‘Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting’ series review: Abhignya Vuthaluru-starrer is undone by a bland narrative

On the surface, the premise of Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting, the Telugu web series from Zee5, may seem to hold some promise. Meena (Abhignya Vuthaluru), a young female constable who is new to a village, is determined to get to the bottom of the story when she suspects that incidents of crime involving women are conveniently written off as a curse upon the village.

For those who do not often tune into the digital space, the story may hold some intrigue. However, the broad storyline is on the lines of similar narratives explored in web series and cinema, of late. Writer-director Surya Vangala’s brooding Telugu crime thriller Brinda, starring Trisha, is an example of an intriguing story of crime solving that also lays bare the internal conflicts of the protagonist. Prakash Dantaluri’s Telugu film Yevam, led by Chandini Chowdary, is another example of an underdog story of a female cop punching above her weight.

Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting is in a similar zone. Directed by Krishna Poluru, the series has screenplay by Vikram Kumar Kandimalla and story by Divya Tejaswi Pera. While one does not expect each story to break new ground, a layered narrative helps to hold viewers’ interest over several episodes. After all, long-format storytelling is a space that can help writers and directors go beyond the confines of mainstream cinema, without the crutches of having to cater to the box office. This is where Viraatapalem wobbles.

The story unfolds in a pre-smartphone era. The seeds for the story are sown through an incident in the early 1980s when a young bride throws up blood and dies soon after her wedding. Similar incidents follow and people believe the village to be cursed. No one gets married in the village. Those who move away to other towns, do not return. The occasional ones who dare to get married in the village or return post marriage meet with a tragic end. Years later, the fear and stigma remain.

The series spans seven episodes of 17 to 25-minute duration each. The first two episodes serve to introduce the key characters. No surprises for guessing that the police station is perfunctory, without doing much crime solving. Meena, who comes to the village accompanied by her mother, finds an unlikely ally in the teaseller, Kittu (Charan Lakkaraju).

The needle of suspicion points towards a few powerful men and women in the village; the narrative packs in a sub plot about a family torn apart owing to differences that arise when a woman wants to marry a man from a different social strata. Once these characters and their stories are revealed, the intrigue wears off. None of the supporting characters are written with depth. The narrative makes some of the characters appear suspicious and this repetitive narrative tool gets weary. Add to that, none of the other police officers are shown to perform their duties with the required tenacity. This lack of strong characters makes the story insipid.

Meena goes about her investigation in a rather straightforward manner with no room for tact. The many shots of her lost in thought while sipping tea at Kittu’s stall get repetitive. Her quick turnaround when it comes to marriage is unconvincing. Abhignya tries to shoulder the series but the lack of depth in writing limits her scope. 

The final episode raises a point about the lack of empathy with which society treats those who go through a crisis and what is considered auspicious or what isn’t. However, the argument fails to strike a chord since the story barely explores the mindset of the characters involved. 

(Viraatapalem: PC Meena Reporting streams on Zee5)