November Story

The flaws are too numerous to overlook, yet Prateek Sur believes November Story is a one-time watch.

November Story is one of the few contemporary Indian Web programmes to elicit a sense of suspense.

A popular crime novelist is discovered at a crime scene, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in his later years.

Because he can’t remember anything, it’s up to his daughter to figure out the truth about the murder before the cops accuse her father.

Is the father to blame?

Will the daughter track down the real killer?

Despite this intriguing premise, the Web programme falls short on several occasions when it comes to logic.

There are instances in which Tamannaah’s character, Anuradha, tries to sell her father’s ancestral home without his permission.

She understands that the property will not be sold without her father’s signature. Despite this, she continues to show the house to possible purchasers, only to be left hanging at the registrar’s office when the father fails to appear.

Tamannah’s performance is powerful and unlike anything we’ve ever seen her do before.

She’s no longer the cheerful, attractive girl next door.

Indhra Subramanian, the writer-director, has created something unique.

Opening each episode with a black-and-white montage scene depicting Mr Yesu’s (Pasupathy) youth is a wise idea. He’s got his own troubles, but he’s still attempting to help the cops catch the murderer.

It’s the random writing, which lacks any sense of linearity in the storey, that detracts from what could have been a fantastic plot.

Pasupathy delivers a standout performance, but Indhra grants him limited screen time in the first few episodes, leaving us to question why. Ironically, by the second half of the Web show, you’ve seen so much of him that you’ve lost track of Tamannaah!

G M Kumar, who plays Ganesan, a popular crime novelist and the father at the centre of the plot, has a strong screen presence. However, there was no obligation to portray him as a crime novelist, as this would have had no impact on the tale. His character may have been defined just by the fact that he is a memory-impaired father who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If the filmmakers wanted to include the crime novelist component in the film, there should have been a lot more of it included into the script.

After a certain point, the plot becomes predictable, and if you’re a regular viewer of crime thrillers or murder mysteries, you’ll have a good idea who the murderer is well before the climax begins to emerge.

The comic relief provided by Aruldoss as the police officer was one of my favourite aspects of the film.

The way he employs sarcasm and implication to kill through the words of his coworkers and others is something I enjoyed seeing.

The cinematography of Vidhu Ayyanna deserves praise since he maintains the dismal setting and atmosphere of a crime scene throughout the Web programme.

The writing is the project’s weak point, and it could have been considerably tighter.

November Story could have been a winner if it had been written better.

Unfortunately, there are far too many flaws to overlook. It is, however, a one-time watch.