‘NET’ movie review: A telling tale of online voyeurism

Director Bhargav Macharla explores the omnipresent threat to privacy through personal stories, laying bare the frustrations in relationships

There is a real and present danger of data leaks and a breach of privacy. At a time when personal information getting leaked on the dark web makes headlines with alarming frequency, director Bhargav Macharla’s dystopian story for the Telugu film NET (streaming on Zee5). eerily, doesn’t feel too far fetched. What if private spaces are being watched 24/7, with the footage beamed to countless voyeuristic subscribers? Bhargav looks at the ramifications of living a hacked life through the lives of two couples — Priya (Avika Gor) and Ranjith (Vishwadev Rachakonda) and Lakshman (Rahul Ramakrishna) and Suchitra (Praneeta Patnaik). Both — one who is are being watched and the one who watches — are doomed. The ones who gain are the middlemen who make a killing with the misuse of technology. The story, though, steers clear of showing or commenting on the middlemen. Avika and Vishwadev start their lives together in a luxurious gated community in Hyderabad; one that strictly keeps away intruders. Ironically, the larger intrusion takes place through numerous tiny cameras fitted in the apartment, relaying happenings in Priya and Ranjith’s lives to subscribers on the dark web. The content is labelled free, silver or gold, depending on which room the footage is from. The couple have their own issues to deal with.