BOTTOM LINE
Half-Baked Crime Thriller
PLATFORM
Jio Hotstar
RUNTIME
180 minutes (6 episodes)
What Is the Film About?
Rishi, a young man with a supernatural ability to gain insights through touch, is part of a team to tackle intricate cases, unknowingly becomes the target of a mysterious killer. Years after a devastating fire at Maruthi Apartments links Raghav and Rishi, they find themselves investigating separate but potentially connected incidents, during which they bump into Megha.
Performances
Given that the show relies more on the plot and less on the meat of its characters, the talented cast doesn’t get ample opportunities to showcase their worth. Navdeep and Dheekshith Shetty are capable of delivering more nuanced performances but do their best within the scope of the story to keep the viewers invested.
Analysis
In the hope of building anticipation for new seasons and turning everything into a franchise, OTT platforms have unintentionally paved the way for patchy storytelling over the years. Viewers never get a holistic idea of a story, and shows are reduced to endorsements with captions that could read – ‘Want to know more? Do wait for another season’ (and they feel as underwhelming as the first).
Touch Me Not, an adaptation of the Korean show He Is Psychometric, is all about the chase for a mastermind behind multiple crimes, with the story revolving around his past victims – Rishi, Raghav and Megha. Adding a supernatural dimension to the show is Rishi’s love for psychometry, where he accumulates knowledge about an object or a person through touch. Except for officer Devika, all three protagonists lead turbulent childhoods.
The series, while charting the destinies of Rishi, Raghav and Megha, their past, the friendships and a hint of romance, alternates across many incidents – the fire at an apartment (that changes their lives for the worse), an eerily similar hospital fire many years later and another incident of a dead body found in a suitcase. Raghav is full of mystery, while Rishi and Megha are drawn to one another.
The show is driven by a fast-paced screenplay that swiftly shifts its attention from one event to the other at the drop of a hat. While it piques your curiosity initially, it gives little time to process the journeys of the characters (character development is quite poor), and the interpersonal relationships feel superficial. This could be a byproduct of telling a story in the era of Instagram reels.
Probably with the constraint around an episode’s runtime, you only get to see flashes of the character’s pasts, which are intriguing but feel incomplete. Megha has yet to come to terms with her father being framed in the apartment fire case. Rishi has an easygoing exterior, yet the memories of his parents haunt him. Raghav has his trauma too, but he doesn’t entertain discussions around it.
A subplot around Megha unfolding in a college (which also has Rishi) sticks out like a sore thumb, due to which a lecturer loses his job. Occasionally, the show provides a brief idea of Devika’s liking for Raghav at work (though the latter doesn’t want to take it ahead). Some scenes appear too random in the context of the show, while for a few crucial events, there’s no proper lead or foundation.
A brief sequence about the possible link between Devika’s father and the crimes creates an element of intrigue in the final episodes. Just when you think about connecting the dots, the show ends on a mysterious note. Touch Me Not never rises above its superficiality because the suspense isn’t entirely gripping (the thrill factor is nil), and the characters don’t resonate with you either.
Touch Me Not is strictly for one-time consumption. It just doesn’t have the layers or the performances to stay rent-free in your head.
Performances by Others Actors
Sanchitha Poonacha may not have a crucial role to play, though she has an arresting screen presence, distracting us from of the show’s missteps. Komalee Prasad’s portrayal is not quite affecting and is largely mechanical and superficial. Pramodhini, Babloo Prithiveeraj, Devi Prasad and Anish Kuruvilla are just about alright in their brief appearances.
Music and Other Departments?
Mahati Swara Sagar’s music score is decent in terms of matching the intent of the show, doing what’s necessary to build anticipation and tension in the proceedings. In terms of cinematography, Gokul Bharathi’s visuals make an impression despite the limitations in terms of locations and backdrops. Chaarvi Murari’s adaptation for an Indian setting is only half-good, for it doesn’t generate much emotional connect.
Highlights?
Decent premise
Neat performances from the cast
Drawbacks?
No emotional connect
The thrills don’t work always
Compromises on storytelling while focusing on pace
Did I Enjoy It?
Only in parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you like thrillers with a supernatural connect
Touch Me Not Telugu Series Review by M9
