Jai Mahendran review: Good writing powers this engaging comical political satire

Web series have become par for the course as entertainment for the audience, but not all of them are crafted well or have good performances. Now, Malayalam web series Jai Mahendran, starring Saiju Kurup, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rahul Riji Nair and Miya George, comes as a breath of fresh air in the cluttered OTT landscape. Released on SonyLIV, the Srikanth Mohan-directed series, has, in fact, been written and created by Rahul Riji Nair, who also stars in the series. (Also Read – Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video review: Rajkummar Rao can’t save this disaster with great first hour ruined by weak script)
The setting is the Palazhikkulam Tahsildar’s office in Trivandrum, where Mahendran (Saiju Kurup) works as the Deputy Tahsildar. Mahendran’s aim is to help everyone who comes to the Tahsildar’s office in search of documents as he feels empathetic to their troubles and financial struggles. His trusted right-hand man is Balu (Rahul Riji Nair), who works with him and the two are accomplices of sorts.
But within this revenue department, there are power struggles, corruption, and petty office politics that affect Mahendran. When the new impeccable tahsildar Shobha (Suhasini Mani Ratnam) comes in, a tussle of sorts takes place between Mahendran and her as she tries to change the way the tahsildar’s office functions. The issue reaches a breakpoint when Shobha signs a document and both she and Mahendras get suspended for allegedly being corrupt. With their reputations in tatters, what do they do next? Were they both really corrupt? How do they get out of this mess?
Actor-writer Rahul Riji Nair has penned this comical political satire superbly and made it highly engaging keeping you invested for all six episodes. Nair has taken what happens in a regular tahsildar office and the issues the common man has to deal with, and woven a tale with various intriguing characters and situations. He banks on the stereotype that people working in government offices are typically corrupt, lazy, spend more time on tea breaks and other activities, pass the file endlessly from one desk to the other, and keep telling the applicant to come a hundred times to the office for a document. So, in one scene, we see a young woman working in the revenue department flirting on the phone when someone asks her where to hand in an application form. She doesn’t cut the call, but gets annoyed with him for disturbing her. In another scene, we see another employee busy munching on unni appams and insisting that the man, who is desperately trying to find out where his government-allocated land is, also have one because it tastes good. It’s these little nuances that add more flavour to the series and make it compelling.
Every episode (around 35 minutes) tells its own story and at the same time, Nair effortlessly carries the story of Mahendran forward to its logical conclusion. He never strays from the crux of the story and no character feels out of place either. The tight screenplay and editing by Christy Sebastian make Jai Mahendran a well-made series. One must also add that the cinematography by Prasanth Raveendran leant itself well to the story too.
When it comes to performances, Malayalam actor Saiju Kurup has already proved himself on the big screen. His ability to star in roles that comes with a comical touch has been seen in films like the recent Bharatanatyam, Janamaithri, Janaki Jaane, and Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan. The chemistry between him and Rahul Riji Nair works out well and their expressions add to the hilarity of the situations. Sushasini Mani Ratnam is a veteran actor and she brings with her the experience and thus, is effortless on screen. She is apt to play the role of Shobha and while her role may not be extensive in the series, she is impactful. Miya Geroge, who plays Mahendran’s wife, doesn’t have too much to do in the series and appears periodically just as a reminder that she exists.
Jai Mahendran is a well-crafted comical political satire that shows that Malayalam filmmakers can create good content for the small screen too.