‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review: Sanju Sivram and Jagadish Are Impressive in Krishand’s Ambitious, Blackly Comic ‘The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang’ (LatestLY Exclusive)
Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham Review: Krishand RK’s new series Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham (aka The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang) is a fun watch that strays a little from the director’s trademark visual quirkiness but retains his humour and offbeat narrative style. It also features some of his favourite collaborators. ‘4.5 Gang’ Trailer: Krishand’s Darkly Hilarious Malayalam Web Series Set in Trivandrum To Stream on Sony LIV From August 29.
It’s hard not to spot the influences in Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham, both in its storyline and direction. There’s a touch of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America (which in turn inspired Rajeev Ravi’s Kammatipaadam), a flavour of Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Angamaly Diaries, and a sprinkling of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur – all filtered through Krishand’s irreverent tone and his idiosyncratic characters.
‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review – The Plot
An ex-con, Arikuttan (Sanju Sivram), flees to a small town in Maharashtra where his friend Altaf (Niranj Maniyan Pilla Raju) runs a tea stall. He seeks out a writer, Maithreyan (Jagadish), to pen a biography of his life – though what he really wants is a hagiography that will paint him as a hero.
Watch the Trailer of ‘4.5 Gang’:
From there, the narrative dives into flashbacks charting the teenage days of Arikuttan, Altaf and their three friends – Maniyan (Sambhu Suresh), Kanji (Sreenath Babu) and the short-statured but most aggressive Moonga (Sachin Joseph). Maithreyan dubs them the “Nalarasangham” (the 4.5 gang). We watch their journey from their first acts of goondaism to middle age, where their criminal ways and ties with corrupt cop SI Suresh (Rahul Rajagopal) eventually catch up with them.
‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review – Chronicles of Unabashedly Flawed Anti-Heroes
Even though six episodes cover the major events of their lives, it isn’t clear why Arikuttan feels he deserves a book, since their crimes are hardly earth-shattering. What becomes clear, however, is why he wants to control the narrative – his gang’s actions only grow more despicable as the story unfolds, making it hard to root for them.
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
It’s a bold move to centre a show around protagonists who aren’t wholly vile but whose moral compass is firmly skewed. Their humanity is limited to self-interest, and unlike other crime sagas, they lack even the excuse of a higher cause.
Even when faced with formidable rivals like Pookada Valsan (Hakkim Shajahan) and his wife Ramani (Darshana Rajendran), it’s still difficult to sympathise with them, since the scales are never in their favour. Yet Krishand’s trademark humour keeps their antics entertaining, even when fatal consequences loom.
‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review – Well-Narrated ‘Gangsta’ Comedy
The series shines in its use of black comedy, particularly in the early episodes. The teenage years of the gang are overshadowed by Bruce Lee (Prasanth Alexander) and Pyelakuttan (Vishnu Agasthya) – two terrific supporting characters whose clashes with the gang bring some of the best surprises, including the gripping marketplace climax of the first episode. It’s a pity they fade into the background later, because their presence gave the show a hilarious, energetic start. (A spin-off on them – or even Krishand’s cameo – wouldn’t go amiss!)
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
From there, the series takes an episodic approach, depicting the gang’s increasingly reckless exploits. Interludes feature characters like Arikuttan’s father, Clerk Balachander (Indrans), in prison for a botched ATM robbery (with a darkly funny touch and an unexpected history lesson about ATMs in India, introduced in 1997). Purusha Pretham Movie Review: Krishand’s Refreshingly Subversive Cop Satire is Boosted By Prashanth Alexander and Jagadish’s Standout Performances.
Certain episodes are standouts – like the one involving a Tamilian eve-teaser whose punishment spirals into unexpected consequences. Others, like a highway robbery gone wrong, feel weaker in comparison, but still underline the repercussions of their criminal lifestyle.
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
Not all subplots land. Maniyan’s singing aspirations and romance (with Zarin Shihab) feel predictable and underdeveloped. The final episode tries to inject emotional heft but doesn’t mesh with the irreverent tone.
Female characters, unfortunately, get little space in this testosterone-fuelled chaos. Darshana Rajendran makes the most impact as Ramani, who commands the screen in the finale. Santhy Balachandran (Kingini) has one strong moment late in the series but is otherwise reduced to a plot device. Talented actresses like Zarin Shihab and Ketaki Narayan are underused, the latter barely visible.
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
Even at its weakest, though, the series is held together by Krishand’s direction and the ensemble’s performances.
‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review – The Performances
The standout is Sanju Sivram, who delivers a terrific turn as Arikuttan. Having already impressed in 1000 Babies, he brings depth and range here, traversing emotional and age transitions with ease. There is a particular moment in the final episode where Arikuttan explains to Maithreyan his motivation for choosing the world of crime, and though you still won’t agree with ‘equaliser’ reasoning, Sanju sells that scene with an emotionally nuanced performance.
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
Jagadish is equally brilliant as the opportunistic Maithreyan, his chemistry with Sanju forming the spine of the narrative.
Among the gang, Sreenath Babu stands out as the unhinged Kanji, while Shambu Suresh, Niranj Maniyan Pilla Raju and Sachin Joseph are consistently solid. Rahul Rajagopal, a regular in Krishand projects, is strong as the corrupt cop. Vishnu Agasthya once again proves to be a scene-stealer, while Anoop Mohandas, as Ramani’s one-eyed henchman, revels in his hammy, Shine Tom Chacko-like energy.
A Still From The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang
Veterans add flavour too: Indrans mixes drama and humour deftly as Clerk Balachander, and Vijayaraghavan was hilarious in his cameo, though it wasn’t very essential to the plot.
The action choreography enhances the show’s realism. Varkey and Sooraj Santosh’s score is another strength – especially the smart use of Varkey’s “Vedante Chamayam” in key moments.
Unlike his previous works, