Muthu Engira Kaattaan TamilYogi Review: Directors M. Manikandan and B. Ajithkumar start with a very audacious premise of making Vijay Sethupathi the center of a mystery that is both disturbing yet fascinating in nature. His presence, despite absence, is a driving force of the story, whereas the investigating officers are taking over the story slowly. At the very onset, the television show foreshadows itself as a multifaceted country with changing identities and moral relativity. It fulfils that pledge a bit.
The mood is down-to-earth, the acting is consistent and the enigma is actually interesting. However, the writing gradually becomes sloppier as the episodes go on so that what starts as an interesting exploration becomes much less incisive and fulfilling.
It is set in a village where the village police station has been ineffective over the years and hardly takes on any cases. When the government is contemplating closing it down, a weird murder causes the machine to start up once again. The investigation is headed by SI Muthukumar, with constables who are portrayed by Singampuli and Vadivel Murugan.
The investigation creates a sense of intrigue at first by creating sniping memories of the dead. Various individuals refer to him contradictory, a goat trader, a watch repairer, even a bodyguard in country dance troupes. This ever-changing of identities turns into one of the strongest hooks of the series, and the mystery turns out to be truly compelling.
The strength of the investigation, however, crumbles as the story develops. The police do not have to reveal any clues by attentively deducing them; the vital information is handed over to them in a convenient way. Witnesses turn up at exactly the right time, the big revelations seem unmerited, and there is little or no procedural richness suitable to a thriller. What could have been a well crafted investigation turns out to be inactive and undeveloped.
The acts offer a certain stability. Vijay Sethupathi plays his role with a reserved and down-to-earth approach, without the need to overdo the rural flavor of the role. Interestingly, however, as the story progresses the burden of interest turns to the investigating officers.
The actor who portrays SI Muthukumar can easily be said to be a natural and believable actor, and Singampeli provides his part with consistency and authenticity. They bear a lot of emotional and narrative weight of the series together.
The supporting cast, such as Milind Soman and Sudeep Nair, do a good job, but their characters are not well-developed to make a strong impression. Their functions are not memorable but functional and undermine the overall dramatic tension.
The series is strong in technical aspects. There is a gritty and uninformed look of the countryside that is recorded by cinematographers Shanmuga Sundaram and Madhu Neelakandan. The landscapes are lived-in and touchable and this makes the story more grounded.
The background score done by Rajesh Murugesan works well in some scenes such as the tense scenes. Nevertheless, it is not consistent and fails to uplift the story where necessary. There are a few scenes that require a heavier sonic impact, which the music is too subdued to make a lasting impression.
It is at this point that I started to lose interest in this series. Writing has problems with logical coherence, particularly in the investigation. The police only observe the most basic procedures after they find the severed head. When the doctor indicates that a postmortem cannot be done without the rest of the body, the answer is oddly nonchalant. The head is merely brought back and kept at the station with little or no urgency or apparent forensic measures taken.
When it comes to such an heinous crime, the lack of due forensic investigation is hard to overlook. No evidence gathering, no scientific rigor, and little urgency are detailed. Such holes undermine the believability of the thriller.
The experience is further complicated by the narrative structure. The story jumps across multiple timelines, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2012, and 2017, often within the same episode. Although non linear story telling may enhance mystery, in this case it often confuses. The continuous changes prevent continuity and render the story hard to follow instead of adding depth.
The series is too long and seems unnecessary at more than five hours with ten episodes. A number of scenes are left too long without necessity and therefore, they diminish the strength of significant moments. A subplot about a goat herding family, which we first think is important, does not receive its due payoff because of its prolonged screen time. It ends up being a filler more than a necessary aspect of the story.
The episodic format is also underutilized structurally. There are no strong cliffhangers, and very few episodes create sufficient suspense to make the viewer want to watch the next episode. The series more frequently has the sense of a long movie in bits than a tale that is created with episodic narrative in mind.
The most disheartening thing is possibly the absence of emotional depth. The antagonistic forces never seem to be especially strong and their motives are not studied well. Due to this fact, the stakes seldom seem to be high.
The main character, as well as the identity towards which the whole story revolves, is not developed. The series does not reveal much about his background or history, which means that the audience does not have a emotive attachment to his story. In a story that is constructed on the basis of discovering the identity of a man, this lack is particularly conspicuous.
It is also not satisfying in the climax. Rather than knitting together the different storylines, it adds to the ambiguity. Although ambiguity is occasionally a good idea, in this case, it does not seem like a purposeful artistic decision and rather a half-finished solution.
The premise by which Muthu Engira Kaattaan starts is bold and appealing in a manner that is truly captivating. Brilliance is sprinkled through, especially in the performances and treatment of the eye. Yet, poor investigation writing, logical gaps, pacing and lack of emotional depth do not allow the series to reach its full potential.
Personally, I still find it an average watch. It still might attract viewers that like slow-burning and non-linear stories, yet it requires a lot of patience and tolerance to its weaknesses.
Rating: 2.5/5
