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Why 'Mayasabha' Marked Deva Katta’s Triumphant Return & Became The Talk Of Telugu OTT

Since its release on August 7, Mayasabha has racked up close to 100 million streaming minutes, a staggering figure for a Telugu political drama.

Mayasabha
Why 'Mayasabha' Marked Deva Katta’s Triumphant Return & Became The Talk Of Telugu OTT

Why Mayasabha Marked Deva Katta’s Triumphant Return & Became The Talk Of Telugu OTT

When a filmmaker with a cult hit like Prasthanam to his credit takes a long pause from the limelight, expectations are bound to be high for his comeback.

And for Deva Katta, Telugu film industry’s one-time “next big thing,” the political drama Mayasabha, now available on Sony LIV via OTTplay Premium, has become that much-awaited moment of redemption.

Based on the towering political figures of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu and Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the nine-episode series is not just another political potboiler.

It is a slow-burn, layered retelling of Andhra’s turbulent political arena between the 1970s and mid-1990s, fictionalised yet claims rooted in history. Aadhi Pinisetty steps into the shoes of Naidu (as Kakarla Krishnama Naidu) with an understated intensity, while Chaitanya Rao Madadi portrays YSR (as M. S. Rami Reddy) with a raw, earthy charisma.

After Prasthanam, Deva katta’s career trajectory dipped with a string of underperforming films. Instead of rushing into another project, he quietly worked on a politically charged story, first envisioned as a film trilogy, later reshaped into a web series as streaming platforms exploded in India during the pandemic era.

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The result is Mayasabha, a drama that isn’t afraid to confront uncomfortable truths about caste politics, personal betrayals, and media influence.

Sai Kumar’s portrayal of Rayapati Chakradhar Rao (based on N. T. Rama Rao) adds an authoritative gravitas, while Nassar’s turn as Shivaji Rao (a nod to media baron Ramoji Rao) grounds the series in the socio-political realities of the time. The casting, critics agree, is one of the show’s strongest assets.

Why It’s Making Waves on OTT?

Since its release on August 7, Mayasabha has racked up close to 100 million streaming minutes, a staggering figure for a Telugu political drama. The series has drawn attention not only for its high production values but also for its refusal to take sides. Viewers and critics alike have noted its balanced, almost journalistic approach, a rarity in politically themed Indian storytelling.

Its episode titles, from The Story of India Is the Story of Caste to Surviving the Tsunami, offer a glimpse into its thematic ambition. The writing by Deva Katta and Kiran Jay Kumar blends fact and fiction, ensuring that even those unfamiliar with Andhra politics can follow the arc while those in the know will appreciate the nuanced allegories.

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With critical praise pouring in on X nd from The Hindu, calling it “a compelling fictional take on real political history”, to India Today lauding it as “gutsy”, Deva Katta now stands at a crossroads that’s far more promising than the one he faced a decade ago. The second season, slated for 2026, already has a built-in audience waiting to see where this political chess game heads next.

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deva katta Mayasabha Mayasabha director Mayasabha plot Mayasabha streaming OTTplay Premium Mayasabha Telugu history series

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