at the national air-rifle shooting tournament, is given an honorary job as a clerk at a government office, where it isn't smooth sailing for him. Maya, an ad filmmaker, gives a new direction to his life. A failed cricketer Wilson realises that his son John too wants to make a career out of cricket. However, John's path is filled with many roadblocks and Wilson's past continues to haunt him again. Meanwhile, Ruby's relationship with her husband Sajid sours by the day and she finally rekindles her interest in badminton.

Review:

If the second season of a popular show is viewed as an opportunity to better its prequel, Loser Season 2 is certainly an improvement over its predecessor. The subplots are clutter-free, the narrative is focused and technically too, the second instalment is way superior to the first one. Is that enough though? While there are lessons that the show creator Abhilash Reddy Kankara and his team learn from the first season, there are different sets of issues that don't let Loser dig into its true potential.

The main USP of Loser is how the destinies of three contrasting sportspersons are entangled with one another. Among the trio, Ruby and Suri Yadav's stories show more promise. Suri, a national-level champion is frowned upon for his socio-economic background at a government office he works. He is asked to serve samosas to his superiors and is troubled by petty politics that doesn't let him focus on his true ambitions. Ruby has to deal with an insensitive husband, lacks the courage to discuss pressing issues with her own father. She has to convince the world that she still has it in her to give back to the sport.

If Suri Yadav's issue is the way he battles his inner demons and deals with fame, Ruby's story is about standing up for herself and bouncing back resiliently. While the highs and lows in Suri's life keep you invested in his story, the emotional and psychological trauma of Ruby surprisingly leaves you unaffected. Issues like marital rape, abuse are handled mechanically sans sensitivity and the conservativeness in Ruby's backdrop feels as if one is stuck in an age-old television soap.

The father-son track between Wilson and John is rather underdeveloped. Wilson's past interferes with his son's present, but the narrative is too circular and the drama doesn't warrant as much interest as it should. The writers try too hard to connect every incident with the character's past, even when you feel they could've come up with a different, fresh conflict. Unlike the first season, Wilson and Ruby are hopeful about a new chapter in their lives, and Suri needs to pay a huge price for taking fame to his head. 

While you can't undermine the show's intent, the writing and the execution are bland and lack finesse. Even in terms of performances, the actors are bluntly reading out their lines in most scenes and the core emotion in the scene doesn't hit you at all. Dhanya Balakrishna, Priyadarshi and Harshith Reddy are the most impressive of the lot. The show should open many doors for Dhanya to try out more roles with a few shades of grey, which she looks to be very good at. Shashank appears too stone-faced and unmoved by the proceedings. Kalpika Ganesh's expressions don't reflect Ruby's trauma enough. 

The supporting cast is strictly okay. Sunaina and Abhay Bethiganti's presence ensures a very brief comic relief in the show, while Shayaji Shinde, Satya Krishnan, Surya, Pavani Gangireddy don't get to do anything memorable. One wonders why a talent like Tarak Ponnappa was underutilised in such a minor, nearly inconsequential role. The dialogues are too cinematic and metaphorical in critical situations. The background score is just about passable and if there's one thing that stands out in Loser Season 2, it's Naresh Ramadurai's cinematography.

Verdict:

Loser Season 2 is better than the first instalment though the writing and the treatment of the story leave a lot to be desired. Priyadarshi continues his good form while Harshith Reddy and Dhanya Balakrishna sparkle in their meaty roles. The show's setup is engrossing and has the right foundation for a nail-biting drama, except that it doesn't make full use of it.