In ‘Suzhal: The Vortex’ 2, a micro-festival with a larger message about the ‘feminine divine’

The 2022 Tamil series Suzhal: The Vortex dexterously wove together crime, folk traditions and secular values. The Prime Video show created and written by the filmmaking couple Pushkar-Gayatri is returning for a new season.

Once again, a crime is set against the backdrop of a religious festival. Out on February 28 on Prime Video, Suzhal 2 revolves around an activist lawyer’s murder that takes place during the Ashtakaali festival. Eight young women each claim to be behind the killing.

Two principal characters from season one are back. Police inspector Sakkarai (Kathir) attempts to unearth the truth behind the slaying of advocate Chellappa (Lal). Sakkarai’s friend Nandini (Aishwarya Rajesh), who killed her abuser in the previous season, is in prison.

Suzhal 2 promises to continue its predecessor’s complex, multi-layered plotting that touches upon several social realities. Directed by Bramma and Sarjun, the heart of the show is what Pushkar called the “micro-festival” that is a common feature in Tamil Nadu.

Such events, where a local deity – usually a goddess – is celebrated, are not only sensory experiences but also indications of a diverse, unorthodox approach towards faith, the filmmakers told Scroll during a recent visit to Mumbai.

In season one, the Mayan Kollai festival supplied the motif of a goddess who excavates a demon residing in a graveyard. Kathir’s…

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