Paruvu (honour), the Telugu web series written by Siddharth Naidu which he co-directs with Rajashekar Vadlapati, is a deep dive into the socio-economic-political fault lines that dictate interpersonal relationships. Season one of the series, which streams on Zee5, teems with characters played by actors Nagababu, Naresh Agastya, Nivetha Pethuraj, Praneeta Patnaik and several others representing people from different strata of society. When things turn awry one night and an incident of crime becomes a moot point, nothing remains the same. The word paruvu is not only indicative of honour killings but also attempts to explore what honour means to different people at different stages of their lives. The eight-episode season, led by showrunner Pavan Sadineni and produced by Gold Box Entertainments, attempts to reflect the ethos of Guntur-Vijayawada belt in Andhra Pradesh and the result is a binge-worthy series.
Paruvu (Telugu)
Directors: Siddharth Naidu and Rajashekar Vadlapati
Cast: Nagababu, Naresh Agastya, Nivetha Pethuraj, Praneeta Patnaik
Storyline: When a young couple revisit their roots following a death in the family, they confront animosity that stems from caste and class divisions. To make things worse, they get embroiled in a crime.
Streaming on: Zee5
The first episode sets the tone for the narrative and the tension defines the behaviour of the key characters. Dolly aka Pallavi (Nivetha Pethuraj) wants to pay her last respects to her uncle and is headed to Vijayawada with her husband Sudheer (Naresh Agastya), whom she has married against her family’s wishes. Driving the couple home is her cousin Chandu or Chandrashekhar (Sunil Komisetty), who has not forgiven her for bringing ‘dishonour’ to the family. His brute lines and her simmering anger speak volumes of what transpired in the past and indicate that things will not be smooth at home. The fact that she is pregnant also does not make Chandu soften his stance. The episode exemplifies how the makers build tension through conversations punctuated with uneasy silences. After a misunderstanding and a crime, the couple has to fight for survival.
The narrative takes a non-linear approach as it goes back and forth to piece together what unfolded a month ago, a fortnight ago, all leading up to this eventful night and the day following the crime. As Siddharth’s writing explores parallel tracks, editor Viplav Nyshadam juxtaposes them to make us stay invested in several subplots and characters that emerge as the story progresses.
Ramayya (Nagababu), a politician who is desperate to win the forthcoming elections, Swati (Praneeta Patnaik) who owns a computer store and offers training sessions to the local police, the mute Krisha (Siddha) who helps Swati, cops Chakravarthy (Rajkumar Kasireddy) and Babji (Moin), Dolly’s sharp-tongued cousin sister Radha (Bindu Chandramouli) and several others are part of the drama. Quite often, we observe how parallel characters in different social strata react to situations and their plight in adversity. For instance, when a young couple elopes one night, we have a foreboding of what might follow, in contrast to that of Pallavi and Sudheer. Then there are cops Chakravarthy (Rajkumar Kasireddy) and Babji (Moin) on the opposite sides of the social division.
A crime and a desperate attempt to cover it up and escape is a template for a thriller. However, there is enough room for social satire. The scenes that unfold at the entrance of a house, hours before a funeral, serve as a meeting place for relatives to exchange barbs and settle old scores. Does anyone truly care about mourning the departed soul?
None of these characters can be categorised into white or black; most of them turn out to be opportunists, doing anything they can to save their skins. One character laments that he has come up the hard way and does not want to let go of a decent life, but can he run away from a crime? Another woman who dreams of a happy, married life indulges in kidnapping in her fight for survival. Watching the story progress, it is tough to take sides. But the series turns out to be engrossing, piquing the curiosity to know what lies ahead. The grittiness of the series is also a nod to Mirzapur and Paatal Lok, without overly relying on expletives.
In some portions, the tension is built purely by body language and conversations. Look out for a scene between Pallavi and Swati and later between Swati and Sudheer. Seemingly casual conversations provide clues and tighten the noose around the necks of the culprits. For a change, none of the women are pushovers. Even those who make an appearance in two or three scenes make their presence felt. The same goes for several male characters cast in smaller parts — a security guard at a guest house, Krishna’s neighbour in the basti, or a tea seller who has a rapport with a police constable. Everyone helps to move the narrative forward.
Paruvu is one of the few, well-made Telugu web series that scores on several fronts. While the writing and direction work as the spine of the narrative, considerable momentum comes from the actors. Praneeta Patnaik owns every bit of her complex part and carries it on her able shoulders with a lot of spunk. ‘Aavesham ekkuva alochana thakkuva’ (more aggression and less thought), someone comments at her attitude. This line describes the attitude of a few others as well. Nagababu, Nivetha, Naresh Agastya, Sunil Komisetty, Moin, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Siddha and Bindu Chandramouli and several others leave a mark. The production design, cinematography and music work in sync with what is required for the story.
What seemed out of place — though it would be too early to judge — that might have a larger role in season two, is the part of Bindu Madhavi. Season two will have to keep up the momentum and present a narrative that turns out to be a worthy follow up of the first season.