Killer Soup, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma, is a dark comedy directed by Abhishek Chaubey, which is streaming on Netflix.
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nasser, Anula Navlekar, Kani Kusruti, Sayaji Shinde, Lal.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: 4 stars
Crime dramas on Indian streaming platforms can be roughly divided into three genres – a gang story set in a small town in north India, a whodunit featuring a troubled cop, or a world-ending conspiracy that must force heroes to band together. These overpopulated, oversaturated genres have been dishing out shows that almost blend into each other. So it’s no wonder that Netflix’s Killer Soup arrives as a much-needed clutter-breaker. The dark comedy balances thrill, humour, and chills in such a delicious manner that it justifies the title. On top of that is the garnishing of some amazing performances, led by Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma. Killer Soup, well and truly, lives up to its name.
Killer Soup is the story of Swathi (Konkona), a housewife who aspires to be a chef and open her own restaurant, minus the required cooking talent though. Her husband Prabhakar(Manoj Bajpayee) and brother-in-law Arvind (Sayaji Shinde) are unsupportive of her dreams, so she turns to her secret lover Umesh (again Manoj). What follows is a tale of twists, turns and deceit, where Swathi tried to replace Prabhakar with Umesh, as a zealous local cop (Nasser) is on her tail.
What works for Killer Soup is the writing. The show keeps the audience ahead of the characters, abandoning the usual whodunit formula. That means that even as the characters are battling for life and death, the viewers find it all very funny. The slightly elevated tone allows the performers to go over without actually overact, giving us a very Fargo-like tone, but set in Tamil Nadu. The setting also allows for a more natural flow of narrative with Hindi and Tamil dialogue intermingling.
Manoj Bajpayee is back in a web series with his different brand of humour, which he has perfected over several seasons of The Family Man as well as Gangs of Wasseypur. His delivery, emotions, and physica comedy is spot on, and the actor effortlessly shifts between the two diametrically opposite characters of Prabhakar and Umesh. Konkona is at home as Swathi, the woman who believes she has earned the right to demand something for herself and is entitled this one thing. The switch in her character from helpless to cunning as the show progresses is delightful to watch and performed quite well by the seasoned actress.
Nasser and Sayaji Shinde are the two wild cards for me in this show apart from the leads. The two veteran actors show pretty different sides of themselves, bringing humour when they are being threatening, and vulnerability when they are hurt. Anula Navrekar is also a revelation as Sayaji’s character’s daughter Apeksha. The young actress leaves her mark as almost a Gen Z extension of Swathi’s ambition, but slightly more righteous.
But Killer Soup is not all good too. There are times when the show lags. The slightly supernatural, other-worldly aspects added to the narrative end up being rather unnecessary, something around which I could not wrap my head. In the middle episodes, the show becomes slow, with the viewer waiting for something to happen. It is only the fine performances that sustain it and stop you from ending your binge watch. But it does pick up pace.
What irked me the most, perhaps, is the conclusion of it all, the finale. I do feel that it leaves several ends untied and unless the makers are planning a season 2 (which frankly would not make sense to me), the end feels slightly abrupt ad eve out of character. But despite all that, full marks to director Abhishek Chaubey and Netflix for trying something new and actually serving it in a delicious manner. This soup is best served piping hot and fresh (before your friends spoil it for you)!
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