- Date of Release: 28 February 2025
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Language: Tamil
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Suzhal The Vortex (Season 2)
Introduction
If you were to ask any fans of the Tamil show Suzhal The Vortex, on what made the first season special, then their response would be the marriage of culture and the supernatural embedded in a gripping murder mystery. In the first season, the culture wasn’t merely a tool for adding gimmicky richness to the drama – instead, it seamlessly injected into the veins of the thriller thereby literally drawing a parallel with shades of mythology. In fact at a point in the first season of Suzhal, the dilemma was real on whether the chain of murders were actually linked to a serial killer on the loose, or whether it was inflicted by the supernatural, something that formed the fabric of the story then. And unfortunately come the second season, this definitely core remains misplaced or compromised in a murder mystery that is flawed with its storytelling. But there is a rider to this theory too – on most occasions, this would spell doom for most writers and makers. But when you have the writer duo of Pushkar-Gayathri at the forefront, what you still get is a gripping thriller that works wonderfully well with its filmmaking that papers over the cracks, or more specifically the shortcomings from the first season.
Story & Screenplay
The second season of Suzhal The Vortex kicks off from the same point as the first season had ended. As a result, you are witness to the trial of Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) who remains guilt-driven after murdering her uncle who had assaulted her and her sister (in the first season). To fight her case, you have Advocate Chellappa (Lal), supposedly a noble soul who argues about the law and justice with respect to Nandini’s case. Chellappa remains a man of morals often shown to be opting for the ‘right’ path, even in frivolous community arguments that are staged against the backdrop of an Ashtakali festival in Kalipattinam, a town known to worship Goddess Kali. The aspect though where the drama deviates from its very core lies in its murder – in a scene, you see Chellalla shot in his temple at his house, a definite man-made death (either suicide or murder) that doesn’t allow the dilemma of the supernatural to ever creep in. Make no mistake, the central incident remains an interesting premise even while looking at it from the gaze of a simple murder mystery – just the cultural or mythological elements that once were key contributors of season 1 during the ‘murders’ (or atleast the illusion that was created), was missing.
The steady cultural themes are laced around the characters and the investigation that transpires. In a scene, you see a character talking about talking a holy dip as a measure to wash away sins associated with anger, guilt, lies and any sort of negativity. Interestingly, the same character also doubles up as a suspect at one point, after seen to be taking a holy dip after removing his amulet. Likewise, a startling revelation ensues during a crucial juncture of the investigation – as many as seven characters, along with the one who was initially arrested, come to the fore to confess about the crime with identical statements and accounts of the events that ‘may’ have transpired. This, while an interjecting parallel shots include the portions of the Ashtakali festival (which is a festival to celebrate 8 Goddesses). Interestingly, all of these 8 characters are named after these 8 Goddesses, while playing out a parallel of a demon being overpowered by these Goddesses. These parallels definitely contributed to the cultural fabric of storytelling. That aside, some of the subplots remain half-baked – an entire commentary on the LGBTQIA community (I fully support the sentiments) didn’t really have a payoff. It was mentioned, ticked from the checklist and later forgotten without really delving into its deep emotional core.
The proceedings are intriguing even while navigating through the persona of multiple characters who remain potential suspects in the investigation. The dilemma here is more on the lines of the skewed personality of Chellappa as told through the lens of a couple of characters. Is he really the saint that he is perceived to be? Or is there another angle to it? These are the questions that lace the narrative. However, the one flaw that I did foresee in the writing was with its exposition that wasn’t exactly unraveled by Sakkarai (Kathir), the character leading the investigation. In fact, it was almost spoon-feeding of sorts even as the viewers are transported to an extended flashback that pieces together the parts of the puzzle. I would also like to add that while the social issue addressed is relevant here, it also did tend towards being generic, particularly because there wasn’t an accompanied angle of the supernatural or a cultural impact on the case itself like the first season (the cultural depiction was restricted to the characters only).
