When husband-wife director duo Pushkar and Gayatri embarked on their journey to create Suzhal: The Vortex, they had no idea that an unplanned visit to a religious festival would spark the genesis of their widely-loved Tamil series that marries faith with crime. (Also Read: O Saathi Re: Aditi Rao Hydari and Avinash Tiwary to romance in Imtiaz Ali’s series)
The duo, also known for Vikram Vedha, is back with the Tamil show’s second season, which will see the return of its lead characters, Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh) and Sakkarai (Kathir).
On Suzhal: The Vortex season 2
The second part will pick up from the climax of season one, with Nandini staring at an uncertain future in prison. At the same time, her friend and sub-inspector Sakkarai reaches a mystifying village with a sinister history. An unexpected murder casts a dark shadow on the village and its natives. In both seasons, crime happens during different religious festivals.
“Crime thrillers are a popular genre for long-form, and there have been a bunch of good shows in this space. One thing we were particular about is that, it (our show) has to stand out, it has to be unique in a certain way. Somewhere that also brought in that festival angle and the myth and the reality being parallel,” Gayatri told PTI in an interview.
Pushkar said that the genre has grown and changed significantly, citing the example of shows like The Wire, Broadchurch, The Killing, and Mare of Easttown.
“…These are what you would call the universe of crime thrillers. As writers, it is important to be aware of what is happening in the world or you will get very quickly outdated. A crime thriller which was written in the 80s and 90s will sound very wrong now because the way we look at the world has changed. So, as writers and filmmakers, the one job you have to do is watch a lot of stuff.”
How it all began
The journey to Suzhal: The Vortex began in 2015, but Pushkar and Gayatri didn’t feel content with their multiple drafts until they first attended the Mayana Kollai festival in 2017.
“On our way back from an appearance in a college, we came across this tiny festival. We’d been brought up there but never heard of this. Our driver was telling us the mythology behind it and all, and somewhere, it just kind of clicked for us,” Gayatri said.
“We are looking at it more from a cultural rather than a religious perspective. Faith to us is an important part of Suzhal season one and two, and it’s not just god per se or this god or that god, it could be faith in yourself or faith in your teacher, or an actor whom you idolize,” she said.
Pushkar said it took them some time to reach the point where they felt they had a compelling story to tell. “We took it to Amazon Prime and they said let us put this into development but by that time all the episodes were completely fleshed out,” Pushkar added.
The interplay between faith and crime continues in the second season as well, which is set against the backdrop of a new festival, Ashtakaali. The show will be out on February 28 on Prime Video.
“In season 2, in the first episode, there’s a conversation between Sakkarai and Chellapa (Nandini’s lawyer and also an activist), which addresses the question of faith. We need to believe in something to have that sense of society and community and all that,” Pushkar said.
Currently, Pushkar and Gayatri are working on a feature film script that deviates from their usual crime and dark-comedy genres. They are also brainstorming ideas for a third season of Suzhal: The Vortex.
Suzhal: The Vortex is produced by Bramma and Sarjun KM under Wallwatcher Films.