{ "id": "ep4vbhmyex", "slug": "dayaa", "title": "Dayaa", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia", "label": "South and Southeast Asian serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024", "label": "Premiered 2013 to 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024", "label": "India · 2021 and later: Premiered 2013 to 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021", "label": "India · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024", "label": "Premiered 2013 to 2024", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Dayaa (2023) is a Telugu-language crime thriller web series directed by Pavan Sadineni, a Disney+ Hotstar adaptation of the Bangladeshi show Taqdeer, starring J. D. Chakravarthy as a freezer van driver who finds a journalist's body in his van; 8 episodes, IMDb 6.2.", "snippet": "Dayaa (2023) is a Telugu-language crime thriller web series directed by Pavan Sadineni, a Disney+ Hotstar adaptation of the Bangladeshi show Taqdeer, starring J. D. Chakravarthy as a freezer van driver who finds a journalist's body in his van; 8 episodes, IMDb 6.2.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials.yr-2013-2024", "markdown": "# Dayaa\n\n**Dayaa** is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language crime thriller web series directed by [Pavan Sadineni](https://www.edgepedia.org/pavan-sadineni), starring [J. D. Chakravarthy](https://www.edgepedia.org/j-d-chakravarthy), Remya Nambeesan, Eesha Rebba, and Keshav Deepak. It premiered on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on 4 August 2023 as a Hotstar Specials title and is an adaptation of the Bangladeshi series *Taqdeer* (2020).[1](https://starsunfolded.com/dayaa-cast/) • [2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | 4 August 2023 on Disney+ Hotstar (Hotstar Specials)[1](https://starsunfolded.com/dayaa-cast/) |\n| Format | Season 1 of 8 episodes, each about 27 to 30 minutes; age rating A[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dayaa) |\n| Source material | Adaptation of the Bangladeshi series *Taqdeer* (2020), originally about an ambulance driver; the Telugu version rebuilt the world around a freezer van driver[2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853) |\n| Lead role | J. D. Chakravarthy as Dayaa (Dayakar), a partially deaf freezer van driver in Kakinada, in his OTT debut[4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/telugu/review/2023/Aug/04/dayaa-movie-review-a-flaky-and-unsatisfactory-crime-drama-46281.html) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/dayaa/dayaa-season-1/seasonreview/102337755.cms) |\n| Key crew | Music Shravan Bharadwaj; cinematography Vivek Kalepu; editing Viplav Nyshadam; producers Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni (SVF Entertainment)[6](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/28453/dayaa/) |\n| Reception | IMDb 6.2/10 from 414 votes; Times of India 3.5/5; India Today 3/5[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28314319/ratings/) • [5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/dayaa/dayaa-season-1/seasonreview/102337755.cms) • [8](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/dayaa-review-jd-chekravarthy-is-the-star-of-this-thriller-thats-stretched-in-parts-2416213-2023-08-04) |\n| Streaming (India) | JioHotstar (subscription and free with ads) and VI movies and tv[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dayaa) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nDayaa (J. D. Chakravarthy) is a timid, partially deaf freezer van driver in the port town of Kakinada, ferrying fish across the Godavari coast to support his heavily pregnant wife Alivelu (Eesha Rebba). After accepting an extra consignment for money and out of obligation to his friend Prabha (Josh Ravi), he discovers a dead body with a bullet wound in his van. The body belongs to Kavitha (Remya Nambeesan), a prominent television journalist, and Dayaa and his friends try to dispose of it before learning her identity.[4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/telugu/review/2023/Aug/04/dayaa-movie-review-a-flaky-and-unsatisfactory-crime-drama-46281.html) • [9](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html)\n\nThe series alternates between Dayaa's attempts to escape suspicion and Kavitha's backstory. Her reporting, done with colleague Shabana (Vishnu Priya Bhimeneni), investigates the rape of a nurse and exposes a politician, Pritam ([Babloo Prithiveeraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/babloo-prithiveeraj)), whose mute enforcer Kabir (Nanda Gopal) is sent after her. Kavitha's husband Kaushik (Kamal Kamaraju) searches for her in [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad) without knowing she is dead. How Kavitha was killed is revealed in pieces until the final episode, and the season ends on a cliffhanger that leaves the biggest mystery, tied to Alivelu, for a second season.[8](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/dayaa-review-jd-chekravarthy-is-the-star-of-this-thriller-thats-stretched-in-parts-2416213-2023-08-04) • [9](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html) • [4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/telugu/review/2023/Aug/04/dayaa-movie-review-a-flaky-and-unsatisfactory-crime-drama-46281.html)\n\n### Sequel plans and availability\n\nSadineni said the first season is only a glimpse of how the incident affects Dayaa and Alivelu, that a small portion of season two had already been shot pending confirmation of the first season's reception, and that the second season would have a bigger canvas.[2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853) In India the series streams on JioHotstar, with a subscription or free with ads, and on VI movies and tv; it is also available on Hulu in the United States as *Dayaa (Telugu)*.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dayaa) • [12](https://www.hulu.com/series/dayaa-telugu-ec61cf56-5f75-44c4-8224-d7694e0e9727) It has been dubbed into multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi.