Siddarth Naidu and Rajasekhar Vadlapati do a wonderful job in merging the various tracks keeping the viewers thoroughly intrigued
- Starcast: Naresh Agastya, Nivetha Pethuraj, Naga Babu, Praneetha Patnaik and others
- Directors: Siddarth Naidu and Rajasekhar Vadlapati
- Writer: Siddarth Naidu
- Music: Shravan Bhardwaj
- Cinematography: Vidya Sagar Chinta
- Producers: L.S Vishnu Prasad and Sushmita Konidela
- Production Company: Gold Box Entertainment
- Streaming site: Zee5
- No of episodes: 8
The topic of honor killing is something that has seen many onscreen depictions. But it never gets old, the hierarchy between upper and lower caste will always remain in some form or other however much the society evolves. The core of Paruvu is honor killing but what makes the show gripping is the intermingling of caste, greed and communal harmony in a thriller format. The world of Paruvu takes a little while getting used to but soon enough the audiences become engrossed.
Paruvu begins off with Dolly aka Pallavi (Nivetha Thomas) and her husband Sudheer (Naresh Agastya). Dolly had married Sudheer against her family wishes, they still haven’t forgiven her. Dolly and Sudheer are headed to Guntur to pay last respects for the dead uncle. Driving them home is Dolly’s cousin Chandrasekhar aka Chandu (Sunil Komisetty). There is an exchange of heated words. Dolly is pregnant but that in no way softens Chandu. As the journey progresses Dolly becomes extremely suspicious and firmly believes that Chandu has come to bump them off. Things take a huge turn with an unexpected death; further complications arise upon reaching Guntur. Naga Babu plays Ramayya; he represents the caste-based politics. This is the story in brief
A major plus of Paruvu are the strongly written characters. All of them come with shades of grey. For example, there is a scene where a major character laments about coming up the hard way but at the same time, he is responsible for another man’s death. In her fight for survival a woman resorts to kidnapping. On certain occasions both Sudheer and Pallavi come across as opportunists who would do anything to save their skin.
What also makes Paruvu engrossing is the funeral background. Key characters are introduced, there is an underlying tension keeping the viewers hooked. The scenes at the funeral also work as a social satire. For example, relatives insult each other in the process of settling old scores. The viewers have the impression of nobody caring for the departed soul.
Among the supporting characters Naga Babu and Praneetha Patnaik deserve a special mention. Naga Babu’s Ramayya wants to become a major politician and uses others as pawns. Praneetha Patnaik’s Swathi on the other hand is the fiancé of a dead man. Swathi is desperate to find where her fiancé has disappeared. She does her own investigation irking Ramayya with her stubbornness. These two subplots give the show some of its best moments.
The role of caste-based politics and how they impact the intertiors of Andhra has also been showcased in a gripping manner. The political set up and the various mechanisams involved have an earthy feel.
Shravan Bardhwaj’s background music is impactful enhancing the drama. Chinta Vidya Sagar’s cinematography is also of a good standard particularly in the scenes which have tension.
Paruvu also benefits from its super talented cast headed by Nivetha Thomas and Naresh Agastya. Nivetha Pethuraj as the pregnant woman is simply splendid. She does a wonderful job in portraying the various moods of Dolly. Naresh Agastya delivers a performance which is subtle yet very impactful. Naga Babu as MLA Ramayya surprises big time with his wonderful performance. He portrays the negative shades with finesse never resorting to over-the-top theatrics. Praneetha Patnaik nails the desperation of Swathi delivering an intense act.
Paruvu is a binge worthy web show for fans of multi layered storytelling. The first-rate performances are an icing on the cake.
