Folklore, horror, super natural, thriller, jungle, poaching, LGBTQ, superstitions, friendship , loyalty, hallucinations- so many themes packed for a slow yet eventful show.
A skeptic crime branch Inspector Rishi Nandhan is assigned to investigate a series of bizarre murders in a small mountain village, committed by a deadly forest ghoul called the Vanaratchi.
The investigation builds up most of the drama along with beautiful sub plots and flashbacks.
The only flaw for this gritty and haunting show is the pacing. The initial 3-4 episodes become drag and slow to set up. The transitions, montages and editing drag the pace which would have easily got the show to a gripping drama. Due to this, the depth is lacking and the emotional backstories felt forced.
Yet you would be invested with the show for the horror, the thrilling drama, the murders and the horrifying reality of poaching. The writing shifts gears from becoming murder mystery to a horror folks tale to grotesque poaching reaching to a penultimate climax.
Performance wise Naveen Chandra & Srikrishna Dayal blend a Ram Balram duo. But it is the supporting cast of Kanna Ravi, Malini & Sunaina who get the best moments and they give their heart out. Watch out for their performance in the later part of the show.
Absolute Kudos and spectacular production design, the cinematography, the gripping BGM, the claustrophobic and haunting jungle and the ease with which everything blends together. Special mentions to the creature effects and the VFX - spot on and believable.
The dubbing may sound silly - there is a caricature dubbing of typical South Indian lingo and accent which comes out of the blue for the supporting cast.
If you loved Poachers, which was an even gripping amazing drama then Inspector Rishi will blend the elements of horror with it.