‘Rana Naidu’ Season 2 Review: Venkatesh-Rana Daggubati’s Netflix Show Returns in Much-Improved Form and Arjun Rampal’s Show-Stealing Negative Act (LatestLY Exclusive)

Rana Naidu Season 2 Review: When the first season of Rana Naidu premiered on Netflix in 2023, I found this adaptation of Ray Donovan to be too sleazy - more obsessed with shock value than focused on drama. Created by Karan Anshuman, who previously helmed Mirzapur and Inside Edge, Rana Naidu retained some of the loud, boorish energy of those shows. While those managed to get away with it, fans of Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati were left disappointed to see their favourite stars in such a tonally off-putting series. Rana Naidu Review: Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati's Netflix Series Revels in Shock Value and Titillation.

Now, I’m not sure if the makers took that feedback to heart or simply read the room, but they’ve clearly listened to the criticisms. Season 2, written by Karmanya Ahuja, Ananya Mody, Ryan Soares, Vaibhav Vishal and Karan Gour, feels like a more sanitised, streamlined version of the show - and surprisingly, that actually works in its favour. Yes, Rana Naidu is still violent. Yes, the hero’s estranged father is still crass. And yes, there are sex scenes and swearing. But the second season, with episodes directed by Suparn S Varma and Abhay Chopra, dials down the verbal and visual titillation, which allows us to better connect with the characters and the drama - even if things get a bit too filmy by the end.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review - The Plot

This time, Rana Naidu (Rana Daggubati) wants to be more of a family man, having severed ties with politician OB Mahajan (Rajesh Jais). But he needs one last job to secure his family’s financial future. That job involves working for business magnate Viraj Oberoi (Rajat Kapoor), whose daughter Alia has plans to buy a Premier League team. It seems like the perfect opportunity—until, of course, it all gets much messier than expected.

Watch the Trailer of 'Rana Naidu' Season 2:

Messier still for Rana is the return of Rana’s old enemy, Rauf (Arjun Rampal), a Koliwada crimelord who strongarms him into taking down OB as an election rival. Then there’s Rana’s father Naga (Venkatesh), whose brief reconciliation with Rana at the end of last season clearly didn’t fix everything. Naga’s return to Mumbai comes with his own baggage, which—naturally—ends up overlapping with Rana’s problems. Meanwhile, Rana’s wife Naina (Surveen Chawla), fed up with his constant risk-taking and past affairs, starts growing closer to her yoga buddy Naveen (Dino Morea), unaware that he’s an undercover cop using her to get to Rana.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review- The Main Characters

Whether Rana manages to “fix” everything or ends up drowning in it all is what the rest of the season explores. With so many personal stakes involved, his arc this time is more compelling, and the tension runs higher. Rana is still no saint—he’s violent, opportunistic, and will throw almost anyone under the bus if needed for the sake of his loved ones.

But he remains a compelling anti-hero in a world where there are far worse monsters, and Rana Daggubati continues to feel a good piece of casting for the role, both in terms of bringing a dominating presence and in his performance. That said, some of Rana's fixes feel more muscle than mind, like using a ball thrower to force a football team’s captain to sign an unfavourable contract. And there are times when he actually gets sloppy in cleaning certain messes, which is quite uncharacteristic of his reputation.

His feud with Rauf energises the season. It’s a smart move to more focus on one major antagonist, and Rauf is a genuinely formidable presence. Arjun Rampal clearly enjoys playing the part, giving a performance that oozes menace and showmanship. Rauf sees himself as a saviour of his people - never mind the exploitation behind that scarred smirk. He avoids swearing in front of his niece but doesn’t flinch at beating someone bloody in her presence. These contradictions make him an interesting villain until he goes all out evil in the climax. There are several arresting scenes between Rauf, Rana, and even Naga - particularly a tense midnight ambush sequence where he captures Rana.

If you’re here for entertainment, Naga’s your guy. Easily the show’s best character, his constant flip-flopping between selfishness and reluctant fatherly concern gives the series its best black comedy and emotional beats. Venkatesh is absolutely entertaining in that role, and perhaps I have gotten used to it by now. His crass language (albeit more subdued this time) doesn't feel odd coming from his mouth.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review - Subplots That Don't Feel Out of Place

There are several other subplots, mostly centred around Rana’s family. His elder brother Teja reconnects with his old flame Anna (Ishitta Arun) while recovering in hospital. Younger brother Jaffa (Abhishek Banerjee) finally conquers his fear of intimacy thanks to the confident and feisty Tasneem (Aditi Shetty) - though the transition from sexual powerplay to committed romantic relationship happens a bit too abruptly. ‘Rana Naidu’ Season 2: Rana Daggubati Speaks About Traumatic Past of His Titular Character in New Season.

Rana’s daughter Nitya (Afrah Sayed) is still going strong with her boyfriend Rehan (Bodhisattva Sharma), now a rising rapper. Their track ends up tying into the Rana–Rauf conflict. These subplots don’t distract from the main story and culminate in emotionally charged ways. Even better, these side characters now feel more connected and likeable.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review - The Final Couple of Episodes Laden With Potboiler Stuff

Still, there’s no escaping the fact that the final two episodes go overboard with the masala. Whether it's because the show stars two big Telugu names or not, Rana Naidu suddenly turns into a full-on potboiler. A wedding turns tragic, a major shootout erupts in a slum arena (complete with a character wielding a M134 minigun), and the final showdown between Rana and Rauf plays like your typical hero-vs-villain climax - with a massy callback twist that nods to a famous Indian cricketer. If you are going that route, why not have some better choreographed action scenes then?

The Dino Morea subplot, unfortunately, fizzles out. Naveen’s attempt to frame Rana for a murder involves some Sherlock-style deduction, which is fine, but it’s baffling that Rana - supposedly a brilliant fixer- makes such rookie mistakes for him to catch upto. He leaves blood on a sword and doesn’t bother disposing of it properly, making it laughably easy for Naveen to find. It feels like the writers were rushing to tie up loose ends so that they could dispose of a track for a convenient happy ending.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review - The Performances

As for the cast, Rana Daggubati, Venkatesh, and Arjun Rampal are all in strong form. Surveen Chawla is solid as the conflicted spouse. Sushant Singh earns your sympathy as the perpetually unlucky older brother, while Abhishek Banerjee brings a goofier charm to Jaffa and even sells the character's past tragedy in an emotional scene. Rajat Kapoor is convincing as a slimy businessman. The supporting cast - Afrah Sayed, Rajesh Jais, Dino Morea, Bodhisattva Sharma, Lauren Robinson and Aditi Shetty - pull their weight.

The only weak link for me was Kriti Kharbanda. Her ever-smiling expression didn’t sell the opportunistic and manipulative edge needed for Alia. Her brother, played by Tanuj Virwani, vanishes midway, conveniently missing from the later family drama.

'Rana Naidu' Season 2 Review - Final Thoughts

Rana Naidu Season 2 is a noticeable step-up from its debut outing, even if not all 'fixes' are clever or clean. The season benefits from the addition of Arjun Rampal, who is too good as the antagonist, while Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati continue to impress. The show’s flair for gritty drama, surprise twists, and morally grey characters remains intact - only now, it feels more deliberate than desperate. If you're in for some pulpy, masala entertainment with a touch of emotional heft, this season does deliver enough of that without going too crassy. Rana Naidu is streaming on Netflix.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 13, 2025 12:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).