Suzhal- The Vortex Review: Pushkar Gayatri's web series is a riveting tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat

3.5/5

Story: A cement factory catches fire and a teenager goes missing on the same day in the fictional town of Sambaloor. Both the incidents happen when the small town is all set to usher in the 8-day festival of Mayana Kollai, the raid of the graveyard. During the investigation, the police learn that a similar incident had happened in 1990, when the factory was inaugurated.

Review: The town of Sambaloor is all set to usher in the annual Mayana Kollai (raid of the graveyard) festival. As the festivities reach a feverish peak, Nila, a teenager mysteriously goes missing from her home and a cement factory where most of the residents of the town are employed, catches fire.

Shanmugam (Parthiban), the Workers Union Leader, becomes the prime suspect in the factory fire incident and is brought to the police station for questioning after a complaint raised by the company's managing director Trilok Vadde (Harish Uthaman). But, as the police team comprising Inspector Regina Thomas (Sriya Reddy) and Sub Inspector Chakravarthy (Kathir) begin the investigation into the two incidents, it soon turns into a rigmarole of events where one secret after another begins to tumble out of every corner of the town, leaving everyone in a state of shock. And when the cops learn that a similar incident of a teenager abduction had happened in 1990, when the factory was inaugurated, things just go haywire. Are the three incidents connected? Or is there more than what meets the eye?

Sambaloor is so small a town that everyone knows each other. But, deep within, a number of secrets lay buried. It becomes so suffocating at one point of time that Nandhini (Aishwarya Rajesh), who is part of dysfunctional family, and has frequent anxiety attacks while living in the town, has to head to Coimbatore for better career prospects and most importantly, for mental peace. But when she is forced to return to her home town after an untoward incident in the family, she realises that things have exacerbated.

Pushkar and Gayatri have come up with a gripping, haunting tale that keeps you on the edge of the seat throughout the 8-episodes. Every episode ends with a cliffhanger and as the title suggests, the viewers get pulled into a vortex, where many ugly truths get unravelled. There are so many twists and turns in the plot, that every assumption you come up with of who could be the perpetrator of the crime, is proven wrong. The premise of the Mayana Kollai is an icing on the cake and the makers provide a glimpse of the 8-day long festivities as well.

What's interesting about the characters is that they are all shown as flawed individuals. There are a couple of scenes that point out the same. For instance, the scene where Regina says that everyone lives with a certain guilt and that marks their experience in life. There is another scene where a transgender person lambasts Sakkarai and people like him who tend to see everyone through a certain lens, especially the marginalised communities and tend to put them in a box.

The characters battle a maelstrom of emotions - anger, betrayal, grief, shock, fear, hate, love, romance. And there's a battle of ideologies as well- political and professional. The star cast has nailed the characters and have come up with some stellar performances. Even the supporting cast strikes a chord with the viewers, and you either root for them or disfavour them. 

The only drawback is the duration of the show, which turns out to be a long-drawn affair. And as the series inches towards the later episodes, the crux of the plot (the nature of the crime) turns out to be foreseeable. But these are just minor glitches as directors Bramma and Anucharan have spun an interesting web of revelations that keep you hooked. Sam CS's background score, too, aptly complements the tone of the show. An impressive digital debut from the makers and star cast!

 Verdict: An nail-biting, gripping drama packed with suspense, drama and action