BOTTOM LINE
Below-Par, Outdated Gangster Drama
PLATFORM
JioHotstar
RUNTIME
4 Hours (8 Episodes)
What Is the Show About?
A kabaddi player, Lingam’s life falls apart after a violent incident during a tournament. He is put behind bars for a crime he did not commit and returns from jail, only to become a pawn in the hands of local criminals. Over time, he rises through the ranks of an illicit liquor empire, gaining power while dealing with betrayal, personal loss, and a quest for revenge.
Performances
Kathir, back in an OTT show after Suzhal 2, is in reasonable form. He is good with action and intense emotional sequences, but the done-to-death gangster role lacks meat and barely tests his mettle. Shahir (better known as Sathya) is just okay in his digital debut. Cast in a part that offers him abundant screen space, the character arc is far from convincing. It is hard to buy Thiru’s near-sudden transformation.
The women, Poornima Ravi, Nikila Shankar and Divya Bharathi, are not left with much to do. Bose Venkat, a regular face in period rural tales, looks odd with his distracting wig, and the performance also lacks freshness. None of the other supporting actors leaves a lasting impression in this bloodbath of a show.
Analysis
Playing a safe game is not always a curse in storytelling. You are dealing with a world that audiences are quite familiar with, and viewers know what they are paying for. Yet, when this turns into an excuse to churn out anything mediocre in the garb of formula, you feel cheated. This is exactly what Jio Hotstar does with its Tamil show Lingam, a terribly outdated gangster saga.
The show, named after the protagonist Lingam, is set in Kanyakumari. Lingam wants to be a policeman and is a kabaddi enthusiast looking to lead a quiet life with his lady love, Ponmalar. She even stitches together a uniform to watch him in a khaki-clad avatar before he receives an appointment letter. Yet, as fate would have it, one ghastly night at a sports tournament alters his plans beyond repair.
Once Lingam is framed for murder and ends up in jail, his path takes a violent turn. His dreams are crushed, and a life of crime appears to be the only refuge. The backdrop is reminiscent of the scores of rural faction stories frequently stereotyped with Madurai. The police more or less serve as arbitrators in a violent town ruled by two gangsters, Chellapandian and Samiyappan.
The story comprises all the traditional beats you expect from a rural actioner. Goons from rival camps are eager to usurp one another. Thick friends turn into ruthless foes. The women bear the brunt of the men’s actions. The men are constantly angry and keep getting jailed for some reason. Everyone has an eye on the throne. There are betrayals, and the vicious cycle of vengeance ultimately consumes everyone.
Lingam can be viewed as a story depicting the moral decline of its leading man and those around him. He transforms into someone he can no longer identify with. He offers the excuse of the ‘larger good’ to justify his choices and pays a heavy price for his actions, despite remaining in power. Even after marrying his romantic interest and fathering a child, peace evades him.
The trajectories of other pivotal characters, like Chelladurai, Chellapandian, Samiyappan and Thiru, are no different. The screenplay is all about them taking turns and getting a taste of each other’s medicine. Everyone is destined to be doomed at some point. The men keep their sickles close at hand in their Ambassadors, and the tasteless violence is normalised episode after episode.
Long gone are the days when OTTs were a breath of fresh air and served as a medium for alternative storytelling. With digital viewership more or less reaching the saturation point across many platforms, it is not surprising that the idea is to consolidate rather than push the bar. Lingam is just a byproduct of that, needlessly reviving a brand of cinema that has already fallen out of favour with audiences in recent years.
Even if rural gangster dramas are your forte, find a better way to kill time than watching Lingam.
Music and Other Departments?
Tony Britto’s songs and music also go by the typical rural drama rulebook. They are on the face, over the top and bereft of any novelty. The minimal lighting and muted colour palette are among the stylistic elements that work. The action choreography by Don Ashok feels repetitive and fails to infuse the proceedings with tension or anxiety. The writing is generally poor, the characters remain weak, and the show certainly did not deserve a four-hour runtime.
Highlights?
Few performances
A handful of moments in the first couple of episodes
Drawbacks?
Lacks any novelty
Poor writing, dull execution
Weak characters, action sequences lack impact
Did I Enjoy It?
Not really
Will You Recommend It?
Not at all. The stale plot and an equally outdated execution do not really deserve your time.
Lingam JioHotstar Web Series Reviewed by M9 News
