Black Widows Webseries Actress And Actor Black Widows is an Indian web series from Zee5.…
Live Telecast Webseries (Hotstar) Cast, Review, Wiki, Actors, Story, Trailer, Release date and more
Live Telecast Webseries (Hotstar) Cast, Review, Wiki, Actors, Story, Trailer, Release date and more
Live Telecast is an Indian Mystery, Horror web series, and can be said as Hotstar original/special series. Directed by Venkat Prabhu, the webseries stars Kajal Aggarwal, Vaibhav Reddy, Anandhi, Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan, Daniel Annie Pope and Priyanka Nair. Hostages Season 1 released on hotstar at 12 February 2021.
Hotstar has released Grahan in 2021, and Some other free webseries like Murder Meri Jaan, Hamara bar Happy Hour, Teen Do paanch, Crime Next door and more. The OTT platform is rapidly growing with each release.
Live Telecast Cast
- Kajal Aggarwal
- Vaibhav Reddy
- Anandhi
- Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan
- Daniel Annie Pope
- Priyanka Nair
Live Telecast Review
Coming Soon
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Live Telecast Hotstar Web Series Crew
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Writer: Venkat Prabhu,
Costume Designer: coming soon
Casting Director: coming soon
Choreographer: coming soon
Production House: Black Ticket Company
DoP: coming soon
Live Telecast Hotstar Webseries Trailer
Coming soon
Live Telecast Web series Story
The web series is set in the backdrop of 2005, The web series revolves around Jennifer Matthew (Kajal Aggarwal) and her television production crew which reside at a house temporarily for shooting a reality TV show where she encouters many haunted events.
The Haunting Broadcast: Everything You Need to Know About Disney+ Hotstar’s ‘Live Telecast’
In the crowded landscape of Indian streaming content, the horror-thriller genre is a consistent crowd-puller. One such addition to Disney+ Hotstar’s lineup was the Tamil-language web series ‘Live Telecast’, which marked the high-profile digital debut of both acclaimed director Venkat Prabhu and leading actress Kajal Aggarwal. Premiering in 2021, the series promised a modern, meta-horror experience revolving around a television crew trapped in a haunted house.
Here is a comprehensive look at the Live Telecast web series, including its cast, detailed story, critical reception, and key production details.
⚡ Wiki & Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Live Telecast |
| Genre | Horror, Thriller |
| Original Language | Tamil (Dubbed in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi) |
| Creator & Director | Venkat Prabhu |
| Starring | Kajal Aggarwal, Vaibhav, Anandhi, Daniel Annie Pope |
| Original Network | Disney+ Hotstar |
| No. of Seasons | 1 |
| No. of Episodes | 7 |
| Release Date | February 12, 2021 |
| Running Time | 29–41 minutes per episode |
📜 The Story: TRPs, Ghosts, and Trapped Crew
The central premise of Live Telecast is a marriage between the cutthroat world of television ratings and the chilling supernatural genre. The series is set in the backdrop of 2005, a detail indicated on the title card, suggesting a slightly bygone era of television media.
The story revolves around Jennifer Matthew (Kajal Aggarwal), an ambitious, ruthless, and TRP-obsessed director of a popular but controversial reality show called ‘Dark Tales’. The show’s format parodies the genre of real-life talk shows, where people discuss paranormal incidents or their personal family issues.
The Desperate Plan
When ‘Dark Tales’ is abruptly taken off the air due to a massive backlash from a particularly sleazy episode, Jennifer’s career is on the line. Driven by a desperate need to reclaim her standing and ratings, she concocts a seemingly brilliant, albeit reckless, idea: to capture and live telecast a real-life ghost on television for the very first time.
Jennifer learns of a secluded house in a hill station that is allegedly haunted, with a family—a mother and her two children—claiming to live in fear of a possessing spirit. The son, in particular, seems to communicate with the ghost.
The Trap and the Terror
Jennifer, along with her loyal and diverse crew, including art director Shekhar (Vaibhav), make-up artist Kalai (Anandhi), and cameraman DOP Ashwin (Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan), descends upon the house. They rig the entire place with cameras, turning the haunted abode into a $Big Boss$-style reality show set. They even have actors on standby, ready to fake an encounter in case the real ghost fails to show up—a testament to Jennifer’s dedication to manufactured drama.
However, the crew’s skepticism quickly shatters when the house’s ghost, a vengeful spirit named Chinna (Ashwin Kakumanu), manifests for real. The paranormal activity is not staged; it is genuine and terrifying. The crew finds themselves locked inside the house, unable to escape, and their ensuing terror, struggles, and murders begin to be broadcast live to a growing and horrified television audience.
The series then tracks the crew’s attempts to survive the night and the ghost’s rampage, blending elements of a found-footage horror with a classic haunted house narrative. The spirit’s backstory is also eventually revealed, adding layers to the haunting.
