Brinda Review | Leisurebyte
Director: Surya Manoj Vangala
Date Created: 2024-08-02 00:00
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This SonyLIV Telugu-language crime-thriller series showcases the resilience and justice of a woman navigating through the complex web of lies, deceit and mystery. The series is based on a screenplay by Jay Krishna and Padmavathi Malladi. The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 40 minutes.
Brinda Web Series Cast
Trisha Krishnan, Indrajith Sukumaran, Jaya Prakash, Aamani, Ravindra Vijay, Anandsami, Rakendu Mouli
Brinda Series Writer & Director
Surya Manoj Vangala
Brinda Review
SonyLIV’s Brinda is an odd little cookie – one that puts up some interesting and important topics of discussion but is a bit cold when it comes to giving us a shiver of fear surrounding the crime case. With murders happening left, right and centre, the series, with 8-long episodes, gives us a detailed story to follow that is more emotional than thrilling.
That’s not a bad thing for a show like this, one that explores trauma and the bad parts of religion so thoroughly. The backstories and the background of the crimes, discussing the negatives of organised religion and how brainwashed people can get, is an important one considering the current political and social climate. Blind faith, one that refuses to distinguish between reality and fiction, can harm the most innocent of people and that is showcased perfectly from both angles where the victim becomes the perpetrator.
Hurt people hurt people – and that’s such a big part of this show that you somehow feel emotional for these broken individuals throughout these 8 episodes. The storyline takes some time to get into the groove and, at first, we see Brinda feeling the heat of being assigned to a station that still feels that women should be drawing rangolis. However, as a character, she is fantastic and her perceptive and headstrong personality shines through even during her most reckless moments. The series showcases her resilience well and the fact that she could see something that no one around her had before this speaks volumes about her capabilities.
It’s great when women-led shows don’t cheap out on making the protagonist strong, capable and not needing of a man to solve the case. Sure, everyone needs help sometimes but Brinda doesn’t wallow and cry at any and every perceived slight, which is a refreshing change. Struggling with a complicated past, her character is well-written, so much so that you understand her decisions and the reasons behind them. On the other hand, you surprisingly understand the qualms of the antagonist whose twist reveal might leave anyone a bit shocked. Although devolving into the same kind of people whom he hates, there’s logic and a lot of trauma behind the character’s actions that, albeit incorrect, make you understand his perspective.
Coming to the thriller side of it, I felt like Brinda picks up more of a pace in the later half of the runtime. The first half, which creates the base for the twist and the reveal, feels slow and sometimes a little boring and there’s a ton of exposition as well. We go back and forth, learning about people’s pasts and how they became the people that they are in the present and I felt like these moments went on for longer than necessary. Plus, Brinda’s sister’s insignificant storyline felt unnecessary – the series worked equally well had we not had any of it. However, my biggest gripe is with the horrendous CGI – I was left baffled after seeing that odd bird and the story behind it felt unnecessary. The blood and gore were also special effects which were done poorly and really took away from the experience.
That being said, I enjoyed the performances from across the board. Trisha Krishnan, Indrajith Sukumaran and Ravindra Vijay played their roles well. I especially liked Vijay’s helpful and supporting colleague to Trisha’s headstrong Brinda. She, of course, is the star of this show and that is evident in every scene. Her nuanced performance is great and she brings out different sides to her character really well.
Final Thoughts
This crime-thriller series is not a memorable ordeal that leaves a mark but it is entertaining and brings up important topics of discussion. The pacing sometimes gets sluggish and the storyline feels just a little convoluted sometimes, but I enjoyed it nonetheless… probably because the performances were so genuine and believable.
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