Home Town Review: A Feel-Good Journey That’s Sweet but Shallow.Moviesgod

1. A Promising Setup That Never Fully Blooms

At first glance, Home Town feels like a feel-good show that will tug at your heartstrings. It introduces itself as a small-town, slice-of-life story centered around the emotional tug-of-war between a father and his son. The father, played by Rajeev Kanakala, is a man who has spent his life working hard and saving up, dreaming of sending his son Srikanth (Prajwal Yadma) to the U.S. for higher studies. The son, on the other hand, is more interested in spending time with his two goofy friends, hanging around cyber cafes, and chasing dreams he hasn’t fully figured out yet.

On paper, this setup could have led to a touching coming-of-age journey. But what we get instead is a scattered, sometimes amusing but mostly shallow show that doesn’t commit enough to its emotional core.

2. Episodic Format Hurts Emotional Flow

One of the biggest missteps in Home Town is its choice to go with a loosely connected episodic format. Each episode tries to explore a separate theme or issue, but there’s no real emotional build-up from one episode to the next. As a result, any moment of depth or growth is quickly undone in the very next episode.

Take Episode 2, for example. It ends on a touching note with Srikanth realising the extent of his father’s sacrifices. But the very next episode opens with him complaining about his dad’s old scooter again, like nothing happened. There’s no real consequence to anything, and characters don’t evolve in meaningful ways. This back-and-forth tone makes it hard for the audience to stay emotionally connected to the story.

3. Missed Potential in Character Arcs

The show introduces a lot of interesting threads that are never fully explored. Srikanth’s father is set up as a man with a strong sense of duty, but we never really get to know him beyond his dream of sending his son abroad. Is he blind to his son’s antics, or just overly hopeful? We’re never told. His mother (Jhansi) and sister (Annie) are mostly in the background, especially Annie, who is shown to have her own quiet dreams but never gets a proper spotlight.

Srikanth himself is a frustrating character. We’re supposed to root for him as a lovable troublemaker, but for most of the show, he comes off as selfish and careless. His obsession with Chiranjeevi is fun at first but overstays its welcome. When the series suddenly decides to reveal that he has filmmaking ambitions, it feels like a last-minute twist rather than something that was built up.

Prajwal Yadma gives a sincere performance, but the writing doesn’t support him. On the other hand, Sai Ram as Jaggu brings natural comic timing and a real charm to the screen. He steals scenes effortlessly, often doing more with a look or expression than the main plot does with entire monologues.

4. Comedy That Hits and Misses

To be fair, there are moments when Home Town genuinely clicks — and those moments are usually funny. One standout stretch involves a cyber café and a hilariously naive belief that Srikanth is chatting with a movie star on “Pacebook.” It’s a wonderfully absurd sequence that captures the innocence of small-town teenagers and their big dreams. More of this kind of humour would have helped the show stand out.

However, these bursts of fun are rare. The comedy often feels outdated, relying on long-winded gags or slapstick routines that don’t land. Even talented comedians like Vennela Kishore and Getup Srinu aren’t given strong material to work with. The jokes feel like they belong to a different era, and the show doesn’t quite know if it wants to be a comedy, a family drama, or a romance.

Speaking of romance, Srikanth’s love story with Sameera, a confident and smart Muslim girl, starts off with promise. Sameera has dreams of her own, and her presence brings some freshness. But like many things in Home Town, her character and story arc are never fully developed. Just when you start to get invested, the show moves on to something else.

5. Final Thoughts: Heart Is There, But Depth Is Missing

Home Town has its heart in the right place. It wants to be a show about family, ambition, teenage confusion, and small-town charm. But it’s held back by inconsistent writing, shallow character development, and a refusal to dig deeper into its themes. The story often skims the surface when it should be diving in.

By the time we get to the finale, there’s an attempt to bring things full circle with a heart-to-heart between Srikanth and his father. But the moment feels rushed and unearned. There’s no real emotional payoff, no catharsis. Just like the rest of the show, the ending feels like it’s checking off a box rather than reaching a natural conclusion.

Ultimately, Home Town is not a bad show — it’s just a forgettable one. It has sweet moments, some decent laughs, and flashes of potential. But it never finds its rhythm or emotional weight. With better writing and stronger character arcs, this could’ve been a deeply relatable series about growing up and learning to understand your parents. Instead, it’s a light watch that you’ll likely forget soon after finishing.