Arabia Kadali Series Review: An earnest, engaging survival drama

Created by Krish Jagarlamudi, Arabia Kadali largely revolves around the trials and tribulations of a couple of fishermen, who have been going on joint fishing hunts for years now, far away from their homeland, and riddled with debt. For these men, however, it’s a situation of compromised coexistence — they come from two rival villages that have had a history of conflict for centuries. As this element is introduced early on in the series, you wonder whether the makers have taken too huge a liberty to dramatise this story based on real-life events. However, there is a brilliant payoff to this setup later on, when a larger point about prejudices and bigotry is made, where the fishermen’s personal experiences come into play and pave the way for an epiphany as they gradually become united in their struggle for justice. 

Cast: Satyadev, Anandhi, Harsh Roshan, Nasser, Kota Jayaram

Created by: Krish Jagarlamudi

Director: VV Surya Kumar

Streaming on: Prime Video

Arabia Kadali is a kind of show where the narrative breathes, where the story, with its vast canvas and wide array of characters, is allowed to stretch its legs and explore its many themes to their optimum potential. The writers take their time in establishing the universe and interpersonal dynamics before the central conflict kicks in. The plight of the fishermen from the two rival villages is palpable, be it their financial struggles, their helplessness as they are compelled to stay away from their families, or their dealings with the business sharks in Gujarat who do not care about the fishermen’s well-being. Arabia Kadali doesn’t set out to make a larger-than-life hero out of Badiri (Satyadev) either — his kindness stands out only because of the collective apathy at hand, for how the principal characters suffer at the hands of a systematic injustice that trickles down from Delhi ministry down to their local municipal board.

Badiri and his partners may have had a tragic fate, but they are not the only Indians to be confined in an alien landscape. Pratap Singh (Ajit Shidhaye), while confined in a Pakistani prison for years, remains optimistic about going back to his home and making arrangements for his daughter’s wedding. It’s how matter-of-factly he mentions his prison time that makes the melancholy hit stronger, because of how accustomed everyone has become to their lives as wronged prisoners. There is a fine balance throughout, of the writers playing on an emotional note as well as capturing the socio-political aspects, where the apathy of the larger system at hand hits hard. 

It’s the consistent use of Badiri’s voiceover that, although slightly overused, provides the show its emotional core, keeping us tethered to his inner life as well as giving us an overview of the play out. For instance, when Chenchaiah, after missing briefly, returns to the prison, should his friends be happy about the reunion or sad that he was caught again? It’s always a bit of both, and these voiceovers help Arabia Kadali retain that sense of bittersweet melancholy throughout.

What’s more admirable is how Arabia Kadali refuses to make caricaturish villains out of the ‘antagonist’ Pakistani officials. It shocks you when you see the judge defend the Indian fishermen in front of Pakistani cops. The only bona fide evil figure, Warder Saleem, is given a credible redemption arc. Even when the series introduces a new villain figure towards the end, he talks about the wounds of Kargil that have possibly festered within, making him a cruel bigot. In fact, the show avoids stereotypes at multiple junctures, while also deploying familiar tropes and conventions. When Badiri and his friends are arrested, there is a very clinical, almost anti-climactic treatment of their arrest procedure. Back in their village, Sekhar (Vamsi Krishna), who is established as a creepy suitor for Durga (Anandhi), gradually comes around as he realises that he shouldn’t meddle between two lovers. Almost everybody in this universe, barring the greedy fishing merchants in Gujarat, who can’t think beyond their targets, is humane and equally vulnerable to the power of kindness.

The series rests on the shoulders of Satyadev, who brings a great tenderness to Badiri while also ably capturing his inner resilience. Anandhi delivers a commendable performance as Ganga, a steely woman whose cynicism hasn’t made her weary or any less perseverant in her lonely battles against the system. The rest of the cast too — Nasser, Kota Jayaram, and Chintakindi Srinivas Rao (also the story writer), among others — deliver the goods. The series is also largely aided by its cinematography (Sameer Reddy), which captures its many landscapes with an impressive blend of realism and style, and dialogue-writing that carries a lot of flavour, providing a distinct tone to each character.

Arabia Kadali is not without its share of flaws, though. The ordeal of many months passing, as these fishermen remain imprisoned without any progress in their road to justice, isn’t captured with great effect. In another half-baked subplot, the arc penned for Ganga’s brother Chinna (Harsh Roshan), a young boy spoilt by easy money who comes around to learn of his responsibilities, doesn’t tie in neatly with the rest of the narrative. The reasons why Badiri hasn’t penned a single letter to Ganga don’t come off convincingly either.

And despite its handful of missteps, Arabia Kadali finds a way to keep the sailing smooth and forward-moving through its 8-episode run, finding newer dimensions to explore in each episode.