What Is the Story About?
Years after her marriage with a colleague Sudheer, Dolly is pregnant. Dolly is on her way back home when she receives news that her uncle is no more. A verbal banter leads to an unexpected murder in the middle of her journey. The couple is in for tough times ahead, as they desperately attempt to conceal the dead body from cops, a determined woman and a blood-thirsty politician.
Performances?
Nivetha Pethuraj, playing a resilient, strong character trapped in a tricky situation, is on top of her game. The well written role allows her to rediscover herself as a capable performer and she taps into its various dimensions with ease. Naresh Agastya‘s impressive form continues with a measured performance as a supportive husband who’d go to any length to protect his family.
However, the show’s biggest surprise is our very own Naga Babu. It’s puzzling how it took so long for the industry to give him such a nuanced role that befits his potential as an actor. Ramayya will comfortably go down in the record books as his best character to date and he does complete justice to it. After Care of Kancharapalem, Praneeta Patnaik finally gets a meaty, complex role and she makes the most of the opportunity.
There are several other performances that linger on your mind long after the show – be it Bindu Chandramouli or Sammeta Gandhi, Raj Kumar Kasireddy, Moin, Dil Ramesh or Sunil Kommisetty. It yet again reasserts that quality actors don’t need vast screen space, but impactful roles to make their presence felt.
Analysis
Casteism and honour killing are the truths we prefer to bury under the carpets, more so in the Telugu land. Several attempts at discussing uncomfortable realities – from Gouravam to Murder to Okkadine, Ambajipeta Marriage Band and Shaurya – have met with indifferent results at the box office in the past. It didn’t help that the storytelling was generic, one-dimensional and preachy too.
However, Paruvu’s directors – Siddharth Naidu, Rajashekhar Vadlapati and creator Pavan Sadineni, smartly camouflage the perils of a social evil in the garb of an arresting thriller. The makers create a strong bunch of characters with contrasting ideologies, caught in their own web of mysteries. The plot effortlessly drops truth bombs in a racy narrative that leaves you gasping for breath.
Unfolding in the Vijayawada-Guntur belt, the writing represents the pulse of the region with its caustic wit. If its thriller exterior wins your attention initially, the show depicts its true intent over the funeral drama, that provides a platform for characters to reconnect, bond, humiliate and come to terms with each other’s realities. The drama is equally amusing and intriguing at once.
Dolly and Sudheer do their best to escape scot-free from the mess they’ve landed in, though destiny has other ideas. Paruvu sets a tall standard in the Telugu digital space in terms of storytelling because it never restricts its scope to the popular faces alone. The smaller, tender moments are handled with remarkable sensitivity and the fleeting characters too make a long-lasting impact.
The personal conflicts within an influential family gradually pave the way for a high-stakes political drama, where two patriarchs with conflicting belief systems are to fight it out in a local election. The show does a fabulous job in depicting the nexus among cops, goons and bureaucrats, the toxic power hierarchies within our system, how it is always stacked against the marginalised groups.
Paruvu is one of its kind because the perspectives aren’t one-dimensional – you get to view the world from many eyes and empathise with a few of them, even if they’re on the wrong side of the law. What hits you hard is the ugliness within the political arena; the treatment is layered and a spade is called a spade. There’s a perfect balance between the twists and the drama.
The show, while pausing to explore the psyche of its flawed characters, is consistently on the move. There’s so much to absorb and digest across eight episodes and it’s ideal that a viewer watches them at one ago to comprehend its depth. Pavan Sadineni, after Dayaa, yet again cements his authority in the digital space with a show comprising a whirlpool of emotions (in a new role – creator).
After Gods of Dharmapuri, Recce, Oka Chinna Family Story, ZEE5 has a winner again.
Music and Other Departments?
Shravan Bharadwaj, who has time and again delivered quality scores in projects like Natyam, Malli Raava and Dayaa, is at his absolute best, milking the drama and the dense plot to his advantage. The writing and the music complement each other perfectly. Vidyasagar, through his cinematography, portrays the Krishna region in all its hues, tracing the contrasting journeys of his pivotal characters. The show barely loses its tempo, thanks to its break-neck pace and the sharp edits.
Highlights?
Superb, layered writing
Pathbreaking performances
Innovative treatment to a dense story
Drawbacks?
Overdose of twists
Too heavy at times
Did I Enjoy It?
Absolutely
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Paruvu Series Review by Binged Bureau
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