Is Suzhal The Vortex 2 better than Suzhal season 1? Let’s compare Pushkar and Gayatri’s crime drama series and find out

Suzhal The Vortex, created by Pushkar and Gayatri, is now two seasons old. It was one of the first long-format storytelling which made it through the Tamil entertainment space, and found home in Prime Video. The crime drama series stars actors Kathir and Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead roles, with the second season dropping on the streaming platform recently. With many reviews pouring in already, let’s compare which of the seasons had a better storytelling approach.

What is Suzhal 1 and Suzhal 2 all about?

Coming from director duo Pushkar and Gayatri who serve as showrunners for both the seasons, Suzhal The Vortex can be described as a murder mystery drama set against the backdrop of a small village where a large local festival is taking place.

For the uninitiated, Suzhal 1 revolved around Sambaloor village’s Mayanakolai festival. It is just a few days before this, young girl Nila goes missing, with her family searching for her. Aishwarya Rajesh plays her older sister Nandini, while Kathir essayed SI Sakkarai who is probing the case. With a major spoiler ahead, Suzhal 1 ended on a note where we are revealed that Nandini and Nila were abused since childhood by their uncle Guna (Ilango Kumaravel), who is shot dead by Nandini in the climax of Suzhal 1.

Coming to Suzhal 2, Pushkar and Gayatri retain Sakkarai and Nandini, as the story shifts to Kaalipattinam which is gearing up for the Ashtakaali festival. With Nandini in jail for having murdered Guna, Sakkarai is closely working with lawyer Chellappa (Lal) to bring her out, Suzhal 2 begins with Chellappa’s murder at his cottage. With suicide being ruled out, a young girl Muthu (Gouri Kishan) is found hiding in a cupboard with a gun. To make things murkier, after Muthu is taken into custody, seven other girls also confess to killing Chellappa.

Also read: Suzhal The Vortex Season 2 Review: Pushkar and Gayatri’s crime series gripping in parts, but gets caught in whirlpool of middling ideas 

Is Suzhal The Vortex season 2 better than Suzhal 1?

The first season was not only hailed for its production values, but also for keeping the audience guessing who the real killer is. The twists were interesting, and the series felt like a breath of fresh air among the dozens of crime dramas the audience saw.

To begin with, Suzhal 2 comes with a bigger cast and the weight of positive reception that the first season received. Even the template was retained with new characters and storylines introduced, the story took easy choices and settled for convenient writing. The climax ends with the revelation that the eight girls, in fact, did not kill Chellappa, who had been their guardian since they escaped a child trafficking ring. Instead, it was local police officer Moorthy (Saravanan) who aided Sakkarai in the case, who was the real murderer. Moorthy is an accomplice and illegitimate lover of an MLA’s widow who is now in jail and living a life of luxury within four bars. Painted as a woman entrepreneur giving life to many, it was she and Moorthy who are part of a human trafficking ring where young girls are taken after coaxing their parents. This ending feels predictable, for the characterisations never convinced or tricked the audience in a good way.

Also read: Suzhal The Vortex S1 recap: Ahead of second season premiere, here's what happened in Pushkar- Gayatri's series so far

The series also felt the underutilisation of the multi-starrer cast and by bringing in many characters, the essence of Suzhal was lessened. Nevertheless, Suzhal 2 has still got some engaging factors and good performances.

Both seasons of Suzhal are available on Prime Video.