# Dhahanam
**Dhahanam** (Telugu: దహనం) is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language crime web series directed by Agasthya Manju, produced by [Ram Gopal Varma](https://www.edgepedia.org/ram-gopal-varma), and streamed on [MX Player](https://www.edgepedia.org/mx-player) from April 14, 2022[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/). Its first season runs seven episodes of roughly 27 minutes each[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam). The story follows a Naxalite (Maoist insurgent fighting landlords and police in rural India) rebel who hunts his father's killers in a lawless part of rural [Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/andhra-pradesh)[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | దహనం (Dhahanam)[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) |
| Format | Telugu-language crime series, 1 season, 7 episodes, about 27 minutes per episode[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) |
| Release | April 14, 2022, free on MX Player; also dubbed in Hindi and Tamil[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12) • [5](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/) |
| Key crew | Directed by Agasthya Manju; produced by Ram Gopal Varma; written by Kalyan Raghav[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12) |
| Principal cast | Abhishek Duhan (Hari), Isha Koppikar (Anjana Sinha), Naina Ganguly (Pavani), Sayaji Shinde (Chenna Reddy), Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat (Narayana Reddy)[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) |
| IMDb rating | 6.5/10 from 60 votes[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/) |
| Availability | Streamed on MX Player from May 2022 until October 2024, after which it was unavailable to stream in India[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The series opens with the assassination of Sri Ramulu, a communist laborer, which causes a stir in his village[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022). His oldest son, Hari, is a Naxalite rebel operating from the forest and waging guerrilla warfare against the landlords; enraged by the news of his father's death, he takes it upon himself to find the person responsible, which sparks a conflict between the village's most powerful goons[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022).
Season 1 develops this revenge hunt. Hari's younger brother Ravi dislikes the violence his brother uses and leaves for [Bangalore](https://www.edgepedia.org/bangalore), while Hari hunts his father's murderers, is chased by the police, and declares war on the landlords Chenna Reddy and Narayana Reddy[6](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam/season-1). A police officer, Anjana Sinha, arrives to investigate Obul Reddy's murder and uncovers a deeper mystery behind the murders in the region, beginning with the killing of Sri Ramulayya[7](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/dhahanam/season/1). The season finale, "Vow", aired on April 14, 2022[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022).
### Cast and characters
Abhishek Duhan plays Hari, the Naxalite son seeking his father's murderer; he described the character as one who not only takes revenge but also aims to support oppressed people who have no one to stand for them[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) • [5](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/). [Isha Koppikar](https://www.edgepedia.org/isha-koppikar) plays Anjana Sinha, a police investigative officer from outside the region through whose eyes the story partly unfolds; Varma called her the most relatable character because she is handled as though she were the audience[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) • [9](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/dhahanam-ram-gopal-varma-opens-up-about-his-first-web-production/31ebb1b9f2211). Naina Ganguly plays Pavani and described the role as her most challenging work to that point[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam) • [5](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/). The cast also includes [Sayaji Shinde](https://www.edgepedia.org/sayaji-shinde) as Chenna Reddy, Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat as Narayana Reddy, Ravi Kale as Suresh, Parvathy Arun as Sunitha, Ashwat Kanth Sharma as Ravi, Kishore Kumar Polimera as Chaman, and Abhilash Chaudhary as Obul Reddy[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam).
## Production
**Varma's first web production.** Dhahanam was Ram Gopal Varma's first production for an OTT platform[8](https://www.vcinema.com/news-article/satya-would-make-for-a-good-web-series). He said he chose to produce rather than direct because region and culture are central to the story, and Agasthya Manju, who had worked with him before and comes from a similar part of the region, was the better choice as director[9](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/dhahanam-ram-gopal-varma-opens-up-about-his-first-web-production/31ebb1b9f2211). Varma described the setting as a rural, nearly inaccessible place that is lawless, an area where even police officers were afraid to intervene despite knowing illegal activities took place there[9](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/dhahanam-ram-gopal-varma-opens-up-about-his-first-web-production/31ebb1b9f2211).
The story is set in an interior part of Andhra Pradesh. Varma said he had been hearing about the violence and lawlessness of that region for about two decades, and that the series is not a true story but is inspired by those accounts[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12) • [10](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/ram-gopal-varma-emotional-investment-is-more-on-ott-23223413). He framed the theme between two contradictory quotations: [Mahatma Gandhi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahatma-gandhi)'s "An eye for an eye will only succeed in making the whole world blind" and the Mahabharata's "Revenge is the purest emotion", calling the show not a story of just revenge but the story of a circle of revenge[5](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/).
