Hi friends! Today we are talking about the Tamil supernatural crime thriller ‘Inspector Rishi’, which is streaming on Amazon Prime. Starring Naveen Chandra in the lead role and directed by J.S. Nandini, this series was released on March 29, 2024. This 10-episode series, available in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam, has created a lot of hype with the trailer itself. Has this story, which mixes a jungle setting, horror elements, and crime investigation, really lived up to expectations? Did Naveen Chandra single-handedly run this series? Come on, let’s get into the details!
What is the story?
The story starts in a village called Thenkadu near Coimbatore, amidst dense forests. A wildlife photographer dies mysteriously—without blood or wounds, wrapped in glowing green spider webs on a tree. The locals strongly believe that a forest deity named ‘Vanarachchi’ is behind this. CBCID Inspector Rishi Nandan (Naveen Chandra) comes to solve the case. Having lost one eye and suffering from hallucinations due to the tragedy of his girlfriend in the past, this skeptical cop does not believe in supernatural beliefs. Along with him, sub-inspectors Ayyanar (Kanna Ravi), Chitra (Malini Jeevaratnam), forest guard Catherine (Sunaina), and ranger Satya (Sreekrishna Dayal) are tasked with solving this mystery. How does Rishi close this case amidst mummified bodies in the forest, poaching cases, tribal rituals, and supernatural visions? Is Vanarachi real, or is human greed the reason for these murders? This is the story line.
How is the series?
Overall, ‘Inspector Rishi’ is a slow-burn thriller, with a jungle vibe, a touch of horror, and a crime investigation that grips you well at the beginning. The first three episodes are super engaging—visuals, eerie atmosphere, Rishi’s character buildup, Chitra’s love story, and Satya’s animal lover track are well set. However, the story slows down a bit between episodes 4-7. Some of the subplots and flashbacks feel stretched, and the thrill gets diluted a bit. The climax twists in the last three episodes, poaching, superstitions, and social message on environmental greed redeem the series well. While some of the twists may seem predictable, the emotional depth and character arcs make the series worth binge-watching. Personally, I don’t think it has the impact of ‘Kantara’ or ‘Sujal’, but it’s a decent treat for horror and crime mix lovers.
How did the actors do it?
Naveen Chandra brings this series to life! He is amazing as Rishi, who has lost an eye and struggles with a past tragedy. His intensity is superb in both the emotional scenes and the investigation scenes. Malini Jeevaratnam plays Chitra, sensitively with a queer love track—her scenes touch the heart. Kanna Ravi is decent as Ayyanar, and his family drama scenes are relatable. Srikrishna Dayal impressed in the role of animal lover Satya, I especially liked the elephant scene. Sunaina is okay as Catherine, but it would have been better if her role was given a little more scope. Kumaravel and Harini Sundararajan did a natural job in supporting roles, but some of the characters were not very memorable in the story.
How is the technical work?
Cinematography by Anusha Meenakshi is the biggest plus for this series. The Thenkadu forest visuals, mist in the night scenes, and cave sequences look very eerie. It really feels like being in the forest! Ashwath's background music sets the horror vibe perfectly, creating tension without jump scares. K. Kadheer's production design realistically unveils the forest and village setting. But, the editing felt rushed at some places, and the pace would have been better if 1-2 episodes had been trimmed in between. The VFX and CGI (Vanarachchi, animal scenes) felt a bit artificial at some places. The Telugu dubbing was good, but the Tamil songs felt a bit disconnected in the dubbed version.
About the direction?
I personally liked J.S. Nandini's direction. Balancing supernatural horror, crime drama, and social message was not easy, but she handled it very sensitively. Rishi showed the past tragedy, the queer love story of the film, and the true animal love tracks naturally without forcing them. The folklore elements, superstition vs logic conflict were worked out well. But, the slow pacing, some unnecessary subplots, and predictable twists are a bit of a letdown. Some may not like the fact that the horror elements dominate more than Rishi's detective skills. However, her world-building, cliffhangers, and social messages keep the series engaging.
Hits:
Naveen Chandra, Malini, Srikrishna Dayal's performances are superb!
The forest visuals, Ashwath BGM, Kadheer's production design are amazing
The film's queer love story is sensitively presented
Social message on poaching, superstitions
Climax twists, emotional connect
What's missed:
Stretching in the middle (4-7 episodes)
Some unnecessary subplots, predictable twists
Talky CGI in Vanarachi, animal scenes
Tamil songs disconnected in Telugu dubbing
Rishi's detective skills are diluted
Final Word:
‘Inspector Rishi’ is a decent supernatural thriller, with a wild vibe, Naveen Chandra’s performance, and strong characters. Although some scenes are slow and the twists seem predictable, it is a good binge-watch option for horror, crime, and folklore lovers. Stream it on Amazon Prime and enjoy it over the weekend. But, if you are expecting a super intense thriller, lower your expectations a bit. For me, this series is worth watching for Naveen Chandra and the wild visuals!
Recommendation: People who like horror, supernatural thrillers, and crime dramas will like this series. Since there are some horror and violent scenes, it is better to watch it solo or with friends than with family.
Rating: 3/5