Main Cast: Harini Sundararajan, Malini Jeevarathnam, Kumaravel, Kanna Ravi, Sunaina Yella, and Srikrishna Dayal
Director: JS Nandhini
Producers Shukdev Lahiri and JS Nandhini
Director of Music: Ashwath
Picture editing: Bargav Sridhar
A group of tribesmen commit mass suicide in a cave in the Thenakadu Forest near Coimbatore at the start of JS Nandhini's Inspector Rishi. Their suicide's cause remains a great enigma that has never been solved.
After twenty years, a strange string of killings takes place inside the Thenakadu Forest. The case is looked into by Inspector Rishi Nandan (Naveen Chandra). He's carrying a lot of emotional weight.
Local police officers Kathryn (Sunaina), Ayyanar (Khanna Ravi), Chitra (Malini Jeevarathnam), and forest ranger Sathya (Srikrishna Dayal) are accompanying him in the probe.
The people who live there think that these killings are motivated by otherworldly forces. They view a deity by the name of Vanaratchasi as the forest's savior.
Rishi, however, is adamant that someone with a desire for retribution is to blame for all of these things. In summary, Inspector Rishi's goal is to solve the murder mystery while providing insightful social commentary.
The way that filmmaker JS Nandhini has crafted the character connections is what makes Inspector Rishi so great. As was previously noted, Rishi has a lot of emotional baggage and is plagued by images of his deceased ex-girlfriend.
Since Rishi is also partially blind, you, the viewers, are interested in learning more about his background and the events that led to his eye loss. In the same way, Chitra appears on a homosexual love song. Luckily, this song handled the necessary sensitivity without using any overused cliches.
There is a moment involving the Vanaratchasi that deserves particular attention. The villagers relate stories of goddesses like her suffering because of their sexual orientation.
Chitra imagines herself in Vanaratchasi's position. The audience are able to empathize with the policemen because of the seamless integration of their personal and professional struggles.
Every episode finishes on a suspenseful cliffhanger that heightens the audience's curiosity regarding the person responsible for the chaos. Is there a greater force at work here, or is human greed the primary cause? Thank goodness, Director JS Nandhini pulls everything together.
With the exception of a few clumsily manufactured special effects, the supernatural aspects have also been presented effectively. The excellent background score, which avoids using common horror cliches, is what creates the horror.
Credit should also go to JS Nandhini for her handling of the superstitious beliefs storyline. There is some powerful social commentary about the havoc that superstitions may cause and how they can trick even the most logical individuals.
The program also raises some crucial issues on the necessity of eco-preservation and how human greed can ruin the ecosystem.
Folklore features in Inspector Rishi include the Gayatri and Puskhar-created online series Suzhal-The Vortex. The folk element heightens the suspense throughout the show.
In terms of shortcomings, the CGI is, to put it mildly, incredibly cheesy. The few CGI scenes in the show might have been easily cut.
Furthermore, a few of the plot points and explanations seem a little confusing.
Top-notch performances are given by Malini Jeevarathnam and Naveen Chandra. Fans of whodunits with a hint of folklore should not miss Inspector Rishi.
