Check the four best web series in Tamil, Telugu and English languages that dealt with sensitive and social issues.
Year-end Roundup: Best web series of 2022. (Twitter)
Here are the four best web series from three different languages (Tamil, Telugu and English) that made a mark with their content on sensitive, social issues.
Anantham and Suzhal: The Vortex in Tamil and 9 Hours created by acclaimed director Krish Jagarlamudi in Telugu won the hearts of viewers.
As We See It, an English comedy-drama that follows the journey of three roommates with autism spectrum, caught the attention of the audience.
Anantham, directed by V Priya, is the story of a house narrated by a house.
The plot spans different decades and each episode comes with its genre. There is romance, comedy, tragedy and horror among others.
The best thing about the web series is the way Priya integrates these genres. As viewers, we go through various emotions with each segment.
A poster of ‘Anantham’ web series. (Twitter)
For example, there is a segment called “Parvathy” that talks about a child abuse survivor who ends up meeting her abuser. Through this segment, an important topic was discussed.
The director throws light on the family ecosystem that made the child a victim and the passive aggression that silenced her.
Another interesting segment is “Lalitha”. She is a murderer chased by her past demons. However, to the son, she remains the noblest soul on earth. The jump scares are done well and on more than one occasion the audiences feel scary.
Anantham also makes a plea for accepting homosexuality. Ananth (Sampath Raj) is a famous homosexual writer. He was thrown out of the house at a young age by his father Venkatesan (Prakash Raj) upon discovering his sexual tendencies.
Ananth returns to his family home after a long time when the father is unwell.
Venkatesan is someone who oscillates from being a progressive dad to a man with homophobia but he eventually comes to love his son. All this was brought out wonderfully by both the director and the actors.
Suzhal: The Vortex is much more than just an investigative thriller. The series is written by the acclaimed director duo Puskhar-Gayatri and directed by Bramma and Anucharan.
Suzhal means environment. It has many layers and character arcs. Viewers are kept guessing till the end and the finale is gut-wrenching, to say the least.
A poster of ‘Suzhal: The Vortex’ Tamil web series. (Twitter)
The series starts in a small town Sambaloor which is preparing to celebrate “Mayana Kollai” (looting of the graveyard). It is a ritual that is closely associated with the Goddess Angalamman.
The devotees of Angalamman narrate the life of the Goddess in the form of songs.
While this is happening on one side, on the other side, a huge cement factory in the same town gets destroyed in a fire. Its union leader is Shanmugham (Parthiban) whose 15-year-old daughter Nila also goes missing the same day.
The task of solving both these mysteries is entrusted to Sakkarai (Kathir), a sub-inspector.
Regina (Shreya Reddy) is also a police officer. Regina’s son Adhisayam is a suspect in Nila missing case, which creates unrest between the families.
Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) is Nila’s sister. She returns home after a lay-off in her company. She decides to help Sakkarai in his investigation. As the story goes along some deeply buried secrets start tumbling out.
The first two episodes give the feeling that it is an investigative thriller but it soon ventures into a rather unexpected zone.
The screenplay is very deft and each character is compelling to watch, irrespective of his or her screen time.
Some of the issues addressed are superstition, police brutality, child sexual abuse, human sacrifice and mental health. All these are smartly integrated and at no point that the audiences feel a sense of being burdened with several things.
One of the most touching parts of Suzhal is concerning Aishwarya Rajesh’s Nandini.
She is someone who is dealing with repressed emotions and has to take therapy to get over them. Through her character, Bramma and Anucharan address the importance of mental health.
Writer duo Gayatri-Pushkar infuses a much-needed message in the climax. It is something that will stay with the audiences, especially parents and children.
The performances across the board are brilliant but Kathir and Aishwarya Rajesh stand out.
Director Krish Jagarlamudi created a niche for himself with films like Gamyam, Gautamiputra Sathakarni and Konda Polam, among others. There is always an expectation of quality content when his name is attached.
‘9 Hours’ Telugu web series. (Twitter)
The original story of 9 Hours is written by Malladi Venkata Krishnamurthy, a popular writer of yesteryears and adapted by Krish for this web series. It is directed by Niranjan Kaushik and Jacob Varghese.
As the title suggests the story is set in the time frame of nine hours. Three prisoners escape from jail to rob a bank but a simple bank robbery leads to a series of unexpected events.
The best bits of 9 Hours are easily the situations focusing on the hostage.
There are some unexpected revelations regarding those who are connected to this robbery. No one seems to be what they are. Some of the backstories are particularly well-fleshed out.
A special mention must be made of the character played by Ajay. His motivations are unclear for the most part. But when the suspense is revealed, it catches you off guard.
Ajay shines the brightest in this huge ensemble. The story for the most part takes place in the bank but the single location never comes across as a hindrance.
This web show is created by Jason Katims. It is a heartwarming journey of three 20-something flat mates suffering from different spectrums of autism.
It fills our hearts with so much warmth because we instantly connect with them irrespective of having autism or not. All these three try to fit into a world where they are constantly rebuked by others.
‘As We See It’ English web series. (Twitter)
First up is Harrison (Albert Rutecki) who is the least independent of the three. He hates going outside because he is full of insecurities.
Next up is Violet (Sue Ann Pien) whose biggest desire is to have a boyfriend and lead a self-sufficient life.
The last among the three is Jack (Rick Glassman) who is the complete opposite of Harrison. He speaks whatever comes to his mind, irrespective of what the others around him feel.
As We See It shows how these three flatmates navigate family, friendships, careers and matters of the heart. They are guided by Mandy (Sosie Bacon).
At its heart, As We See It falls under a dramedy. A good dramedy needs to have the right balance between light and dramatic moments. Neither should outshine the other. Thankfully, Jason Katims got this mixture perfectly right.
The series has a feel-good nature to it but at the same time, the core issue is never watered down. It successfully addresses the different misconceptions about what is normal.
Out of the three flat mates, Violet has the most impact. Her equation with her brother Van gives the show some of its best moments.
The acting performances are top-notch across the board and add immensely to this well-made dramedy.
May 19, 2024
May 15, 2024
May 09, 2024
May 08, 2024
May 08, 2024
May 03, 2024