[13](https://www.binged.com/streaming-premiere-dates/dayaa-web-series-streaming-online-watch/)\n\n## Production and adaptation\n\nDisney+ Hotstar approached director Pavan Sadineni with *Taqdeer*, a Bangladeshi show whose protagonist is an ambulance driver. Sadineni said he did not relate to that backdrop and recreated the world entirely for the Telugu version, which was later dubbed into Bengali. The shoot was completed in 47 days, with about 50 days spent on sound design.[2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853)\n\nThe series is set in the coastal belt of [Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/andhra-pradesh), with aerial footage of the fishing country captured by Sadineni and cinematographer Vivek Kalepu.[9](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html) Chakravarthy was not Sadineni's first choice; the suggestion came from Hotstar. The actor accepted the role after hearing only a narration of the plot points and went on to give more than 90 media interviews to promote the show.[2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853) The season marks Chakravarthy's OTT debut; reviewers repeatedly compared his character arc, a quiet man possessed by a violent streak, to his role in [Ram Gopal Varma](https://www.edgepedia.org/ram-gopal-varma)'s *Satya* (1998).[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/dayaa/dayaa-season-1/seasonreview/102337755.cms) • [9](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html)\n\nThe eight episodes are titled The Blood Man, The Grave, Middle of Nowhere, Who Are You?, The Twist, The Evidence, The Sorry, and The Saga.[10](https://nettv4u.com/about/telugu/web-series/dayaa)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical response was mixed to positive. The Times of India rated the season 3.5/5, praising Chakravarthy's performance, Shravan Bharadwaj's background score, and the sound design, while noting that the initial episodes suffer from slow pacing and that the twist-filled climax may leave viewers wanting more.[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/dayaa/dayaa-season-1/seasonreview/102337755.cms) India Today gave 3/5, calling it a neatly done thriller stretched in parts, with strong character arcs and a terrifying mute turn by Nandagopal.[8](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/dayaa-review-jd-chekravarthy-is-the-star-of-this-thriller-thats-stretched-in-parts-2416213-2023-08-04) The Week found the characterization excellent and said the show hit the right note with viewers, though acting and dialogues were not its strong points.[9](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html) A negative review in The New Indian Express' Cinema Express called it a flaky, plot-driven crime drama that splinters into four competing stories and defers its biggest mystery to the next season.[4](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/telugu/review/2023/Aug/04/dayaa-movie-review-a-flaky-and-unsatisfactory-crime-drama-46281.html) Scroll.in praised its surprises and sketched characters but found its handling of time and distance implausible and its eight-episode run stretched.[11](https://scroll.in/article/1053710/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta)\n\nOn IMDb the series holds a 6.2/10 rating from 414 votes, with per-episode user ratings ranging from 6.3 to 7.1 across the season.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28314319/ratings/) Sadineni said the response was the best feedback he had received for any project, with many viewers watching on premiere night.[2](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Dayaa (Disney+ Hotstar) Actors, Cast & Crew, StarsUnfolded](https://starsunfolded.com/dayaa-cast/)\n2. [Dayaa creator Pavan Sadineni: JD Chakravarthy is a director's delight, OTTplay interview](https://www.ottplay.com/interview/dayaa-creator-pavan-sadineni-jd-chakravarthy-is-a-directors-delight-exclusive/d08f3d0e10853)\n3. [Dayaa - watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dayaa)\n4. [Dayaa Series Review: A flaky and unsatisfactory crime drama, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/telugu/review/2023/Aug/04/dayaa-movie-review-a-flaky-and-unsatisfactory-crime-drama-46281.html)\n5. [Dayaa Season 1 Review: A riveting Telugu crime drama, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/telugu/dayaa/dayaa-season-1/seasonreview/102337755.cms)\n6. [Dayaa (2023) Telugu Web Series, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/28453/dayaa/)\n7. [Dayaa (TV Series 2023) - Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28314319/ratings/)\n8. [Dayaa Review: JD Chekravarthy is the star of this thriller that's stretched in parts, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/dayaa-review-jd-chekravarthy-is-the-star-of-this-thriller-thats-stretched-in-parts-2416213-2023-08-04)\n9. [Dayaa review: The web series makes a mark with its strong characterisation, The Week](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2023/08/12/telugu-web-series-dayaa-review.html)\n10. [Telugu Web Series Dayaa, Nettv4u](https://nettv4u.com/about/telugu/web-series/dayaa)\n11. ['Dayaa' review: Come on, let's do the twist, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/article/1053710/portraits-of-indias-people-by-a-flemmish-artist-who-lived-on-the-margins-of-18th-century-calcutta)\n12. [Watch Dayaa (Telugu) Streaming Online, Hulu](https://www.hulu.com/series/dayaa-telugu-ec61cf56-5f75-44c4-8224-d7694e0e9727)\n13. [Dayaa streaming online watch, Binged](https://www.binged.com/streaming-premiere-dates/dayaa-web-series-streaming-online-watch/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › South Asian web serials › Premiered 2013 to 2024*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Dayaa\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Dayaa](https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa](https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Dayaa\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dayaa. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Dayaa is a Telugu-language crime thriller web series directed by Pavan Sadineni, a Disney+ Hotstar adaptation of the Bangladeshi show Taqdeer, starring J. D." }