Ekam (transl. One) is a 2024 Indian Kannada-language anthology television series directed by Sumanth Bhat, Swaroop Elamon, Sanal Aman, Sankar Gangadharan, and Vivek Vinod. It was produced by Journeyman Films and presented by Paramvah Studios.[2] It has an ensemble cast including Prakash Raj, Raj B. Shetty, Shine Shetty, Pallavi Kodagu, Basuma Kodagu, Arunima Minj, Babu Annur, and Ujwal U V.
Ekam | |
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![]() Official poster | |
Genre | Drama Anthology |
Created by |
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Written by |
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Screenplay by |
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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Country of origin | India |
Original language | Kannada |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 7 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Aaron Mac Ajith |
Cinematography | G S Bhaskar ISC Udit Khurana Ankur C U Ashwin |
Editor | Bhuvanesh Manivannan |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | www |
Release | 13 July 2024 |
Cast
editHaaraata | Shoonya |
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Dombaraata | Bhranti |
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Swattu | Poorvachara |
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Asmite | |
Episodes
editThe first season of the series has seven episodes. The first season of this series is titled Karavali after the coastal areas of Karnataka.[3]
Series | Episodes | Originally released | ||
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1 | 7 | 13 July 2024 |
Season 1 (2024)
editNo. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
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1 | "Haaraata (transl. Flight)" | Sankar Gangadharan, and Vivek Vinod | Satheesan Puthumana | 13 July 2024 |
2 | "Shoonya (transl. Void)" | Sumanth Bhat | Sumanth Bhat & Shashikanth Shetty | 13 July 2024 |
3 | "Dombaraata (transl. Masquerad)" | Sumanth Bhat | Sumanth Bhat | 13 July 2024 |
4 | "Bhranti (transl. Delusion)" | Sumanth Bhat | Sumanth Bhat | 13 July 2024 |
5 | "Swattu (transl. Legacy)" | Sumanth Bhat | Sumanth Bhat & Satyajit Rout | 13 July 2024 |
6 | "Poorvachara (transl. Tradition)" | Sanal Aman and Swaroop Elamon | Satheesan Puthumana | 13 July 2024 |
7 | "Asmite (transl. Identity)" | Swaroop Elamon and Sanal Aman | Satheesan Puthumana | 13 July 2024 |
Production
editThe project began around January 2020.[4] The series was shot in the coastal area of Udupi. The final cut of the series was completed in October 2021.[5] The makers approached major streaming platforms to release the series, but they rejected the series.[6] Later, the production companies decided to release the series on their own website.[7]
Release
editThe series was completed in 2021 but didn't get a chance to be released through major streaming platforms, so the production company Journeyman Films, along with Rakshith Shetty's Paramvah Studios, announced that they will release the series on its own exclusive website called www.ekamtheseries.com. The series premiered on 13 July 2024, on the website.[8][9]
Reception
editSwaroop Kodur of The News Minute gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Ekam is unhurried — each of the seven stories takes us to a very specific time and place in Udupi, with not more than a character or two in focus."[10] A Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express gave it three out of five stars and wrote, "Its leisurely pacing, with 25-minute-long episodes, mirrors the slowness of coastal life and yet it still offers in-depth storytelling."[11]
Pranati A S of Deccan Herald gave it three out of five stars and wrote, "The series features distinct flavours of Dakshina Kannada — bhootaradhane, fishmongers shouting bangude, bhootai, meen curry, the dialect and the landscapes."[12] Sridevi S of The Times of India gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "A bouquet of unrelated stories also offers the audience a chance to skip, swap the episodes depending on their preferences. Some hits and some misses, but definitely unmissable, Ekam, meaning One, is a breath of fresh air in the webseries market."[13]
Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times gave the series a positive review and wrote, "The seven episodes cover all genres from drama to comic satire, but Ekam definitely needed more diversity in terms of its directors and writers."[14] Nalme Nachiyar of The Hindu wrote that "Ekam attempts to bring seven disjointed stories to life by experimenting with genre and language."[15]
References
edit- ^ "Rakshit Shetty's maiden web series 'Ekam' gets a premiere date". The Hindu. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Features, C. E. (6 June 2024). "Paramvah Studios to announce release date of web series Ekam on June 17". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Ekam: A Triumph Of Short Literature On Film". www.ottplay.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Rakshit Shetty's Ekam finds no takers on OTT, furious Kannada filmmakers call underrepresentation 'heartbreaking'". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Ekam OTT release date: When and where to watch Rakshit Shetty's Kannada web series". www.ottplay.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Ekam Kannada web series: Showrunner Sandeep PS says most OTT platforms rejected the show without watching it - 'That was completely...'". www.ottplay.com. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Kannada Web Series Ekam To Release On Its Own Platform On July 13!". Times Now. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Sharadhaa, A. (19 June 2024). "Rakshit Shetty backed web series Ekam to stream on an exclusive platform". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Kannada shows unwanted on OTT? 'Ekam' producers to come up with own platform after series fails to find distributor". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 28 June 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Kodur, Swaroop (13 July 2024). "Ekam web series review: A layered and deeply immersive journey through Karavali". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Sharadhaa, A. (15 July 2024). "'Ekam' S1 review: A serene anthology paints vivid emotions, unveils the unique charm of Karavali". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ S, Pranati A. "'Ekam' web-series review: Diverse stories from the Karavali region". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Ekam Season 1 Review : A bouquet of colourful stories from Coastal belt". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Ekam review: Rakshit Shetty, Prakash Raj's rooted Kannada anthology series is a mixed bag". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Nachiyar, Nalme (13 July 2024). "'Ekam' web series review: Prakash Raj, Raj Shetty's anthology is a languid, lilting tribute to the idyllic Karavali region". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.