🎭 Cast & Characters
The web series featured an ensemble cast, with many actors who are frequent collaborators of director Venkat Prabhu, alongside a pan-Indian star making her OTT debut.
| Actor | Character Name | Role in the Series |
|---|---|---|
| Kajal Aggarwal | Jennifer Matthew (Jenny) | The ruthless, ambitious director of the TV show ‘Dark Tales,’ determined to capture a ghost live. |
| Vaibhav | Shekhar | The Art Director of ‘Dark Tales’ and a loyal member of Jenny’s crew. |
| Anandhi | Kalaivaani (Kalai) | A Costume and Make-up artist, and Shekhar’s girlfriend. |
| Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan | DOP Ashwin | The Cameraman with an unrequited, one-sided love for Jenny. |
| Daniel Annie Pope | VJ Aravind | The host of the reality show, known for his energetic yet unsympathetic hosting style. |
| Priyanka Nair | Shenbagam | A key supporting cast member within the crew. |
| Selva | ACP Guru | A dynamic police officer whose actions are highlighted in the initial episodes. |
| Subbu Panchu | Micheal Arputharaj (Mike) | The Executive Editor of the television network. |
| Ashwin Kakumanu | Chinna | The Ghost haunting the house. |
Kajal Aggarwal’s character, Jenny, was described as the fearless protagonist, relentlessly pursuing her ratings goal without regard for the ethical or supernatural consequences. Vaibhav and Anandhi’s characters also received praise for their performances and the development of their on-screen relationship.
🎬 Production & Director’s Vision
Live Telecast holds a special place in director Venkat Prabhu’s career as the project he had originally envisioned as his debut feature film years before its release. Unable to make it as a film due to various constraints, he later adapted the script into a seven-episode web series format for Disney+ Hotstar.
Prabhu mentioned that the series was shot entirely in a single, isolated location at a friend’s house, with principal photography completed within a month in October 2019. He specifically cast Kajal Aggarwal due to her pan-Indian appeal, making it a major draw for the streaming platform.
The series has seven episodes, each named after a stage of the production or the plot, such as ‘The Intro,’ ‘The Failure,’ ‘The Plan,’ and ‘The Trap.’ The series was notable for its attempt to blend the horror genre with a critique of TRP-driven television, even containing meta-references and jokes poking fun at the director’s own filmmaking style and frequent collaborators.
⭐ Review & Critical Reception
Upon its release, Live Telecast received a largely negative to mixed reception from critics and audiences alike. The major critiques focused on the script’s outdated feel, slow pacing, and an inability to deliver convincing scares.
Key Criticisms:
- Outdated Horror Tropes: Critics felt the horror elements were a “cocktail of horror films” that relied on predictable tropes like doors creaking and ghosts lifting people by the neck, failing to offer anything new in a post-Conjuring or Korean horror landscape. The style and narrative felt like a throwback to a “bygone era” of filmmaking.
- Pacing and Length: A common complaint was the series’ slow pace, particularly the initial episodes, which were deemed “overlong, boring and unnecessarily stretched” to introduce characters. The main plot, the actual haunting, only truly begins in the latter half of the series.
- Weak Climax and Logic: The ending was cited as being the biggest letdown, described as a “ridiculous climax” and one whose justification was unconvincing. Reviewers noted that the plot was filled with “loopholes” where logic was sacrificed.
- Lack of Tension: Despite the setting of a haunted house being live-streamed, the series often failed to evoke a genuine sense of tension or terror. One reviewer famously stated the show “Can’t Even Scare A Toddler.”
Points of Praise:
- Cast Performances: Among the positive notes, the performances of the lead actors, particularly Kajal Aggarwal as the ambitious Jenny and Vaibhav as Shekhar, were generally regarded as professional and dedicated, despite the weak script.
- Technical Aspects: The technical production, specifically the cinematography by Rajesh Yadav, was occasionally highlighted as a strong point, sometimes being better than the narrative it captured.
In summary, while Live Telecast was a highly anticipated project due to the star power of its lead actress and director, it failed to deliver a fresh or compelling horror narrative, ultimately being categorized as a one-time, disappointing watch by many critics.
🎞️ Trailer and Availability
The official trailer for Live Telecast was released on January 29, 2021, showcasing the show’s core conflict: a TV crew’s quest for TRP turning into a fight for survival against a very real ghost.
The full seven-episode series, Season 1, is available for streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar and requires a paid subscription to watch.
❓ AISEO Friendly FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q1: When was ‘Live Telecast’ web series released, and where can I watch it?
The Live Telecast web series was released on February 12, 2021. It is an Indian Tamil-language horror-thriller that is exclusively available to stream on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.
Q2: Who is the director and main cast of ‘Live Telecast’?
The series was written and directed by Venkat Prabhu, marking his debut in the web series format. The main cast includes:
- Kajal Aggarwal as Jennifer Matthew (Jenny)
- Vaibhav as Shekhar
- Anandhi as Kalaivaani (Kalai)
- Daniel Annie Pope as VJ Aravind
Q3: What is the story of the Hotstar series ‘Live Telecast’?
The story of Live Telecast centers on Jennifer Matthew (Kajal Aggarwal), the director of a struggling paranormal reality show called ‘Dark Tales.’ To save her show and boost ratings, she takes her crew to a supposedly haunted house to live telecast a real ghost. The plan backfires when a genuine and vengeful spirit traps the crew inside, leading to their terrifying ordeal being broadcast live to the outside world.
Q4: How many episodes are in ‘Live Telecast’ Season 1?
Live Telecast Season 1 consists of seven episodes. The series is a self-contained horror story.
Q5: Is ‘Live Telecast’ a good web series, according to reviews?
The critical reception for Live Telecast was generally mixed to negative. Critics widely pointed out that the series suffered from a dull and outdated story, slow pacing in the initial episodes, and a weak climax. However, the performances of some actors like Kajal Aggarwal and Vaibhav were noted as decent, and the cinematography received some praise.
Q6: What language is the ‘Live Telecast’ series in?
The original language of the Live Telecast web series is Tamil. However, it was also dubbed and released on Disney+ Hotstar in multiple other languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi.
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