Before 2022’s Suzhal – The Vortex, pundits would have disregarded the belief that a Tamil streaming series could get as much post-release buzz as a mainstream theatrical film. Filmmaker duo Pushkar-Gayatri deserve credit for setting Tamil long-format storytelling in motion on Prime Video, and the streamer’s courage to pump money into original Tamil series like Vadhandhi, The Villageand Inspector Rishiwas evidently propelled by Suzhal’s success. Seamlessly blending folklore, faith and local culture with an ingenious crime investigation narrative, the captivating whodunit was inarguably a breakout in the Tamil market; it was also a show-cause for streaming-hesitant stars (Aishwarya Rajesh wonderfully led the way). Now, three years later, we have a sequel. From afar, it has all the signs of a proper encore; however, with each progressing episode, the sophomore season unfortunately ends up as a mediocre shot at recreating past glory.
Firstly, to their credit, there was promise in the set-up. Through their very introductions, characters, unknown and familiar, make you sit right up. To continue the story from the first season and save time by anchoring the plot around established characters, we begin with Nandhini (Aishwarya), now imprisoned for the crime she committed in the first season. SI Chakravarthy a.k.a Sakkarai (Kathir), under investigation as a part of Nandhini’s case, is helping her from the outside. Chellappa (the ever-impressive Lal), a do-gooder lawyer and a father figure to Sakkarai, has tilted the case in favour of Nandhini and Sakkarai.
A public spat over a contract instantly lets you know who’s in trouble, and tension mounts when Sakkarai finds Chellappa dead in his private cottage. A presumptuous eye would conclude it a suicide. The catch? It’s a locked-room mystery; all doors and windows are shut from within, and the murder weapon is missing. The first episode reveals the suspect as an unidentified woman (Gouri Kishan) found hiding inside a closet in the room with the missing gun. Again, it gets complicated when Sakkarai notices that the closet she was found in was shut from the outside. This sets into motion an eight-episode investigation, thickened with more suspects coming forward with confessions. The motive behind the murder is one thing, but it’s the modus operandi that we can’t wait to uncover.
A still from ‘Suzhal – The Vortex Season 2’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video
The pilot episode, directed by Bramma, superbly sets the tone, reminding one of the storytelling flavour that stood out in the first season. The second episode, directed by Sarjun KM, establishes the many interpersonal dynamics between the primary characters, hinting at the immediate suspects on whom we can cast our doubts. Issues pile up from the third episode onward.
Here’s the biggest drawback — throughout the second season, we are spoon-fed the foundational pillars with which new entries into the franchise are to be built. The series needs to a) tell a small-town investigation story garnished with subversions, b) establish a backdrop of a rooted religious festival, drawing parallels to the tales of the land, and c) introduce a theme that takes a stand against a specific social evil. Had one condensed the first season of Suzhal to its bare bones, it operated largely under these broad boundaries, but the sequel seems force-fit into this framework.
‘Suzhal – The Vortex’ Season 2 (Tamil)
Creators: Pushkar-Gayatri
Director: Bramma, Sarjun KM
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Lal, Kathir, Gouri Kishan
Episodes: 8
Runtime: 40-50 minutes
Storyline: The police of Kaalipattanam are left in jeopardy when eight women from different towns claim responsibility for a high-profile murder
Remember the immersion you felt in the first season whenever the story took you through the crowded streets of Sambaloor? Set in Kaalipattanam, the second season fails to build a suitable atmosphere. Even the coastal setting, which is emphasised throughout, feels generic; had the series found space to capture the mood of living in a close-knit coastal community, it could have become a Broadchurch. The other locations in the series — the police station, the prison, and Chellappa’s house — do not stand out.
The story takes place just when lakhs of pilgrims are set to visit Kaalipattanam, eager to participate in the Ashtakaali festival, in which men and women dress as the many characters in the folklore of the Ashtakaalis. As per the legend, eight Kaalis had to unite and fight to end the reign of a heinous Arakkan. Like the first season, the follow-up attempts to build parallels between the narrative and the local folklore, but it isn’t as seamless. The most memorable scene involving the festival comes towards the end of the second episode, which introduces other suspects in the murder of Chellappa. The scene intercuts with the Ashtakaalis’ parade at the festival; on paper, it sounds compelling, even if a bit heavy-handed. But then you wonder if this could have been placed elsewhere, maybe during a more powerful reveal later.
The larger arc surrounding the murder doesn’t deliver either. Sakkarai and the local inspector, Moorthy (Saravanan, who makes every scene count), find themselves in quite a pickle with the case, having to chase any clues that come their way. But even when they get their share of leads, the investigation is anything but engrossing. The only clever police work we see from Sakkarai is when he learns that the suspects are to be lodged in the prison; he uses his position to get them in the same prison as Nandhini, and she is tasked to dig up information. How she goes about it and how the prison sequences are written, once again, show potential but turn infuriatingly cold.
A still from ‘Suzhal – The Vortex Season 2’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video
You find a bone to pick with how little Nandhini gets to do until the last two episodes. While you expect the writers to dive into the guilt she’s crippling under, she is used as a puppet, offering obvious intel, and later, for a reveal we see coming from miles away. In particular, a two-episode stretch surrounding the murder victim is written for a predictable turn of events.
In the end, almost all of Suzhal Season 2 feels overstretched. When all the pieces of the puzzle come together, the déjà vu is unreal. It’s a downgrade you least expected given how the previous season had an intricately woven screenplay and well-rounded characters. The nuances in the writing, the flair in the dialogue, the palpable atmosphere of a brooding mystery, and the magic potion that makes a good series great seem to be missing this time.
There has always been a black hole at the centre of the southern Indian OTT space — an oblivion impenetrable even after the pandemic-driven OTT boom. Blame it on the hesitancy among filmmakers and producers, the long-format remains nascent in Tamil; it was upon the Suzhals, Vilangus, Ayalis, and Inspector Rishis to pave the way, but the hits have been too few and far between. Without many forerunners, even Pushkar-Gayatri seem adrift this time.
Suzhal – The Vortex Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video
Published – February 28, 2025 12:02 am IST
