Suzhal - The Vortex - Tension-filled, Momentous

'Suzhal - The Vortex' is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In this section, we are going to review the web series.

Story:

The story is set in a small town near the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. The Mayana Kollai festival is a motif and a theme that the series explores in each of the eight episodes.

A major fire breaks out at a cement factory in the town. Shanmugham (Parthiban) becomes the prime suspect. In a shocking co-incidence, his teen daughter Nila goes missing the same night.

Regina Thomas (Sriya Reddy), who is a cop, is perplexed after it is found out that her son too has gone missing. Together with her subordinate Chakri (Kathir), she sets out to find the truth. Nila's elder sister Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) has her own unknown secret to share as the series progresses.

The crux of the story is about what happened to Nila, who is behind some mysterious happenings in the town, and more.

Analysis:

For the unversed, the first four episodes of the series have been directed by Bramma and the second set by Anucharan M. The staging of the edgy story is phenomenal, especially with the performances being measured throughout. Sriya Reddy gets to emote a range of emotions, given that her characterization is compelling. Kathir gets to play a very important role, and he shoulders whole stretches with his talent. Aishwarya Rajesh is good, while Gopika Ramesh (as Nila) is apt. Santhana Bharathi and Indumathy Manikandan get to display their talent as much as Kumaravel and Latha Rao. Harish Uthaman gets to essay an unpredictable character.

The drama keeps us guessing by introducing the cultural features of the town in no small measure. The setting is purposive. It is impressive that the writers don't fall back on the social characteristics of the setting for the sake of it. There is no attempt to pander to any segment.

In a highly unpredictable turn of events, three unlikely characters reveal how layered they are. The female cop's character is engaging and since it is written in a well-rounded fashion, her tryst with a self-centered industrialist and a grey union leader clicks even better.

The love track between Nila and her classmate has been written without cliches. Nila's whimsicality and dare-devilry make for an engrossing watch. Intrigue is built around the character Trilok. Usually, sexual harassers are shown feeling up their victims in a closed chamber or something. In 'Suzhal', Trilok gets creepy in open spaces, which is how a lot of harassment takes place in real life.  

Mukeswaran's cinematography has the authenticity of the terrific visuals of Prime's previous hits like 'The Family Man 2'. Sam CS' background score comes to the fore in key moments.

The festival scenes should have been more concise. The editing department should have avoided the pitfalls of over-indulgence of allegory. It would have been great had the finale been as satisfying as the rest of the series. 'Vortex' has been used in the title for a reason, but the reason is not as compact as you would think it is.

'Suzhal' is a reminder that the OTT game is being upped in languages like Tamil. Sooner than later, Telugu, too, will benefit from this trend.

Verdict:

'Suzhal' makes for a gripping, compelling watch. Enjoy the suspense-filled narration, the edgy story-telling, and the awesome performances.