Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie Series Review

 Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie Series Review

Amazon Prime Video’s Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie features SJ Suryah, Sanjana, Nasser, and Laila in the titular roles. The 8-episode series directed by Andrew Louis has a musical score by Simon K King and is produced by Pushkar & Gayathri for Wallwatcher films, who earlier produced ‘Suzhal’ for the same OTT platform

The series opens with a film crew spotting the disfigured dead body of a teen girl Velonie (Sanjana). Sub-Inspector Vivek (SJ Suryah) is assigned to investigate the case. As the mystery keeps brewing up, the character of ‘Velonie’ is signified from the different perspectives of SI Vivek, a novelist (Nasser) and a newspaper editor (Hareesh Peraadi).

SJ Suryah is illustrious for coming up with the best performance in any given role. He has to be appreciated for completely refraining from his regular acts, and strictly getting inclined to the vision of director Andrew Louis. Maybe, the fans of SJ Suryah might miss his signature touch, but then, he has showcased his new-fangled acting in this series. Sanjana is the heart and soul of this series. As the story shifts its perspective upon her character from the point of view of cop, novelist, and newspaper editor, we get to see her character transiting through different shades. If not for her spellbinding performance, the complete premise would have been ruined. Nasser takes a cakewalk like a genius. Laila’s innocuous avatar is the major strength of this series. Vivek Prasanna gives a neat spell. Hareesh Peraadi sticks to the core of his character. Smruthi Venkat’s performance is good. Although most of her portions look far away from the story premise, we see her honest acting.

With 8 episodes, the first couple of chapters attempts to settle the audiences with the premise, setting, and conflict. Chapters 3 and 4 might be a little sluggish, but by the end of the fourth episode, we are offered a grip on the proceeding. The remaining four episodes hook us with involvement. If a few moments were avoided, especially the unwanted action sequence, it would have escalated the engrossing factors to a greater level.

Cinematography is the biggest strength of this series. In fact, it remains a character and witness to all the dramatic events. The musical score by Simon K King is appreciable.

Overall, Vadhandhi has interesting and gripping moments, and it does justice to the genre of ‘Murder-Mystery Drama’.

Verdict: Vadhandhi has good writing and genuine execution. With a little bit of tweaking, it would have been more engaging.

Rating: 3.25/5

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