Vaanil Thedinen review: This quick episode romantic drama series is quicker to fade and leaves no mark

Vaanil Thedinen plot

In Vaanil Thedinen, Felina (Pooja Soundar) and Adam (Madhan Kumar) are in a relationship that seems to be hitting rock bottom, thanks to the latter’s raging alcoholism. Meanwhile, Thara (Haripriya) and Eniyan (Shivam) meet at a party and instantly click as they begin to explore a possibility between them.

Vaanil Thedinen review

When Thara meets Eniyan at a party, the young woman looks visibly disturbed and aloof, probably because of her past trauma, refusing to leave her. We expect that this past of hers will unfold eventually, only so that Thara gets to be more familiar with the audience. But alas, very much like the short duration of each episode (under 20 minutes), the character, too, is quick to exit our minds. And this does not limit only to Thara, but the rest of the characters as well, who seem to come with their own share of past and problems that don’t get unpacked to earn our empathy.

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Nonetheless, the short duration of each episode is indeed captivating and can quickly make one sit and watch four episodes at one go. Vaanil Thedinen makes sure each of its four episodes is perfect to watch something over a lunch break or tea time. But the short duration also proves to be a bane, given the series clearly lacks in forming a well-rounded narrative. 

Out of nowhere, we are introduced to the four main characters, whose stories are eventually separated into two arcs and what stands between the couples. But what turns out as a result are dual love stories that seem to lack a clear vision, making these individuals almost as far off characters that the audience does not really want to care about, needless to say, not bothered to root for their togetherness. The acting too, in certain instances, seems forced and artificial, which doesn’t help either. We are never shown what had bothered Thara and how Eniyan’s background might be the one that healed her, or how Adam got his habit and why Felina fell for such a person. It feels that Vaanil Thedinen had more work to do on the paper before it went on floors, and that feels like a major blunder that one cannot give a free pass.

In certain spaces, especially at the beginning and end of each episode, indulgent portions that are spruced with poetry, also don’t add up much. Instead, had the writing been more concentrated on developing the characters, probably Vaanil Thedinen wouldn’t have stayed as distanced as it turned out to be.

Vaanil Thedinen verdict

Vaanil Thedinen seem to lack a motive for its creation. Is it to communicate that love can come and go at unexpected times? Or is love a bottle of luck that is blessed only for a few? Or does one have to go through pain before attaining the fruits of it? The series, or rather the shorts, makes it hard to empathise with the characters, and as a result, Vaanil Thedinen becomes a half-baked project that never understands its intention and audience.