That said, the grand reveal is an interesting one that actually papers on a few of the cracks that were visible in portions leading up to the final act. Here, the final act was a difficult proposition to pull off, with a parallel being drawn with respect to the chaos being drawn at a prison, and the final death dance being displayed on the last day of the Ashtakali festival. Yet, these interjected sequences did make for an impact at the end while also flipping the narrative at the end with respect to the morality of the drama. Here, the morality was more in line with the character of Nandini who did find herself in prison after her acts from the last season. The prison here was symbolic of the entrapment of guilt, sorrow and anger that is often associated with most folks. And so, the final holy dip was tied up to washing out all of these sins, and starting afresh, a sequence that was directly linked to the fate of Nandini at the end. The screenplay is definitely gripping here although not as iconic and deeply engrained as the first season in terms of the cultural nuances.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
To be fair, the dialogues are laced with some interesting cultural references that contribute well to the fabric of storytelling, even as the lines remain conversational while maintaining the intensity of the drama. Likewise for the music and BGM that comprise of earthy notes that allow the drama to remain grounded in reality and deeply rooted in culture (although the writing doesn’t extend this cultural aspect in the core investigation, or alternately, not as efficiently as the first season). The cinematography captures some stunning frames that depict the cultural hold in the drama. Frames involving the sea-shore is symbolic of the water washing away the sins. Also, the parallels drawn at the end with frames depicting the cultural references in the finale act of ‘tandav’, did account for a good watch. The editing remains crisp and sharp with some wonderful interjecting shots during key moments in the drama that draw inspiration from the cultural undertones of the Ashtakali festival. Directors Sarjun KM and Bramma G manage to impress with their filmmaking techniques that papered over the cracks in the writing. This is particularly true for its final act that was a difficult proposition on paper, but the transitions remained smooth even while maintaining a firm grip on the narrative, largely speaking. The few blips were in the exposition and a tedious flashback sequence but overall the direction still remains noteworthy and worth applauding.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the cast. Raksha Cherin as Yakshi, Chandini Tamilarasan as Prayamvatha, Anjaly Ameer as Vanaja have their moments to shine, particularly the latter who does make you empathize with her character. Arshya Lakshman as Saroja is first rate with a screen presence that commands your attention. Kalaivani Bhaskar as Ulagu, Srisha as Veera and Rini as Gaandhari are excellent performers and they use their body language to represent the simmering angst in their characters. Samyuktha Viswanathan as Naachi, Abhirami Bose as Senbagam and Nikhila Shankar as Sandhanam are exceptional while using their expressions of pain and anger to perfection. Monisha Blessy as Muppi has a solid screen presence and uses a range of emotions to convey her angst and vulnerabilities of her character. Gouri Kishan as Muthu is subtly impactful while representing her vulnerabilities and she uses her silence to convey a lot of emotions along the way. Manjima Mohan as Nagamma is assertive and delivers a heartfelt performance while showcasing her moral dilemma really well.
Amit Bhargav as Sundar and Attul manage to impress with their respective characters. Ashwini Nambiar as Malathy has a strong emotional core with respect to her character wherein she conveys the underlying emotions really well. Lal as Advocate Chellappa is sincere and earnest with his act, moderately flirting with shades of grey but eventually making for a solid act. Saravanan as Inspector Moorthy is good and he acts as an important foil for Sakkarai in the investigation. Aishwarya Rajesh as Nandini is wonderfully understated with her performance, being susceptible to guilt that essentially defines her character here. There is purpose in her silence, a resilience in her eyes and a sense of burden with her body language that she wonderfully taps into, through her wonderful performance. Kathir as Sakkarai remains dependable here with his immaculate performance. Although his character remains slightly one-dimensional, his strong performance is enough to look beyond it wherein he showcases a good range as an actor. I honestly would love to see him more often in future projects that would continue to tap into his range as a prolific performer.
Conclusion
The second season of Suzhal: The Vortex is a gripping murder mystery with a misplaced core, but backed by strong performances that makes for a pretty solid watch. This, although the second season remains notches below the iconic first season in terms of the cultural references and impact. Available on Amazon Prime.
