New Delhi, India

Slow-burning intense crime dramas have always been one of the genres that have gripped the attention of moviegoers. And nowadays, OTT platforms are flooded with this type of content. Director Abhishek Chaubey's new drama, Killer Soup, is just another addition to this niche. Since the announcement of the web series, it has been on my watch list, and all credit goes to the fantastic cast of the show. It even makes you think about what can go wrong when you have acting gems like Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead. However, when it comes to Netflix's recent outing, it's just another drab addition, despite the fabulous cast.

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After watching the first four episodes of Killer Soup, it became clear that the show is a blend of many genres. It's an intense black comedy with a slow-burning plot, full of family conflicts, conspiracy, back-to-back murders, deceit and mayhem.

What's Killer Soup all about?

Set in the fictional town of South India Mainjur, the dense cloudy city amid the green lands, the story revolves around Swathi (Konkana), a housewife who is bored with her very regular life and her husband Prabhakar (Manoj). After 20 years of marriage, the only thing Swathi with her zero cooking skills now thinks about is her dream of becoming a chef and owning a restaurant. 

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After being ignored by her husband, Swathi has a secret lover Umesh, who has a striking resemblance with Prabhakar. 

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After a row of murders, twists and turns, Swathi, with her clever tactics, manages to present her lover Umesh as husband Prabhakar in front of the world. 

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The two lovers who were planning to elope finally get a chance to build a dream life. But, is it that simple and easy path to take? Things get pretty bad for Swathi, as she tries to cover up all the lies and murders as she finally gets aware of all the tactics of his bankrupt late husband and all the troubles that he has left behind. 

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To investigate the killing of a detective, Inspector Hassan (Nasser), and his assistant Thupallu, an enthusiastic young man comes into the plot as they get involved in the life of Swathi and her family, and unravel the mystery.

Co-written by Abhishek, Unaiza Merchant, Anant Tripathi and Harshad Nalawade, the series is merely another black comedy with humour, drama and mystery intact. 

At the outset, the story manages to grip your attention, but soon you become aware of what's in store for you. 

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In recent times, we have seen dark comedies with a lot of pop culture references, and like I said, this is not much different. At some points, the Netflix drama gives you the deja vu of the other web shows that you have watched in recent times. 

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However, with the mystic mountains and green lands, the series creates a visually engaging experience. 

To an extent, the series felt like the old drama served with a new garnish, and doesn't have much to offer. The commendable job has been done by the camerawork, who perfectly captured the dense tone of the black comedy. 

The series seems predictable and jaded and is exaggerated with a twist that seems silly to some extent. 

Konkona Sen Sharma: The powerhouse of the show

Konkona talks with her eyes and keeps you glued to her splendid performance. 

From the start, she has managed to steal the limelight and did her job right as a naive Swathi, who unintentionally gets into the world of crime. In the first four episodes, Konkana makes the viewer stick to the screen and notice her performance. With her impeccable talent, Konkona made the character of bitter-sweet Swathi entertaining and gripping. 

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Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee adds his charm to the show, and supports Konkona in every frame, whether as Prabhu or Umesh. Nasser as the police officer and Sayaji Shinde as the foul-mouthed elder brother are the other two characters of the show that made their presence felt. They both have done a decent job in their parts. 

The Killer Soup is not a fresh one with a new recipe. It's a regular black comedy drama with some good dressing that makes the show watchable. The series deserves praise when it comes to the performances but gets negative marks for its storyline.