Kuttram Purindhavan The Guilty One series review: An effective Pasupathy holds the fort in this interesting crime drama with icky twist

Kuttram Purindhavan: The Guilty One series plot:

Bhaskaran (Pasupathy), a retiring hospital staff, lives with his wife (Lizzie Antony) and sick grandson who is due to get a critical operation ahead. But when his neighbour Esther’s (Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli) young daughter Mercy goes missing, Bhaskaran is caught in a moral conflict. The one that makes him silently suffer in silence even as he knows a crucial information on Mercy’s disappearance, but cannot reveal it.

Kuttram Purindhavan: The Guilty One series review:

Kuttram Purindhavan: The Guilty One is a typical whodunnit. There is a crime; a heinous one in this case, a criminal on the loose, multiple suspects and reasons aplenty to suspect them, an underdog cop, a man caught by half-truth and guilt for not revealing it, situations that can make anyone look like a criminal, and finally some misleads that take you and the police to different directions. Despite the cliches of a crime thriller, why Kuttram Purindhavan works at its possible best by resting it’s the case in form of string of situations, characterisations, and moreover, a strong Pasupathy fronting this series.

With seven episodes averaging to about 30-40 minutes each, Kuttram Purindhavan takes off from the perspective of Bhaskaran who along with his wife, are the only guardians for their grandson who is in a desperate need for an operation. The elderly couple are banking on Bhaskaran’s retirement money which he is due to receive in some time. That means, there should be absolutely no case of criminal records, eventually giving rise to moral conflict that Bhaskaran faces while wanting to come out honest in Mercy’s case. On the other side is Gowtham (Vidharth), a cop who has been sidelined for an on-duty incident with no fault of his, who takes up probing Mercy’s case as his own. Up until the last few episodes, Kuttram Purindhavan builds the circumstances each of these characters go through. Bhaskaran, who confides only to his wife on what he witnessed, share an excellent chemistry with her. It not only drives the narrative, but also conclude the arc in the final episode, when the wife gives the payoff to the final act after the climax. Lizzie Antony who plays an always-conscious and petrified wife complements Pasupathy who holds the fort together for the family.

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However that being said, the series is not free of flaws. While there have been many stories that deal with child sexual assault, Kuttram Purindhavan takes it up as core issue. So, there is pretty much not new on that front. What it however does is win some brownie points is to just keep it as a core issue rather than milk for its gruesome picturisation. But when the revelation comes up, it gets into not-so-satisfying reasoning. A sudden expose of the killer’s identity, his past, and the reasons he quotes, come across far-stretched and spun in spur-of-the-moment. The twist feels forced; standing out like a sore-thumb, that for all the effective storytelling that Kuttram Purindhavan had until then, is let down by this singular thread that appears to be written in the least effective way. Aside the logic and understanding, the writing in this particular part feels rushed and strange; sometimes not quite suiting the tone the series had until then. But for the honesty that the episodes carry until then, Kuttram Purindhavan comes out as an interesting watch.

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Kuttram Purindhavan: The Guilty One series verdict:

Kuttram Purindhavan is an engaging and interesting crime drama series that takes up a routine plot and attempts at giving a distinctive narration. It almost manages, if not opting for a foreign twist. With a strong Pasupathy at the forefront leading a good cast, refreshing writing, and good execution, Kuttram Purindhavan is worthy of binge-watching. Despite some of its routine choices, the show carries a certain sleekness that is rooted as well.