What Is the Story About?
Anu heads to Varanasi to immerse her mother’s ashes in Ganga. During the trip, she meets a sage, who hands over an ancient relic to her and dies under mysterious circumstances. Though Anu is instructed to give it to a temple priest in a village, she is reluctant to take the initiative. What connects her to the relic, an ancient temple and the fifth veda?
Performances?
Sai Dhanshika needs no introduction as a worthy performer and has been around for long in the Tamil industry but it’s surprising why her roles and projects barely do justice to her credentials. Though she gets a full-length role in Aindhaam Vedham, it is poorly etched to offer any scope for a winning performance. Santhosh Prathap is strictly okay in an inconsequential role.
Vivek Rajgopal’s Mithran is too vague a character to create any impact. Krisha Kurup’s part did have potential, though it’s not integrated into the plot effectively. Devadarshini does her best to rise above the mediocrity in the proceedings, while the talents of Mathew Varghese and Ponvannan are not utilised well. YG Mahendra is the only actor to assert his authority in his screen time. Ramjee makes a mockery of himself in a strange role.
Analysis
Writer, cinematographer, director Naga, the brain behind several pathbreaking Tamil television shows (like Marmadesam spanning multiple seasons, Ramany vs Ramany, Veettukku Veedu Looti in the 90s and 2000s) effortlessly adapted himself to the digital medium with his OTT debut Thalaivettiyan Palayam, the Tamil remake of the popular Hindi show Panchayat, on Amazon Prime Video, recently.
Now, he’s back to home ground with Aindhaam Vedham, a desperate throwback (or do we say upgrade) to the Marmadesam universe – in a world centred around temples, religion, age-old dogmas, scriptures and dystopian conspiracy theories. The story, told through a rebellious modern-day woman, focuses on the quest for the fifth veda, which holds a crucial link to the future of humankind.
There are multiple dimensions to the conspiracy surrounding the fifth veda. An elderly priest pleads with his son to open the relic that Anu gives him. Dr Natarajan, an NRI, is hunting for Maragadham, a PC he’d previously discarded. A tech addict Mithran tries to woo Radhika, a woman who resembles his AI girlfriend. A lawyer is after a 3D printer which uses bio-ink to produce synthetic meat.
The show has characters traversing uncharted terrains, chasing and decoding the unknown. Naga, in a style unique to him, succeeds in building adequate tension and anxiety in the narrative, connecting various threads of a pseudo-complex plot across eight episodes. However, the storytelling style is awfully out of sync with the times, where cinematic liberties are blown out of proportion.
Several elements in the tale sound similar to fake Whatsapp forwards about the Tamil land’s glorious past and traditions, except that the director believes fully in this make-believe universe. It’s evident that Naga draws his inspiration from the mystical thrillers of Dan Brown and Ashwin Sanghi, peppered with a Tamil twist. One of the sequences also suggests a possible parallel between Oppari and Australian musical traditions.
As campy as the show’s ideas may sound (was Karthikeya 2 an influence too?), better writing could’ve brought some method to the madness and more believability to the execution. The dialogues around customs, traditions within temples are drafted like sermons, extending beyond necessity. The setting itself is so medieval and primitive, failing to strike a balance between reason and belief.
The portrayal of several modern characters is quite condescending, with their obnoxious costumes, tattoos and strange behavioural patterns. Naga has clearly underestimated the intelligence of his target audience and the mediocre standards of the current-day television industry may have affected his sensibilities. Aindhaam Vedham’s germ of an idea is certainly intriguing, but the execution is regressive, a complete mess and repulses a viewer with its tackiness. Don’t fall for it.
Music and Other Departments?
Revaa’s music – both the songs and the score – can’t do much to salvage the show. With the protagonist being a musician, it’s disappointing that music isn’t integrated seamlessly into the narrative. Srinivasan Devarajan lends a lavish, vibrant outlook to the (dated) story. The production design, in particular, merits praise for its attention to detail.
Highlights?
Basic idea
Initial tension in the narrative
Good cinematography
Drawbacks?
Outdated storytelling
Amateurish performances
Highly unrealistic, many cinematic liberties
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Aindhaam Vedham Series Review by Binged Bureau
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