Chutney Sambar Series Review: An almost delectable series that needed more wholesomeness

How surprising it is that humans connect so deeply with food that their emotions add flavour to the dishes? How is it that despite trying world cuisines at a Michelin-starred restaurant, they crave home-made food, especially food prepared by the mother? Director Radha Mohan, who has previously served finger-licking flavours in his earlier films, steps up once again to whip up some of these thoughts as ingredients in his debut web series, Chutney Sambar. He presents another interesting, albeit familiar, tale and gives us enough to chew on in this family drama that has the talented Yogi Babu in the lead. Like a dexterous cook, he keeps the show from overflowing from a barrage of ingredients and adds flavour to the areas that need it.

Director: Radha Mohan

Cast: Yogi Babu, Chandran, Nitin Sathyaa, Myna Nandhini, Nizhalgal Ravi, Elango Kumaravel, Vani Bhojan, Charlie and Samyuktha Vishwanathan

Streamer: Disney+ Hotstar

Within the first episode, the director sets all the conflicts and lays the foundation clearly for what is about to come. A dying Rathinaswamy (Nizhalgal Ravi) talks to his son Karthik (Chandran) about his life before marriage and the child he thought he didn’t have. Meanwhile, Sachin (Yogi Babu) is thrust with multiple revelations about who his father is and what family is like. Karthik is entrusted with the responsibility of bringing him back and reuniting him with his family, while every member struggles to live with a stranger and a new uncomfortable truth.

The director knows that the audience expects ample and effective comedy in his work, and he presents them with a delightful dose of it. The series is peppered with many enjoyable meta-jokes. Over the years, Yogi Babu's appearance has been used to conveniently evoke humour. When the same joke is made here, Sachu retorts, "Ennada manda manda nu solra? Indha mudi than enaku adayalame" (Why are you making fun of my hair? It is my identity). When Elango (Nitin Sathyaa) uses a similar body shaming joke, Karthik cuts him and points out his mistake. It's self-aware, but it's also one-sided because, early on, Sachu makes fun of someone's nose to create humour.

We also see Elango and his wife Amudha's (Myna Nandhini) child using a bucket to urinate in public because he's afraid of the toilet. Something about an anaconda biting his back... You get it. But these jokes never land.

When a Radha Mohan film releases, one invariably looks for characters that sing memorable tunes that stay in our mind long after the credits roll. In that regard, Deepa Shankar gets a heartwarming role as Amudha. Her relationship with Sachu in the flashback portions adds a tender and heartwarming touch to the story. Vani Bhojan as Sophie yearns for independence and plays an effective supporting role as a steadfast and strong woman who can walk out of the lives of toxic people. While such characters are well-rounded, we also see Jensy (Samyuktha Vishwanathan) who barely yields any substance to the story. Her incoherent romantic track with Karthik and a few dialogues on her stubbornness don't feel enough.

But these minor flaws in the six-episode-long series can be brushed aside, as the central characters stay true to themselves and offer comic relief even during an extremely intense scene. Although you don't get convinced by Chandran in the beginning, the actor proves his mettle with a restrained performance.

For all the debate around food, chutney and sambar etc., I would have loved to witness a culinary clash or a longish portion about the food that Amudha and Rathinaswamy’s family grew up with. The series focuses mostly on the familial drama and how they strive to resolve it. Even as it is done tastefully, a part of my heart wanted it to be seamlessly integrated with the food that was present across the two classes and how they bridged their differences together through it.

While Chutney Sambar gets most of it right, predictability wears down the screenplay, and the few twists in it can be seen from miles away. However, Yogi Babu and co keep the story fresh and just about tasty for the time that it serves the audience. It doesn't overcrowd or stuff the plot with needless details and sticks to what it does best. As Sachu puts it in his own words, "nalla irundha sambhar la naamale en uppu alli podanum?" (Why should we throw salt in an already flavourful sambar?).