**Title and format.** Varma explained that *Dahanam* means burning in Sanskrit, representing the theme of burning with revenge[11](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/2022/Apr/22/ram-gopal-varma-debuts-on-ott-with-dahanam-40415.html). He argued that the long format let him flesh out characters and build emotional investment in a way a feature film cannot, and compared the division of creative labor to the series *Narcos*, which he said had 19 directors while the public knew only its creator, Chris Brancato[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12) • [9](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/dhahanam-ram-gopal-varma-opens-up-about-his-first-web-production/31ebb1b9f2211).
## Reception
On IMDb the series holds a 6.5/10 rating from 60 votes, with 3 user reviews and 1 critic review listed[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/). An OTTplay review rated it 1.5/5, calling it a disappointment and noting that although Koppikar was said to be one of the lead characters, she appears only for a couple of minutes across the seven episodes[12](https://www.ottplay.com/review/dhahanam-review-isha-koppikar-and-abhishek-duhans-revenge-thriller-is-nothing-more-than-a-disappointment/c5b8d6cf27891).
## Availability
The series streamed free on MX Player from its April 14, 2022 release[5](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/). According to [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch), it was last available on MX Player until October 2024 and is currently unavailable to stream in India[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam). Plex lists the show as canceled after one season, while TMDB lists its status as "Returning Series"; only one season of seven episodes has been released[13](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/dhahanam?context.unit=HE) • [4](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022).
## Similar titles
The name Dhahanam is shared by unrelated works, including the 2023 Telugu theatrical film *Dahanam* directed by Adari Murthy Sai and starring Aditya Om, and the 2025 streaming series *Dhanam*[14](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/dahanam-telugu-movie-review.html) • [15](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/dhanam).
## References
1. [Ram Gopal Varma talks about Sushant Singh Rajput's death, says nobody knows the truth | Exclusive, India Today (April 12, 2022)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/ram-gopal-varma-talks-about-sushant-singh-rajput-s-death-says-nobody-knows-the-truth-exclusive-1936484-2022-04-12)
2. [Dhahanam (TV Series 2022– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19336492/)
3. [Dhahanam - watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam)
4. [Dhahanam (TV Series 2022), The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/197468-dhahanam-2022)
5. [MX Player announces the launch Dhahanam from the house of Ramgopal Varma, India Today (indtoday.com), April 5, 2022](https://indtoday.com/mx-player-announces-the-launch-dhahanam-from-the-house-of-ramgopal-varma/)
6. [Dhahanam Season 1, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/dhahanam/season-1)
7. [Where to Watch Dhahanam • Season 1 Online, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/dhahanam/season/1)
8. [Ram Gopal Varma Wants To Bring Back Satya, In A Web Series Format, V Cinema (April 12, 2022)](https://www.vcinema.com/news-article/satya-would-make-for-a-good-web-series)
9. [Dhahanam: Ram Gopal Varma opens up about his first web production, OTTplay (April 17, 2022)](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/dhahanam-ram-gopal-varma-opens-up-about-his-first-web-production/31ebb1b9f2211)
10. [Ram Gopal Varma: Emotional investment is more on OTT, Mid-Day (April 18, 2022)](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/ram-gopal-varma-emotional-investment-is-more-on-ott-23223413)
11. [Ram Gopal Varma debuts on OTT with Dahanam, Indulge Express (April 22, 2022)](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/2022/Apr/22/ram-gopal-varma-debuts-on-ott-with-dahanam-40415.html)
12. [Dhahanam review: Isha Koppikar and Abhishek Duhan's revenge-thriller is nothing more than a disappointment, OTTplay (April 14, 2022)](https://www.ottplay.com/review/dhahanam-review-isha-koppikar-and-abhishek-duhans-revenge-thriller-is-nothing-more-than-a-disappointment/c5b8d6cf27891)
13. [Dhahanam (2022), Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/dhahanam?context.unit=HE)
14. [Dahanam Telugu Movie Review, 123telugu (March 31, 2023)](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/dahanam-telugu-movie-review.html)
15. [Dhanam - watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/dhanam)
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*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 › Telugu serials*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license