Vilangu is a crime-drama TV series directed by Prasanth Pandiyaraj and stars Vimal, Bala Saravanan, Ineya, alongside other cast members. The series has 7 episodes, each with a runtime of around 20 – 40 minutes.
Zee5 describes the series as:
Paridhi, an honest cop, must race against time to solve a mysterious crime case that has baffled the police department.
– Vilangu review does not contain spoilers –
Vilangu is hard. The chaos of the police station is absolutely mind-blowing to watch. There’s harmony in that craziness – it’s horrifying as it is funny. The police station is its own tiny city, one where everyone works together to get things done. But, the horrifying part of the series is the torture that takes place within its walls. Within the first episode itself, the series breaks someone’s leg open, a dead body turns up and the horrifying cast system in the area turns into a formidable enemy.
Vilangu sucks you right in halfway through the first episode. As Paridhi finds a body that promptly loses a body part, you jump right into wondering what the hell is going on. Then there are Paridhi’s personal problems that he also has to juggle. In between these two, the series tries to solve who this decomposed body is and why they were murdered.
The scenes involving the solving part sometimes feel a bit dragged and go on for a bit, as do the scenes about Paridhi’s personal life. These moments are stretched out for no discernible reason other than to pad the runtime. You get impatient after a while because you don’t care who picks up his baby first, but hey, it does add to the humanity of the character and rounds him up. I can’t say the same about poor Revathy though. She gives birth to a baby – that’s about it.
Apart from the crime, the series dedicates a lot of time to showcasing the cultural side of the area and the beliefs of the people. It’s an interesting watch but tends to drag a tad bit after a while. After the initial few curveballs that will keep you confused and on your toes. Another thing that will keep you on your toes is the horrifying violence. Every time the police catch someone, you know you’re going to watch some horrible thrashing and torture scenes.
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Anyway, after the initial episode or two, Vilangu takes a wild route. And when I mean wild, I mean that you wouldn’t even be able to fathom where it goes. As the story twists and turns, you are left wondering if this is the truth or if there’s something more at play. We are also left to wonder how the suspect flew under everyone’s nose. It’s an interesting thought to process.
Either way, the suspect’s motivations seem a bit odd and the tension that the series creates at first falters a bit when you get to know the reasons. Sure, it’s still pretty tight since you want to know more, but still, there’s something missing here that burns the entire series for me.
Summing up: Vilangu
Vilangu is a tight series about police work and how culture shapes people and how they see others. It’s a tight and difficult watch but can leave you a bit underwhelmed by the end of it.
Vilangu is streaming on Zee5.
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