Kallachirippu – Tamil Web Series | A Must Watch Emotional Ride

Released in 2018, Kallachirippu is directed by Rohit Nandakumar and produced by Karthik Subbaraj. It was telecasted on Zee5. This was Karthik Subbaraj’s first web series as a producer and it was the first web series for Stone Bench Productions company. It took the audience on a roll coaster of emotions and let them sit back and witness applaud worthy acting.

It brings about the beauty and agony of being torn between being a daughter, wife, friend, affair, hoarder of secret and not the least of the lot, a human. It doesn’t disappoint in talking about the Several phases and faces in our lives which pull apart the very foundation of what we see, and exposing the naked truth-about trust, lust, love and betrayal. It shines light on what leads to Eradicating the notion of blind love and marriage after a wedding or a happily forever tale, while standing its fort with various versions of truth.

Protagonist tamed the untamed and took blame for the players of the game. The crew did it All, played it all and showed it all- via emotions, timing, direction and screenplay. The layers added the needed edge-of-the-seat experience, be it with the fall of Indian mangalsutra on the chest during the climax or the touch of bond between father and daughter or the play with taming the lion. They’ve managed to create something for every viewer to relate to and stay hooked. They’ve made ‘Indrajit’ (played by Rohit Nandakumar) a forbidden tingling crush and ‘Mahathi’ aka Pappu (played by Amrutha Srinivasan) the inner strength in all. She isn’t shy to speak her mind and doesn’t hesitate to protect herself. She is someone who stands out in a crowd and goes the distance to achieve her ends- is someone in all of us.

I’m going to focus on the story as a whole and would highlight the three characters who left a longing sensation for more.

The base for the story could be described as lust or greed. Selfish Greed for saving the family name, saving face and societal respect. Lust in the form of misplaced love – for growth, materialising marriage and illicit connections. The problem they faced could’ve been negated with honesty and a pinch of trust in the unknown/ on the other. Everyone was out for themselves with no regards for its consequences of the strain that would have on the relationships around them. Be it parent-child or even husband and wife, each stood its own and the price paid was grossly high, deserved, yes, but high.

It sets off with a deal and is locked up defining it. She lives up to her end but no other live to witness it. It’s the journey in the six month period post her wedding well into the journey, called marriage with twists awaiting at every turn. The way the characters uncover their struggles and how the story line comfortably accommodates the changes is something appreciate worthy. Each character had their own obsession – protagonist with her growth, husband with his soulmate, father with his reputation or even the lover with his illicit origin. Their baseline was set and the rest followed. The time where the protagonist raises her eyebrow questioning if she should deal Again, made my heart still for time longer than it should’ve been. Or even in the scene where she gracefully highlights that she knew no other way to win, caused a meltdown.

All this said, let’s not forget the role of the lover who lost his better half- his acting left me asking for more. He eased into the frame and then there was simply us not wanting him to leave. His smile with a spark in his eye and his style made us forget his sorrow yet keep us engrossed. I could sense myself holding onto the cliche “if only he was there for a bit longer on screen” and praying for a favourable twist.

If this isn’t what every show aims at, then I’m in lost for words.

The boyfriend, Indrajit, made us crave for such one in our real life. He taught us lessons on how an illegitimate child feels in a lifetime- within seconds. He kept us nodding to the idea that “lust is the craving for salt by a man, dying of thirst” (by Frederick Buechner). His acting was mature, well sculpted and high on clarity of mind. It made it look easy and kept in touch with reality. It no longer felt like acting. His light hearted play on being her side piece and his heartfelt promise that he’d wait until she’s back, gave him a grip on our attention. His past scars led him down his destruction and took us along the path of gasp.

Let us not forget how they’ve managed to make the audience still in shock at the real intentions behind the actions, tensed with the actions of the protagonist, teared with grief for the soulmate, helpless for the daughter, warm with the mother and eager for the next scene. If this isn’t what every show aims at, then I’m in lost for words.

After critically analysing and repeatedly binge watching the show, I landed back in the same conclusion I had had after my first watch- it’s a safe bet that the team has done a monumental job and a complete justice to the script. It has managed to enthral the audience and leave a mark in the minds of the many. Days after watching it, I still keep pondering about the powerful finish and various versions of the same.

A narrative excerpt:

SHE MATTERED

She stood over him,
Blood dripping all over.

She drew a smile on her face, with
Glass in her hands,
Life in her veins.

It was a comforting lie,

now she could move on
and start from base.