Eyes tackles the serious issue of stalking and toxic relationships with a talented cast, but its loose pacing and underdeveloped character dynamics stop it from becoming the gripping procedural it could have been, points out Sreeju Sudhakaran.
IMAGE: Shruti Ramachandran and Nikhila Vimal in Eyes.
Key Points
- The Malayalam series Eyes focuses on a Kerala Police trial programme designed to psychologically evaluate and rehabilitate individuals accused of repeated stalking and harassment.
- The show features a strong ensemble cast including Kani Kusruti, Nikhila Vimal, Shruti Ramachandran, and Jaffer Idukki, who contribute to the impact of its relevant theme.
- The series explores four major cases of stalking and toxic relationships, while highlighting the personal struggles of the police team members.
Eyes is directed by Manu Ashokan, who previously made films like Uyare and Kaanekkane, with writing duo Sanjay-Bobby scripting all three. Both Uyare and Kaanekkanewere well-made human dramas driven by splendid performances sharing a common theme of toxicity in relationships.
Eyes is more of a police procedural, which is, of course, Malayalam cinema’s favourite go-to genre. With its focus on the rising cases of stalking and harassment women face on a daily basis, Eyes has the elements of a powerful piece of relevant storytelling.
Not to mention, the presence of actors like Kani Kusruti, Nikhila Vimal, Shruti Ramachandran and Jaffer Idukki boosts the impact of what it has to say. If only the narrative had been more tightly knit and the central thread stronger. Otherwise, Eyes could easily have been another prime example of solid storytelling from Malayalam cinema and SonyLIV’s answer to JioHotstar’s Kerala Crime Files.
The ‘Eyes’ Programme and Its Flaws
Eyes is the name of a trial programme the Kerala Police wants to implement on a trial basis to conduct psychological evaluations of criminals accused of repeatedly stalking and harassing their victims, hoping to turn them around. Two cops, Tina (Kani Kusruti) and Justin (Prabhu Murali Krishnan) are assigned to help the team.
The programme is led by psychologist Aisha (Nikhila Vimal), who is aided by rookie psychologist Thanvi (Riya Jithu) and IT expert Vidhya (Shruthi Ramachandran), the brains behind the software called Eyes.
For this software to work, the harasser must comply with the programme. The cops in the team ensure this through threats. The subjects must wear a trackable smartwatch that monitors their proximity to their intended target, while also checking their blood levels to ensure they are regularly taking their prescribed medication.
You can instantly see how this software is not a foolproof way to monitor such sensitive cases. No matter how much Vidhya swears by her creation, the series keeps pointing out all the ways the software fails to do its job.
The primary reason, of course, is the temporary disbandment of the team itself after a monitored subject dies by suicide and they fail to predict the outcome. The show tracks the events leading up to that fateful point, and what eventually brings the team back together.
Exploring Diverse Cases of Stalking
The cases they handle drive the storyline forward.
We see four major cases. One involves a film actress (Anagha) and her stalker (Vasudev Bose), who believes he is in a relationship with her. Then there is one about a supermarket employee (Athira Patel) and her toxic boyfriend (Aadhie).
The third case is a ‘he says, she says’ storyline about an IAS officer (Dev Mohan) and his wife (Saniya Iyappan), the daughter of a former minister.
The fourth case follows a runaway couple (Parvathy K Krishna and Anand Manmandhan) caught in a web of toxic abuse, alcoholism and violent threats, where the woman is willing allowing herself to be trapped in that relationship for the safety of all.
While the show initially makes it feel like it will take a chapter-wise approach, that is not exactly the case. Most of the tracks criss-cross and stretch out to the final episode for their conclusions.
Team Dynamics and Narrative Challenges
The Eyes team members also have their own personal troubles. Aisha and Justin have experienced the dangers of stalking and domestic abuse in their families. Thanvi is hitched to a controlling fiancé involved in shady dealings, and Vidhya is on the brink of bankruptcy because her software keeps failing to get the right results.
That last point makes sense.
Even when the team tastes some success, it has more to do with psychological evaluations than actual software efficiency. There is also a suspenseful twist built at the end of the first episode that became the reason why the team banded together again.
The individual cases grab your intrigue. They feel familiar either because you have read about these stories in real life or seen them in movies. But exploring them through the lens of toxic masculinity raises a vital sense of awareness.
Perhaps encouraged by the long-format storytelling that an OTT show allows, you get the feeling that some plot points feel stretched out long after the core point has been established. The storyline involving the IAS officer and his wife suffers from this problem. Once you realise whose fault it is from a different perspective, you wish the narrative would get to the point faster.
Sure, the gaslighting nature of one character is interesting, but the manner in which the team tackles it near the end felt a bit too convenient and easy.
One of the cases, despite the show spending so much time on it, never gets a proper conclusion. You may need to wait for the next season, if that ever happens, just to get some closure.
Vidhya’s storyline and her justification for a contentious decision also needed a more truncated approach. You understand how she pulled off a certain crime just by hearing an eyewitness account. You do not need to be shown how she pulled it off because this is not some bank heist.
A similarly abridged approach could have benefited a suspenseful track that closes in the final episode, where a flashback goes on and on about how one crime gets committed.
A slicker treatment could have helped the show get its messaging across better, while giving us more sequences of the Eyes team forming a strong bond. Instead, we mostly get them paying lip service to their mutual appreciation without ever seeing why they feel that way.
One moment they are odds at each each other, and the next they are a close unit chilling in one of their flats.
When Tina says Eyes made her value her job more, I understood where she was coming from. But up until then, we never see Eyes actually achieving success, and she was the one who first suggested the team stop when they faced their first major incident. This kind of dynamic is exactly what the show should have developed more.
Performances and Overall Verdict
Speaking of the performances, I have to say I keep getting bowled over by Kani Kusruti even if this role is quite an easy walk for her; it is just hard not to be won over by her casual smirks and ‘never mess with me’ expressions.
Jaffer Idukki also stands out, fantastic as the manipulative father of one of the stalkers. Nikhila Vimal deadpans it a bit too much, but is fine otherwise. The rest of the cast is alright.
Eyes has all the right ingredients for a gripping procedural, but keeps getting in its own way. The subject deserved sharper writing, the team deserved stronger development, and the cases deserved tighter handling. What remains is a show with something important to say, but not quite enough precision to say it powerfully.
Eyes streams on SonyLIV.
Eyes Review Rediff Rating:
