Killer Soup review: A delicious dark comedy saved by Konkona Sensharma

Konkona Sensharma in a still from Killer Soup.

The ingredients of this wacky dark comedy

Killer Soup opens in the fictional town of Mainjur, where its gaze swiftly introduces the main house. It looks calm and normal from outside- we see the photographs of the husband and wife, and both of them get ready for the day- Prabhu choosing what to wear from his collection of bright printed shirts while Swathi prepares her paya soup. By the end of the day, however, the circumstances will change for the worse- when Prabhu will learn that Swathi is having an affair with his look-alike (but with a squint eye) masseuse Umesh. Meanwhile, it takes time for Prabhu’s lies- the failed hotel deal with his corrupt brother Aravind Shetty (Sayaji Shinde), his affair, and a doomed side detective at work.

The makeover, as desperate as it looks, occurs in breakneck speed in Killer Soup- once the lies start to pile up one after the other. The ingredients are too much to bear at times- how Swathi manipulates Umesh into a dangerous makeover, the involvement of the police (Nassar) and his eager subordinate ASI Thupalli (Anbuthasan), and many more characters that get sucked into this web of lies and deceit.

Too many cooks…?

Killer Soup- spilled over 8 hour-long episodes, remains steadfast and entertaining… to a point where the inventiveness gives way to a overstuffed porridge. But stick with it, nevertheless. The first four episodes in particular–involving strategic use of magic realism and pop culture references–keep the intrigue in check. Accidents, hallucinations, blackmail and more deaths arrive, and the show starts to lose its ferocity in the last episodes where a curious case of identities preside over some of the more blatant needs of the story.

The script, co-written by Anaiza Merchant, Anant Tripathi and Harshad Nalawade is always desirous to stay one step ahead- and it is this rush that overpowers the need for intrigue and texture. Too many characters and their unresolved threads remain to be stitched up by the time the soup boils over towards that last episode, and although Chaubey competently handles the scenes- the residues of overemphasis cannot be ignored. Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s camerawork is revelatory in its choice of perspective.

Konkona Sensharma leads the pack

What keeps the fun unravelling are the stellar group of actors, particularly from Konkona Sensharma, who never puts a foot wrong. Revenge is a dish best served… in soup! That seems to be the prerogative of Swathi, who is scheming and plotting her way through the men who find new ways to disappoint her. The actor hides a deep interiority, and makes great use of scenes where she is simply reacting. To her credit, she is strongly supported by Manoj Bajpayee, who is a riot as the bumbling man unable to control what’s happening around him. Special mention to Kanu Kusruti, who leaves a solid impression in a handful scenes.

Gripping and thoroughly entertaining, Killer Soup is a great start to the year– piping hot when required, which soon beings to turn icy-cold. Savour all of it, and then decide.

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