Trisha Krishnan’s web series debut, Brinda, is a stark shift from the kind of mainstream cinema making up her filmography. In this SonyLIV series, directed by Surya Manoj Vangala, Trisha plays a brooding, insomniac police officer whose life changes when she starts investigating a murder case.

Brinda opens with a haunting prologue set in a village in the 1990s where a young girl is sacrificed to appease a goddess. This horrific incident sets the tone for the show, bringing to the fore ritualistic practices that persist across religions in the name of faith.

Cut to the present day, Brinda (Trisha) is a newly appointed sub-inspector in a small town in Telangana, where she is mostly confined to desk duty and is looked upon with disdain by her male colleagues. The discrimination she faces is portrayed through their everyday actions, like her colleagues not greeting her in the morning, or them deliberately leaving the door of the men’s washroom (next to Brinda’s desk) ajar.

It is only fellow sub-inspector Sarathi who shows some respect for Brinda. Their camaraderie is forged through friction as they investigate what initially appears to be death by suicide but soon begins to reveals darker, bizarre facts.

The series unfolds at a measured pace, allowing the characters and their backstories to take centrestage. While weaving in the personal stories of Brinda and Sarathi, there is an attempt to delve into social concerns of good versus evil and faith versus superstition.

Alongside the gender bias she experiences at the workplace, Brinda also struggles with a past trauma — she gets visions of her past and is in therapy — and Trisha embodies this inner turmoil with authenticity. There’s a sense of quiet resilience and integrity that comes through in her performance.

Ravindra Vijay delivers a nuanced performance as Sarathi, who’s angling for a promotion but is fair towards his colleague. His personal struggles, particularly in a poignant scene with his wife Lekha (Anjana), adds emotional weight to the story. Anjana, in her brief screen time, leaves an impression. Anand Sami and Indrajith Sukumaran are spot on as the main antagonists Thakur and Kabir Anand, respectively.

The world building in Brinda deserves praise too. Cinematographer Dinesh Babu, music composer Shakti Kanth Karthick and production designer Avinash Kolla together create an eerie atmosphere that lingers throughout the eight-episode thriller.