BOTTOM LINE
Bold Ideas, Okayish Execution
PLATFORM
Aha Video
RUNTIME
1hr 20 mins, 2 Episodes
What Is the Film About?
Vetri, a debt-ridden entrepreneur, turns a gigolo after seeking financial help from a college senior, Karthikeyan. In his new role, he encounters Namrata, a lonely woman dealing with a miscarriage and a broken marriage. Meanwhile, Shraddha, a rebellious college student, keeps her romance with a classmate, Adi, a secret. As they meet at her home when her parents are away, the night takes a wild turn.
Performances
Sshhh relies more on plot ideas than the performances to drive its message. Both Vetri and Vedhika are aptly cast for Gigolo; they deal with the proceedings minus any awkwardness and bring relatability to their parts.
Analysis
Sshhh, aha’s 2024 Tamil anthology, was conceived as a ‘poor man’s version’ of Netflix’s hit show Lust Stories, normalising various hues of desire across four stories. The first season tackled themes like sex education, married people seeking greener pastures, and desire clashing with a young man’s ambitions. In its second season, the two episodes, Gigolo and Kalla Kadhal, tread a similar path.
The first episode, Gigolo, directed by Vinodh Kadambaraayan and Goutham Ravisankar, revolves around Vetri, an entrepreneur behind a failed startup, who tries his hand as a gigolo, on the advice of a friend, Karthikeyan, to make quick money and clear his debts. A chance encounter leads him to a woman, Namrata, who helps him further his business ideas.
The second episode, Kalla Kadhal, helmed by Amit Bhargav, has an adventurous premise, but the execution doesn’t quite live up to the idea. It’s about a college student, Shraddha, in love with a sports enthusiast, Adi. The duo finds silly excuses to spend time together and is unapologetic about their desires. One night, when Shraddha’s parents are away, their encounter takes an unexpected turn.
The main intention of the anthology across both seasons remains the same: that desire is alright, without the moral preaching and supposed boundaries set by society. The first episode in the second season, Gigolo, drives this idea forward particularly well, starting as a plea to stop judging male prostitutes for their choices and using it as a hook to discuss (absence of) companionship in metros.
Though one can sense the slightly conservative outlook towards the flesh trade (it adopts an overly flashy treatment with a tinge of humour to describe gigolos and their rates), it finds its rhythm while dealing with urban loneliness. Through Vetri and Namrata’s chat, it talks of the human need to find good listeners (in a non-sexual way), leading them to an app that could solve the problem.
With Kalla Kadhal, it’s hard to understand what the story eventually intends to say – that young men and women are liberated enough to lead life on their own terms? However, what works better is the way it addresses the awkwardness in love-making, how it can be far from perfect. It brings a dose of adventure into the mix; the couple chases a burglar in the middle of a wild night.
One wishes the second episode had elaborated more about the conversation the mother tries to have with the daughter about safe sex. Given that such topics remain underdiscussed in households even today, shows like Sshhh serve as a bridge, addressing taboo topics with a dose of humour and thrills. Sshhh Season 2 works more for its intent than the narrative, which isn’t as racy as it could’ve been.
Sshhh Season 2 talks about desire with maturity, respectability minus double entendre, though the writing could’ve been sharper. The first season certainly boasted better variety in terms of themes, while the second one is bolder.
Performances by Others Actors
Premgi Amaren struggles to elicit a few laughs. In the second episode, Jinal Joshi fares slightly better with an exuberant presence, while Charan Sai passes muster. Uma Padmanabhan lends a good comic touch to the ending.
Music and Other Departments?
Naveen Samson deserves praise for the music; it has a playful quality without unnecessary innuendos, apprehensions and has a racy quality. The lighting patterns, colour choices are particularly impressive in the first episode (cinematography by Saravanan Ramasamy). The length of the episodes – at about 45 minutes – gives enough room for the directors to build the story and its mood.
Highlights?
Bold premise
Some humour, thrills
Drawbacks?
Generic writing without many layers
Relies on convenient coincidences
Did I Enjoy It?
It’s neither great nor bad
Will You Recommend It?
If you’re up for something in the lines of Lust Stories
Sshhh Season 2 Series Review by M9
