Curry and Cyanide review: A shallow dive into the Koodathayi cyanide killings

The documentary narrows its focus exclusively on the family dimension of the narrative, with Jolly’s elder son Remo, her sister-in-law Renji Wilson and brother-in-law Rojo Thomas taking on the roles of key narrators, along with the investigation officer K T Simon. The tone of the film is effectively set by Jolly’s son, who, when appearing on camera, consistently avoids referring to her as his mother and opting to call her the ‘person called Jolly’ or ‘that woman’.

The missing aspect

The Koodathayi cyanide killings refer to a sequence of suspicious deaths in Koodathayi, located in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. These incidents involved six deaths over a period of 14 years from 2002 to 2016; they were investigated as late in 2019. The case drew considerable attention from both the media and the public, eventually leading to the arrest of Jolly Joseph. A 47-year-old homemaker, she deceived everyone by falsely claiming to be a lecturer at the National Institute of Technology Kozhikode and allegedly carried out six murders using cyanide as poison.

Those who fell victim to the crimes included Annama Joseph (Jolly’s mother-in-law), Tom Thomas (her father-in-law), Roy Thomas (her husband), Manjadiyil Mathew (Roy’s uncle), Alphine (her second husband Shaju Zachariah’s daughter), and Sili Sebastain (Shaju’s first wife). According to the prosecution, the motives behind the murders vary, ranging from gaining control over the family and its estate to seeking a stable life and engaging in illicit sexual relationships.

The documentary, written by Shalini Ushadevi and directed by Christo Tomy, appears to have entirely overlooked a crucial aspect of the alleged crime: the perpetrator’s connection with her co-accused and motivations beyond the home and family. By abstaining from posing challenging questions to the investigators and prosecutors, the show unquestioningly presents the perspectives of the police and grieving relatives. The sole dissenting voice, journalist Nikhila Henry, raises concerns about potential loopholes in the prosecution story. However, her insights are countered by the emotional narrative centred around the family, particularly the perpetrator’s son and his newfound family, which includes his aunt — the initial complainant in the case.

The other adaptations

In the week following the unfolding of the Koodathayi cyanide poisoning case in the media, a series of film adaptations based on the incident were announced, with some even leading to legal disputes. They included a Malayalam television serial and a feature film; they predate the announcement of the Netflix documentary in collaboration with India Today.

The Netflix documentary predominantly relies on the accounts of persons of interest, intertwined with media narratives, particularly those from India Today (which is the producer of the show) reporter and various Malayalam news television sources. The dramatised scenes depicting Jolly in police custody and outside the courtroom lack creativity, adhering to conventional settings like iron bars, spotlighted interrogation rooms, and dimly lit corridors.

The legal psychology expert, Dr. Meghna Srivastav, featured in the show, appears to possess limited information and knowledge of the case, and her presentation on the screen is unconvincing.

A one-dimensional narrative

The 10- episode Spotify podcast Death, Lies and Cyanide (2020) by veteran journalist Sasikumar — produced by his Asiaville — on the same subject was far more captivating and intriguing, with the narrator keeping it open-ended. In contrast, the director and writer of this production opted for a conclusive ending, asserting that the undertrial is unequivocally the culprit, but regrettably fell short in presenting a coherent sequence of evidence. The narrative lacked the complete chain of events as established by the police in the case.

Jolly’s case is tricky because she doesn’t conform to the typical profile of a psychopathic serial killer or a scheming plotter who patiently waits to strike. She was an exceedingly ordinary woman, likable and adored by almost everyone in her circle, with the exception of her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, who felt threatened as she allegedly sought control over the family estate. The prime reason the film falters is the director’s omission of this particular facet.

The film’s lack of more original visuals and engaging sound bytes from other persons of interest in the story reduces its overall impact. Curry and Cyanide appears to be a one-dimensional narrative lacking any opposing perspectives or essential questions that undoubtedly should have been raised.