Suzhal - The Vortex, which began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from June 17, is the platform's first long-form scripted original series in Tamil. And in its maiden attempt itself, it is a clear winner for the platform. Suzhal - The Voretx was decidedly the talking point among the chatteratti on social media platforms.
Created by husband and wife duo Pushkar and Gayathri, who made the now famous 2017 Tamil film Vikram Vedha, Suzhal - The Vortex is already anointed as the most engaging series of the year.
Directed by Bramma and Anucharan M, the 8-episode investigative drama stars Aishwarya Rajesh, Radhakrishnan Parthiban, Kathir and Sriya Reddy in pivotal roles.The story revolves around the disappearance of a young girl and factory fire. The first four episodes have been directed by Bramma and the remaining four by Anucharan.
Dark yet bright
The story and its treatment keeps you engaged right through all the episodes. Barring a slight lull during the episode that flashbacks into the romance of two youngsters, the series is taut and never loses its focus or momentum.
While the performance of the main characters have been solid, Kathir and Shriya Reddy as cops were in fact standouts as they bring a rare vulnerability to their characters. It is utterly realistic without being boring or mundane. The entire series has been elevated by some remarkable screen-writing, as there is a believable heft to the methods of the characters on screen. Even the suspense and twists are organic, keeping you guessing till the end. The climax is not forced or rushed --- the Achilles heel in most suspense-filled thrillers.
Pushkar and Gayathri are known to play around with the moral greys of our lives, and here too they make the larger point that nothing is what it seems on the surface. In their Vikram Vedha too they pushed the idea about stand-point being crucial to what are deemed right and wrong.
Aside from all this, the one thing that elevates Suzhal - The Vortex from just being a story well told to a remarkable series is the way it showcases the backdrop. It gets the atmospherics --- menacing yet lively, dark yet bright --- beautifully right.
The mayana kollai festival, which is one of the bewitching cultural and traditional events in Tamil Nadu, comes alive in all its resplendent glory on screen in Suzhal -The Vortex. The camera, lighting and sound, all credited to Rahul Chaudhary, is the backbone of this series.
Another recent Tamil web series, Vilangu on Zee5, also fell back on local festival and temple rituals as a backdrop to its story. And it is no coincidence that both Vilangu and Suzhal - The Vortex are the two best web series ever in Tamil.
It also underscores the point that web series, though meant for smaller screen, can also be visual spectacles. In that sense, the two web series have changed the fundamental grammar of such series.
Suzha l-The Vortex, for the record, premiered in 30+ languages on Amazon Prime Video.
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