'Dhootha' is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. While the web series has been rated well by most critics, Naga Chaitanya's performance has come in for flak. Most Bollywood critics have found the Akkineni actor's performance inadequate.
"Naga Chaitanya fails to evoke the necessary fear, shock and empathy his character should, especially in key moments of the series, which is disappointing. You get to know Sagar (Chay's character) is rude and ruthless from his dialogues, not his expressions and body language," wrote Rediff in its review. Indian Express felt, "Despite being in the spotlight almost the whole time, Chaitanya falls short of delivering a captivating performance. While he genuinely tries in various moments, none of them particularly stands out and he struggles to convey the myriad of emotions Sagar is experiencing."
Hindustan Times gave a mixed review. The daily opined, "His character is deliciously layered, flawed and borderline unlikable, something he makes the most of. His performance might not always land, but he keeps you invested in most of the episodes that require him to do the heavy-lifting."
