Where Does Tamannaah's November Story Stands?
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November Story is basically a Tamil language crime thriller web series by Hotstar Specials. The 7-episode web series stars Tamannaah in the lead role along with Pasupathy M and others. It is basically a murder mystery that aims to instill fear among the audience before coming to a conclusion. The series was released on Disney+ Hotstar on May 20, 2021. Before we move towards the details, let's get to know about the people who are a part of the series.
Cast: Tamannaah, GM Kumar, Pasupathy M, Namita Krishanurthy.
Director: Indhra Subramanian.
Composer: Saran Raghavan.
The series has been both written and directed by Indhra Subramanian.
As per the Times of India rating bar, the critics rating for the show is 3, whereas the average user's rating is 3.5. This itself is an indication that Tamannaah's first major OTT project is an average watch.
The Detailed Review of the November Story
The story is driven by three different narratives. The first part of the story shows a child raised by a nun who grows into a boy attracted to surgery. He later has to give up his dream. The second part of the story showcases three youths plotting the kidnapping of a mentally challenged young woman (Namita Krishnamurthy) with the help of her maid. The third story is a major story that occupies most of the series' time. It revolves around the character called Anuradha (Tamannaah).
Anuradha is the lead character in the series. She is a computer expert facing difficulties in selling a house that belongs to her father, Ganesan (GM Kumar), a crime writer with the second stage of Alzheimer's.
The interesting part of the story starts after Ganesan goes missing after giving the slip to his caretaker, only to be found by Anuradha in the house that she wants to sell, with a dead woman by his side. She gets scared and thinks to cover up her father's involvement in the case. However, it isn't going to be an easy task as a cop. Sudalai (Aruldoss) is getting suspicious. This leaves Anuradha with no other option but to track down the actual killer before time runs out.
The exact date of the crime is November 16, and that's why the title - 'November Story.'
The date is not normal. It has a personal connection to it with a bus accident that occurred in Tirunelveli 25 years ago.
Despite the series having so many plot twists, critics have been left unimpressed largely.
The story has mystery, thrill, suspense, and an amazing screenplay. Being an ethical hacker, Anuradha's life is full of problems. But they get real after her real-life becomes as tricky as her professional life. From hacking into computer systems, Anuradha finds herself looking for a cover-up and then for the real culprit behind the murder of a lady whose body she found next to her father? Will she save her father for you to watch, and if this introduction attracted you to the story, you should give the series a try. But why the critics weren't much impressed with the series is for us to explain.
The transition from movie to web series is certainly a tricky one. The first problem is with the pacing. Some scenes looked too far stretched, and that is essentially a sign of someone habitual of drawing plots in limited time, getting too much time for the first time. But the series is certainly entertaining and has the elements to keep you engaged.
One thing that's great about the series is the time taken to introduce the characters. This is the part that the makers should be proud of. The writing, however, can't be termed exceptional. There are several cracks in different scenes, and to call this a closely packed script would be a lie. Another thing that might distract you is lip-syncing.
However, the characters in the series were up to the mark. Tamannaah has lived up to the expectation and portrayed her role with perfection. The same can be said about other characters as well.
While giving time to introduce characters properly is a great thing, the same can go against you when most of the time is consumed in introspection of the case. The actual action is very limited, and you might find yourself getting impatient at points, waiting for something conclusive to happen. This is again a problem that highlights ordinary direction. The rest is for the audience to decide.