“Paruvu” means honor in Telugu, and the show titled the same is now streaming on Zee5 Global. The show is a Telugu-language show that covers the subjects of caste discrimination and ostracization. A woman and her husband are on the receiving end of it. Coupled with the social dilemmas, a murder changes their lives. There are several characters in the show that are related to the couple and the person who is murdered. All of them define the show and help the audience come to terms with the fact that family members might not be the nicest people.
Spoilers Ahead
Pallavi
Nivetha Pethuraj as Pallavi, who is also referred to as Dolly by her family, is a headstrong woman who does not allow anyone to dictate her life. She is going to her hometown with her husband Sudheer and being driven there by her cousin Chandu. Chandu and Pallavi have had a sour relationship ever since she chose to marry a man of her choice who belongs to another caste. Her paranoia only grows after watching her cousin be verbally aggressive towards her, which makes her wonder if they are being taken to be killed. Pallavi and Sudheer got married under extremely dire circumstances, as she was treated like a slave and put through physical violence at the hands of her father upon his learning of her relationship with Sudheer.
Pallavi eggs her husband Sudheer on to save themselves, and he ends up killing Chandu in haste. What follows is Pallavi and her husband planning to save themselves from being arrested. Pallavi, however, is not afraid to confront her parents when visiting them in the event of her uncle’s death. She refuses to hear any ill words about her husband from anybody in the family, including her cousin, who finds ways to taunt her and her life choices. Pallavi wants to ensure all the traces of evidence that could lead to them are destroyed. She makes sure they are treated with respect and dignity.
Sudheer
Naresh Agastya, as Sudheer, is the silent spectator to the anger-filled conversation between his wife Pallavi and her cousin Chandu. Sudheer was not keen on believing Pallavi’s words, but her harshness forced him to take action, which led to Chandu’s death. His survival mode kicked in, and along with his wife, they made an elaborate plan to fabricate every piece of evidence.
Sudheer reveals that he is indeed a survivor because he experienced poverty, and his motive behind clearing all the trail of evidence is to make sure he does not go back to his old life. Sudheer also worries about his murderous tendencies, as he does not think twice about having come up with plans to get rid of the body instead of listening to his moral conscience and surrendering. Sudheer is a more grounded person, while Pallavi knows how to use her power as she has grown up surrounded by people using influence to their benefit. Sudheer and Pallavi are, however, a team and very much in love. They will not survive without each other. Sudheer has been a big support to Pallavi and did not think twice before marrying her when she left her home after surviving the mental torture.
Ramayya
The legendary Telugu actor Nagendra Babu as Ramayya, the right-wing politician, is a man who cannot be messed with. He is powerful and influential, and nothing goes around in his hometown without him knowing. As the state was on the verge of going to elections, his right-wing ideology led a couple to elope. Jahnavi belonged to Ramayya’s community, while Vikram belonged to the community of the rival political party. Ramayya is stubborn and wants to teach a lesson to the town by separating them. The man does not hide his ideology and his tendency to discriminate against people based on caste. He caters to his community, which is probably middle- and upper-middle-class and believes in the caste system long after it has been outlawed by the constitution.
Ramayya is a shrewd man who would go to any extent to maintain his power in his town. He is confronted by Chandu’s wife at many stages and learns the said woman is not scared of him. A misogynistic man like him does not appreciate a woman confronting him. Ramayya realizes things will slowly slip out of his grasp if he does not play the game correctly.
Swathi
Praneetha Patnaik, as Swathi, is yet another strong female character who is fighting for her love. She and Chandu have been engaged for a while, and they have been inseparable. Even though Chandu is a party man working diligently for Ramayya, he makes sure to keep her in the loop about his life. Swathi is just like every other woman who might be financially independent but still believes in the caste system.
Swathi tries to put Pallavi down for the choices she made, but she refuses to see her fiancé intimidating people in the name of Ramayya. Swathi and Chandu shared everything, but he did not share where he was headed after meeting Pallavi and Sudheer. She suspected one too many people who may have a motive to get rid of him. In her pursuit to find Chandu, she learns a lot about Ramayya, Sudheer, and Pallavi, and does not plan to let them go. Swathi is the kind of woman who cannot be messed with, and she plans to get to the bottom of the matter and find out if Chandu is dead or alive.
Radha
Bindhu Chandramouli, in her limited role in Paruvu, as Pallavi’s cousin Radha, leaves a lasting impact. She comes across as someone who has a lot to say about Pallavi’s choices. These two cousins have a complicated, love-hate relationship with each other. Just like the rest of the family, Radha also taunts her but also comes clean about the strenuous life she has led ever since her own marriage. Both bonded over their lost years ever since Pallavi got married and left her family for good. Radha and Pallavi seem to be trying to amend their relationship, but only time will tell if the former’s affection for her cousin is honest or not.
Chandu
Sunil Kommisetty, as Chandrashekhar, aka Chandu, is the central character of the show. He has had a sour relationship with his cousin Pallavi, whom he picked up from her home along with her husband Sudheer. Chandu never hid the hate he has had for his sister after she left her home to marry and live with Sudheer, a man of another caste. Chandu’s actions are suspicious, which forces Sudheer to make a stern move. Chandu’s death changes the course of the story, but certain flashback sequences prove that Chandu does have a violent streak, though at times he is a person who shows a moral conscience.
Chandu’s name sprung up initially when he was accused of killing Vikram and Jahnavi, who planned to elope. He loves Swathi with all his heart and keeps her in the loop about every move he takes, professional or personal. The man got embroiled in troubles, which may have caused Sudheer and Pallavi to take a step against him to protect themselves.
SI Chakravarthy
Rajkumar Kasireddy as SI Chakravarthy, is the kind of policeman who meddles in affairs that do not relate to him. He is the first person to notice Chandu’s car, and the fact he is not present in it. Certain flashback scenes depict him as a typical police officer who follows rules and regulations, but he is loyal to Ramayya. They were all caught in the murder of a young couple, Vikram and Jahnavi. This case was blown up, and it most certainly became a caste issue. SI Chakravarthy is shown to have a soft spot for Swathi. Along with her, he is keen to find out what Chandu is up to since he seems to have disappeared.
ASI Babji
Moeem, as ASI Babji, works under SI Chakravarthy and is constantly asked to listen to his boss outside of work as well. It is understood that ASI Babji belongs to another caste, and he seems to be in touch with people who knew the deceased Vikram’s family and wanted to help them find him before the tragedy struck. Babji is guilty of being unable to save the young boy, and ever since, it has created havoc in the town since the elections were around the corner. Babji, unlike Chakravarthy, refuses to take sides, wants to stick to the truth, and refuses to see Sudheer or Pallavi through the lens of suspicion. He is heartbroken over Vikram’s father’s suicide, and it was probably a trigger point for him to wake up and do the right thing.
