You have seen JioHotstar being cheap, but have you ever seen their ultra-cheap side? If not, they have done it with Varam.
Yes, folks—there’s a new Telugu show called Varam, and JioHotstar has pulled an ultra-cheap move with it.
Don’t quite get it? Stick around—all will be revealed.
Varam Review: A Copy-Paste Version of Taaza Khabar
Varam tells the story of a guy who works in a public toilet and dreams of becoming a big shot—he wants to earn a lot of money. One day, he meets a woman who grants him a boon, and his life changes completely.
Does this sound familiar? You might be thinking of Bhuvan Bam’s show, Taaza Khabar, which also aired on JioHotstar. As it turns out, Varam is a remake of that very show.
Varam vs Taaza Khabar: What’s the Difference?
The moment I saw the trailer, I realised it was the same story as Taaza Khabar. But once I actually watched the show, I discovered that it was:
frame-by-frame,
scene-by-scene,
dialogue-by-dialogue—
the same.
In other words, they didn’t change a single thing; they just copied and pasted the whole thing.
The first scene features a flashback—it’s a dream sequence involving Vasya. That’s exactly what we see here, too.
Vasya works as a manager at a mutri (public urinal/restroom facility), and in this version, Raju also manages one.
In the original, Vasya’s mother steals ₹2,000 for him; here, too, the amount stolen is exactly ₹2,000. They haven’t altered the figures or changed any details—everything remains the same.
And, to top it all off, the makers have presented this not as a standard web series, but as a “web serial.”
Only two episodes have been released so far, with the rest to follow on a weekly basis. They’ve taken the content from the first and second seasons of Taaza Khabar, blended them together, and repackaged them into a single “web serial.”
The story will continue, but for now, the first and second seasons have been merged—and everything is identical. They haven’t changed a single thing; they’ve simply served us the same content all over again.
So, it’s safe to say that Varam is essentially a republished version of Taaza Khabar. There’s no doubt about that.
Why Did JioHotstar Need Another Version of Taaza Khabar?
I honestly don’t get it—Taaza Khabar was already released in seven languages! Beyond Hindi, it was available in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
So, what was the need for a remake? Especially when it’s coming from the very same platform that hosted the original—what was the point, bro?
I was left scratching my head, wondering: what are you trying to pull here? You’re charging OTT subscription fees, yet you’re just recycling the same content twice!
Literally audience ka “C” kat rahe ho! Literally, I felt like this.
I mean, what’s the point of a JioHotstar subscription? You even have to pay extra just to remove the ads! Honestly, Netflix’s basic plan is a better deal. The only reason I even have a JioHotstar subscription is for Bigg Boss; otherwise, I’d definitely prefer Netflix.
Before I sign off, here’s a piece of advice: watch Taaza Khabar instead of this Telugu remake.
JioHotstar—seriously, either make the OTT service free or stop with these cheap, stingy tactics. Pick one! We aren’t going to pay money just to be subjected to such cheap behaviour. Sorry, boss.
Is Varam Worth Watching? Final Verdict
If you still want to enjoy it in Telugu with a Telugu cast, go ahead—but this show definitely wasn’t for me.
Regarding parental guidance: there’s some profanity, but other than that, there’s no nudity or anything of that sort.
So, friends, that’s my review of the Telugu series Varam. I hope you found it useful! If you have any thoughts, the comments section is open 24/7—feel free to share!