Vadhandhi follows the story of a murder investigation taking place lead by a cop who will go to any extent in cracking the case. The story has all the tropes of a gripping whodunnit. The screenplay standing at 8 episodes of roughly 50 odd minutes each did seem slightly long, although it makes for a captivating watch.

The drama opens with an absolute bang, slowly setting the tone of the drama with a voiceover and wasting no time in getting to the point straight up. So within the first 10 minutes, the police retrieve a body of an unidentified girl that sets off a string of assumptions on who the girl is. The drama is a slow burner and takes its time to unfold. If you are expecting a Suzhal type “thrilling” drama, then this isn’t the one for you. The leisurely paced screenplay does play on the mystery element well but not on the thrill element. The investigation that is carried out is quite interesting and engrossing.

The proceedings are cerebral and extremely convoluted. There is something happening onscreen at any given moment of time with the attention given to the detailing. Having said that, you need to be extremely focused as not only do you stand a chance of missing out on a few details but also because the narrative style is non-linear, almost focusing on a few events as a foreshadow with a jumbling timeline. It is so convoluted that this will feel like a giant jigsaw puzzle filled with multiple twists and turns. In between, there is also an angle of social commentary that the series has to offer in terms of toxic parenting or respecting women in general.

There are so many subplots within subplots here that at times it does become slightly difficult to focus. But that is not the problem. The problem is that a few subplots were just not needed and it doesn’t exactly tie up to the main plot or at the end. The politics of the area and the role of the media are the slight weaklings of the screenplay that did create a bit of a lag in an otherwise cerebral drama. But thankfully, the writers feed you with a twist every now and then that becomes virtually impossible to play the guessing game. With each turn you are invested, leading up to a spectacular final act that had me off guard. The reason was a string of twists and turns at the end that did make my jaw drop. The message at the end is also a good one. So overall, the screenplay is really well written and something that you will enjoy if slow burns are your poison!