The Secret Eye: Innovative Malayalam web series turns viewers into participants

Since digital platforms are the go-to medium for everyone to pass their time these days, there has been a small surge in the amount of content being created for them, regardless of the equipment being used.

A few filmmakers are coming up with engaging ideas to keep people worry-free during this lockdown phase. One of them is Tiju Thomas Thumpamon, who has conceived a multi-episode YouTube crime investigation series titled The Secret Eye.

The speciality of this series is that it has been designed like a game that involves audience participation. The entire process requires the viewer to listen to the actors' interaction and guess who the real culprit is. Selected winners will be rewarded with a gift. The answer will be unveiled on Thursday at 5 pm.

The first episode, titled Benjaminte Thirodhanam, dropped last Sunday (April 19) and the second episode is scheduled to air this Sunday. The case being discussed — the unexplained disappearance of the eponymous character — was inspired by an actual case, says Tijo, who wrote the first episode in a week.

24 theatre actors have taken part in the series, all friends of Tijo. Among them are some familiar faces like Kannan Nayar and Gibin G Nair, in addition to Krishnan Balakrishnan, Sarita Sreejith, Sujith Babu, Praveen Cp, and Reju R Nair among others. Some of the members are real-life police officers, lawyers and psychologists from whom the filmmaker sought inputs to make everything seem plausible.

The footage of the actors discussing the case is stitched together in a way that makes it seem like a zoom interaction. Tijo has written, directed and edited the series himself.