Suzhal:
The
Vortex 2
is
a
compelling
watch
with
a
tightly
woven
narrative,
elevated
by
powerful
performances,
notes
Divya
Nair.
After
a
gap
of
three
years,
Pushkar
and
Gayathri’s
crime
thriller
Suzhal:
The
Vortex returns
with
a
second
season.
This
time,
the
story
opens
with
the
shocking
murder
of
vigilante
Chellappa
(introducing
Lal
in
a
mysterious
role),
who
is
Nandini’s
(Aishwarya
Rajesh)
lawyer
and
Sakkarai’s
(Kathir)
mentor.
The
investigation
takes
an
interesting
turn
when
eight
young
women,
who
seemingly
have
nothing
in
common,
confess
to
the
crime
and
surrender
themselves
at
various
police
stations.
A
perplexed
Sakkarai
and
team
are
tasked
with
untangling
this
web
of
deceit
and
finding
the
truth.
The
sequence
of
events
at
the
crime
scene
is
simple,
yet
so
masterfully
written
and
executed
that
you’ll
exhaust
yourself
playing
Sherlock
Holmes
in
your
head.
Every
twist
across
the
eight
episodes
ties
back
to
this
scene
of
murder.
Much
like
season
1,
the
latest
one
is
set
against
the
backdrop
of
the
Ashtakaali
festival
in
Kaalipattanam,
a
quaint
village
in
Tamil
Nadu.
There
are
eight
alleged
perpetrators
of
the
crime,
and
eight
daughters
of
Kaali
with
unique
superpowers.
What
unites
them
is
a
common
goal,
a
common
demon.
Who
is
that
demon?
What
is
Chellappa’s
connection
with
the
eight
women?
Most
importantly,
who
killed
Chellappa?
The
beauty
of
Pushkar-Gayathri’s
storytelling
lies
in
the
way
they
blend
ancient
culture
and
traditions
with
the
main
story
and
its
characters,
adding
layers
of
depth,
imagination
and
reasoning
before
leading
you
to
the
grand
climax.
With
each
episode
as
long
as
45
minutes,
the
second
season
manages
to
engage
you
in
a
dark
story
of
child
trafficking.
The
inclusion
of
new
cast
members
like
Lal,
Saravanan,
Manjima
Mohan,
Monisha
Blessy
and
Samyuktha
Viswanathan
lend
fresh
dynamics
to
the
series,
with
each
character
playing
a
crucial
role
in
the
mystery.
We
are
already
aware
of
Kathir’s
ability
to
bring
emotional
depth
to
his
characters.
Season
2
is
not
about
Sakkarai
but
this
one
particular
sequence
where
Kathir
seamlessly
brings
out
so
many
emotions
is
worth
a
mention.
At
the
scene
of
the
murder,
Kathir
takes
a
moment
to
register
the
intensity
of
the
crime.
He
hesitantly
makes
a
distress
call
to
the
nearest
police
station.
There
is
a
palpable
urgency
in
his
tone
but
also
the
rawness
of
sudden
grief
and
the
weight
of
the
loss
sinking
in.
As
he
disconnects
the
call
and
sits
down
to
glance
over
his
shoulder,
his
eyes
glistening
with
unshed
tears,
you
can
feel
the
enormity
of
his
pain.
But
the
minute
he
walks
into
the
room,
his
posture
shifts
as
he
instructs
the
officials
not
to
tamper
with
the
crime
scene.
Speaking
of
visual
brilliance,
the
scene
where
Chellappa
opens
the
backdoor
of
the
van
to
introduce
the
young
girls
—
huddled
together,
looking
terrified,
as
they
wonder
about
the
unknown
dangers
that
await
them
— is
so
brilliantly
and
hauntingly
captured.
Contrastingly,
some
of
the
jail
sequences,
though
staged
and
intended
for
impact,
do
not
bring
out
the
same
pathos.
Aishwarya
tends
to
overact,
often
losing
track
of
the
raw
intensity
required
of
her
character.
Gauri
Kishan’s
performance
is
compelling,
and
so
is
Saravanan,
whose
effortlessness
is
also
his
strength.
Manjima’s
transformation
for
Nagamma
from
a
doting
wife
to
a
protector
is
phenomenal.
Sam
CS’s
background
score
is
dark
and
effective
but
not
as
memorable
as
the
first
one.
The
feminine
aspect
and
purpose
of
the
Ashtakaali
festival
is
meticulously
shot
and
explained.
With
eight
episodes
of
over
40
minutes
each,
the
run
time
is
a
bit
long
and
could
have
been
shortened
by
a
few
episodes.
Also,
the
magnitude
of
the
demon,
the
antagonist,
that
the
narrative
builds
over
the
course
of
the
story
is
dampened
in
the
rushed,
cliché
climax.
I
was
expecting
a
sharper,
stronger
villain
with
a
backstory.
When
you
look
back,
you’d
rather
remember
Nagamma’s
story
from
the
festival
and
the
very
purpose
of
the
festival
but
you’d
forget
the
antagonist.
Also,
having
Nandini
and
Sakkarai
tie
up
the
loose
ends
probably
signals
that
there
may
not
be
a
third
season.
Overall,
Suzhal:
The
Vortex
2
is
a
compelling
watch
with
a
tightly
woven
narrative,
elevated
by
powerful
performances.
Despite
its
gripping
buildup,
the
series
falters
towards
the
climax,
leaving
the
otherwise
brilliant
experience
somewhat
underwhelming.
Suzhal:
The
Vortex
2
streams
on
Amazon
Prime
Video.
Suzhal:
The
Vortex
2 Review
Rediff
Rating:
