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Review of Vadhandhi;Despite a few flaws, Vadhandhi:One of the best Tamil web series is without a doubt The Fable of Velonie.
Cast of Vadhandhi: The Fable of VelonieSJ Suryah, Laila, Sanjana, and Vivek Prasanna Vadhandhi were the directors of The Fable of Velonie:Rating for The Fable of Velonie by Andrew Louis Vadhandhi:3.5/5 It is commendable and brave of director Andrew Louis to make Vadhandhi, a slow-burn mystery thriller about the death of an 18-year-old girl named Velonie, in a time when filmmakers are increasingly concerned about the audience's dwindling attention span and the need to make the films tauter and more rapidly progressive.Things begin with a drama about a case of mistaken identity that is quite intriguing.On the outskirts of a Kanyakumari village, in the foothills, a film crew begins setting up for the day.After arriving on the sets, a number of assistant directors commend the art director for creating the realistic dummy of a dead body that is lying on the sets.It turns out to be a real corpse.It is initially identified as the heroine's body, and the news quickly becomes the headline on all websites and channels.The female actor calls the unit and screams that she is still alive, leaving police with a young woman's unidentified body."The Fable of Velonie" thus begins.
Vadhandhi's impressive writing is what sets it apart.In the nascent Tamil web series industry, the script is dense and well-thought-out, which is rare.The expositions are fairly seamless, and each scene takes its time to settle in.Additionally, it expresses the dark side of things with unreserved boldness.For instance, rather than sitting in the front seat, a man jumps into the ambulance after the body has been loaded inside.When he sees this, a police officer is furious and orders him to get down.He declares, "I know what you are up to."He responds chillingly, "I can't do anything, sir."The body is already decayed.Vadhandhi is overflowing with such liars.However, the director's gaze occasionally becomes questionable as he or she tries to show them.
That is the series' primary issue.In contrast to the voyeuristic natures of some of the scenes, the depiction of sexual violence required better shot selection and staging for a series that strives to be progressive.However, ignoring the series' successes and ignoring some of its flaws would be regrettable.Like how, despite taking place in Kanyakumari, the murder is influenced by people and events far removed from the location.The Superintendent of Police is forced to appoint Vivek (SJ Suryah) to take over the case after a magistrate who is about to retire pulls some strings and forces the Madras High Court to begin suo motu proceedings.Going this far to show how the protagonist ends up with the case is clearly a creative choice.However, some of these options don't work, like when a group of IT professionals casually discuss Velonie's case.They are supposed to be people's representatives.It was an unnecessary flaw in an otherwise self-aware series.
The series' other major accomplishment is the depth given to each character.Even Vivek is a complex being—not just Velonie.The strange relationship he develops with the deceased is the series' most fascinating aspect.It's a well-known trope in crime thrillers, but it's never been done so well in Tamil.Despite his wife's confusion, Vivek, a father of one, can't help but fall in love with Velonie.The series effortlessly navigates this uncharted territory.
SJ Suryah, on the other hand, demonstrates with Vadhandhi that he is capable of playing any character without resorting to his signature eccentric body language.It's a real pleasure to watch him play Vivek.He is very real and has a friendly demeanor.Suryah's subtle performance makes a big difference, even in a random scene.One such scene I loved was when he called a suspect in Coimbatore multiple times and casually told his aide, "Coimbatore polam vaa," when the suspect turned off his phone.To be honest, the scene doesn't have much significance, but the actor injects some style and character into it, which makes it memorable.
Vadhandhi clearly draws a lot of its inspiration from western whodunits and crime mysteries with small-town settings (Sinner is a notable example), but it wins by incorporating the foreign genre into the setting.Although there are a lot of missed opportunities, the production and performances are strong enough to overlook them.