Vilangu review: This whodunit, starring Vimal, Balasaravanan and Ineya, is an edge-of-the-seat thriller

3.5/5

Story: A sub inspector, who is torn between his wife's pregnancy-related heath issues and investigating a gruesome murder, gets the shock of his life when another dead body is found within the limits of his police station. He has a tough time dealing with the case, thanks to his nagging wife and pressure from superior officers. The case becomes complicated when more people are found dead. Will he be able to nab the culprit and save his job?

Review: Set against the backdrop of a village in Trichy, Prasanth Periyasamy's Vilangu starts off like regular crime dramas which we have come across in Tamil. But what sets apart the series is its taut screenplay, organic twists and turns and convincing performances of lead actors.  

Vilangu, which is director Prasanth's sophomore project, had no buzz among movie lovers when the project was announced, thanks to his debut film ending up as a damp squib. The poor form of Vimal, who plays the lead in the series, in recent years was another reason for its low hype.

Paridhi (Vimal) is a dedicated sub inspector whose life revolves around duty and wife Revathi (Ineya). The latter, who is nine-months pregnant, keeps reminding the former about her due date. What makes her worry is the loneliness she suffers when her husband is away for duty.  

Paridhi's responsibilities witness a surge when he is informed by an unknown person about a partially decomposed body found in a dense forest which happens to be within the limits of his police station. He goes to the spot with a constable after which more people and cops rush to the spot knowing about the incident.

After dispersing the gathered crowd, Paridhi gets the shock of his life when he finds that the severed head is missing from the spot. He goes after a few people based on some of the clues he gathered from the spot. The case becomes more complex when he finds another dead body.

Paridhi, with the help of his colleagues Karuppu (Balasaravanan) and Munishkanth (Uthaman), set out to investigate further and discover the involvement of someone who is known to them. But little did they realize that the crimes they came across were only the tip of the iceberg.  

The screenplay, which offers adequate scope for well-etched characters to perform, despite its fast-paced nature, is the highlight of Vilangu. The director takes enough time in the beginning to introduce the characters and their surroundings to the viewers. But once the plot gets thicker, the audience are in for a roller-coaster ride.

The suspense associated with a seemingly fragile and unimportant character and the scenes which feature him are fine examples of effective writing and conflict development in a crime drama. There is a long sequence in which a criminal confesses his cruel acts to a cop and other cops in the police station are aware of the conversation between the duo. 

In a regular crime drama, the conversation is likely to offer some spine-chilling moments, but the director tries to infuse humour in it in a constructive manner, and the outcome is extraordinary. You start hating the criminal for the crimes he has committed despite him maintaining a poised look, but can't stop laughing looking at the perplexed cop's expressions. 

Another scene which involves a hypersexual woman, who expresses interest towards every man who is invited to the home by her husband, is a riot. These aren't mere standalone scenes. The smart manner in which sequences like these add conviction to the further proceedings in the screenplay make it an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Ajesh's impressive background score plays a vital role in enhancing some of the suspense-filled moments.  

The convincing performances of Vimal, Balasaravanan, RNR Manohar and Munishkanth complement the writing till the end, which help viewers sympathize with their challenges and emotions. Unlike his previous outings which are humour-laced, this is probably the first-of-its-kind serious character for Balasaravanan; he is cold-blooded, practical and brutal. 

Ineya and Reshma Pasupuleti are apt in their roles of housewives with contrasting characters. But the show-stealer is the character Kicha. He single-handedly makes many scenes in the series unforgettable, thanks to his superficially submissive body language and the remarkable ability to switch effortlessly between being cruel and emotional.  

Verdict: With a fast-paced screenplay and smartly written sequences, Vilangu is one of the best series to have released in Tamil. 

Vilangu is streaming on Zee5.