What Is The Story About?
Disney Plus Hotstar’s latest Malayalam original series ‘Perilloor Premier League’ is a comedy drama, set in the backdrop of the fictional small town of Perilloor in Palakkad, Kerala. Peethambaran (Vijayaraghavan) has been president of the Perilloor Panchayat for 20 years running. Legal issues prevent him from contesting the elections against his rival Keman Soman (Ashokan).
But the wily politician fields his well-educated niece Malavika (Nikhila Vimal) as his candidate for the Panchayat president, who in turn is in love with Sreekuttan (Sunny Wayne). And thus begins a unique political tussle, which the makers nickname the Perilloor Premier League.
Perilloor Premier League is directed by Praveen Chandran, written by Deepu Pradeep, and produced by Mukesh R. Mehta and CV Sarathi of E4 Entertainment.
Performances?
Every member of the huge ensemble cast has put in their best in the series. The interesting characterisations and the smart writing ensure that the performances stay consistently good throughout the 7-episode runtime. Vijayaraghavan is terrific as the shrewd but benign politician, Peethambaran. Sunny Wayne has a blast as the adorable Sreeraman aka Sreekuttan, and it shows. Nikhila Vimal is poised and precise as the sensible Malavika. Aju Varghese is a riot as Psycho Balachandran. Sarath Sabha is cute as the fake astrologer, Ambareesh. The rest of the cast is equally good.
Analysis?
Perilloor Premier League is the rare Indian show with such imaginatively-written characters that the story — or the lack thereof — takes second place, while the quirky characters drive the narrative completely — and exceedingly well at that. The wonderful characterisations of each character help make the show engaging and entertaining throughout.
At its core, Perilloor Premier League is a sharp political satire. The lust for power propels the story and the primary characters to do what they do in the series. But beneath the surface, it is also a lovable drama, with romance and emotions thrown into the mix.
The series kicks off with a hilarious flashback involving dragonflies, which sets the story rolling. It then turns into a ‘Panchayat’ style drama, with a reluctant political candidate winning the Panchayat elections and becoming president. There’s also an unpleasant rival, who doesn’t mind resorting to underhanded tricks to gain the upper hand in the elections.
Numerous quirky characters lend a distinctive flavour to the narrative. The characters are imaginative and well-written. For instance, one of the villagers has a permanent suffix of “Missing” after his name, coz he supposedly went missing for a short while – 20 years ago. Another character is permanently suffixed with “Warrier”, coz he had headed the team tasked with looking for the “missing” character. Other funny suffixes bestowed on characters are “psycho”, “Thiruvaanam”, “Kozhi”, and more in a similar vein.
The thief Sathyaraj has never been successful at stealing anything in his decades-long thievery career. He spends six months in jail, six months out, but regularly gets beaten black and blue both in and out of jail. Numerous other such equally funny characters populate the narrative of Perilloor Premier League. The sparkling writing endears the characters to the viewers, bringing an involuntary smile to your face time and again.
The political drama at the center of the story is fun, with zero hint of malice or evil. Everything happens in a breezy and lighthearted way, leaving the viewer refreshed at the end of it. The story is quaint and quirky, even if slightly predictable. It is made more fun because of the endearing cluelessness of the dim-witted residents of Perilloor.
The treatment given to the story lends novelty to a plot that is in no way new or innovative. The storytelling is infused with a delightful old-world charm and a whimsical quality that is hard to define, but lovely to watch. The lovable characters add to the charm of the story.
Now to come to the not-so-good part of the series. At seven episodes, Perilloor Premier League is a tad too long. A tighter length would have made the series more watchable. Secondly, the story is quite predictable and commonplace. Also, it brims with misogynistic red flags – Sreeraman’s initial rejection of Malavika coz of her financially backward background, for instance. Several other red flags abound in the script, which ideally have no place in a series in this day and age.
To sum it up, Perilloor Premier League is a breezy watch that pulls in the viewer with its feel-good charm, its placid, easygoing narrative, and its tension-free, undemanding, uncomplicated storytelling. Give it a watch, but without focusing too much on practicality.
Music And Other Departments?
Mujeeb Majeed’s music for the series complements the narrative perfectly, with just the right hint of whimsical and peppy to enhance the storytelling. Anoop V Shylaja’s cinematography captures the small village essence well. Bhavan Sreekumar’s editing is efficient and effective.
Highlights?
Well-written characters with imaginative, endearing quirks
Well-paced narrative
Distinctive old-world charm
Drawbacks?
Slightly predictable
A tad too long
Red flags galore
Did I Enjoy it?
Yes, except for the misogyny
Do I recommend it?
Yes, for fans of rustic, rural dramas
Perilloor Premier League Series Review by Binged Bureau
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