# Harikatha (TV series)
**Harikatha** (హరికథ), also known by the tagline *Harikatha: Sambhavami Yuge Yuge*, is a Telugu-language mythological crime thriller web series directed by Maggi and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the People Media Factory banner. It premiered on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on December 13, 2024, with six episodes of roughly 33 minutes each, and stars [Rajendra Prasad](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajendra-prasad) as the Harikatha artiste Rangachari and Sriram as the police officer Virat.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/81628/harikatha)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original release | December 13, 2024, on Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar)[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/harikatha) |
| Format | One season, 6 episodes, average runtime about 32–33 minutes[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/81628/harikatha) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/harikatha) |
| Lead cast | Rajendra Prasad (Rangachari), Sriram (Virat), Divi Vadthya (Chamanthi), Pujitha Ponnada (Lisa), Arjun Ambati (Bharath), Suman (Hari)[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Xr3T3iL7c) |
| Crew | Music Suresh Bobbili; cinematography Vijay Ulaganath; editing Junaid Siddique[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) |
| Languages | Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi[5](https://www.ap7am.com/mr/687/harikatha-web-series-review) |
| Audience score | 7.2/10 on IMDb from 545 votes[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34733919/ratings/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and plot
The story unfolds in a tribal village near Araku between the 1980s and 1990s. A boy named Hari (Suman) from a lower caste goes to jail in a murder case, and a Harikatha artiste named Rangachari (Rajendra Prasad) narrates the avatars of Lord Vishnu through his Rangachari Nataka Mandali, a theatrical troupe.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) Whenever Rangachari performs a particular Vishnu avatar, a brutal murder takes place in the village in the manner of that avatar, and the villagers come to believe that God, in his multiple avatars, is behind the killings.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html)
The police officer Virat (Sriram), grieving the loss of his wife and carrying a head injury that leaves him abnormally sensitive to loud noise, arrives in the valley with his daughter and begins investigating after his friend, the local sub-inspector Bharath (Arjun Ambati), is murdered.[7](https://teluguvibe.com/harikatha-review-a-predictable-thriller-with-no-impact/) • [8](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269) All clues lead to the drama company headed by Rangachari, and the series turns on whether Virat uncovers the real culprit.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269) The title refers to the South Indian devotional storytelling tradition of harikatha, in which a performer narrates stories of God through song and discourse, and the screenplay connects the murders to the troupe's Dashavatar performances.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html)
## Production and release
The series was produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under People Media Factory, with Suresh Bobbili composing the music, Vijay Ulaganath handling cinematography, and Junaid Siddique editing.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) A release trailer published by JioHotstar Telugu on December 8, 2024 drew about 650,000 views and announced the December 13 premiere.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Xr3T3iL7c) The show was released in six languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi.[5](https://www.ap7am.com/mr/687/harikatha-web-series-review) It streams on JioHotstar and VI movies and tv, or free with ads on JioHotstar.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/harikatha)
## Reception
Audience response on IMDb was favorable at 7.2/10 from 545 votes, with the first episode rated 8.8 by episode raters.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34733919/ratings/) [Professional](https://www.edgepedia.org/professional) reviews were more reserved. 123telugu rated it 2.5/5, calling it a routine and average revenge drama whose core theme of God being linked to the killings is interesting but whose revenge plot feels mundane.[1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) OTTplay gave 2/5, describing a predictable, half-baked thriller in which only Rajendra Prasad's performance stands out.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269) TeluguVibe rated it 2/5, praising the concept and performances while faulting a predictable plot set in 1990s [Araku Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/araku-valley).[7](https://teluguvibe.com/harikatha-review-a-predictable-thriller-with-no-impact/) Filmy Focus went lower at 1.5/5, criticizing the stretched narration across six episodes, while [The Pioneer](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-pioneer) gave 3/5 and called the series a blend of mythological touch and revenge drama.[9](https://telugu.filmyfocus.com/harikatha-web-series-review-and-rating-in-telugu) • [10](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2024/epaper/december/hyderabad-english-edition-2024-12-16.pdf)
Reviewers commonly singled out Rajendra Prasad's portrayal of Rangachari as the strongest element, noting the depth given to his character and the troupe's reenactments of Vishnu's avatars.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269) • [1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) Recurring criticisms included weak characterization of the leads, excessive violence and gore, shabby visual effects, and a rushed ending.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269) • [5](https://www.ap7am.com/mr/687/harikatha-web-series-review) • [1](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html) In Ormax Media's tally of most-liked Telugu streaming originals of 2024, *Harikatha: Sambhavami Yuge Yuge* scored 63, placing it alongside series such as *[Brinda](https://www.edgepedia.org/brinda-tv-series)* and *[Bench Life](https://www.edgepedia.org/bench-life)*.[11](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/StreamingOriginals-The2024Story-OrmaxMedia.pdf)
## References
1. [OTT Review: Harikatha – Telugu Series on Disney+ Hotstar, 123telugu](https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/harikatha-telugu-web-series-review.html)
2. [Harikatha, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/81628/harikatha)
3. [Harikatha – watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/harikatha)
4. [Harikatha Release Trailer, JioHotstar Telugu, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Xr3T3iL7c)
5. [Harikatha Web Series Review, ap7am](https://www.ap7am.com/mr/687/harikatha-web-series-review)
6. [Harikatha (TV Series 2024– ) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34733919/ratings/)
7. [Harikatha Review: A Predictable Thriller with No Impact, TeluguVibe](https://teluguvibe.com/harikatha-review-a-predictable-thriller-with-no-impact/)
8. [Harikatha Web Series Review: A routine, predictable and half-baked thriller, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/review/harikatha-web-series-review-a-routine-predictable-and-half-baked-thriller/b3f8c9fd23269)
9. [Harikatha Review in Telugu, Filmy Focus](https://telugu.filmyfocus.com/harikatha-web-series-review-and-rating-in-telugu)
10. [The Pioneer, Hyderabad English edition, December 16, 2024](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2024/epaper/december/hyderabad-english-edition-2024-12-16.pdf)
11. [Streaming Originals: The 2024 Story, Ormax Media](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/StreamingOriginals-The2024Story-OrmaxMedia.pdf)
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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 Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; 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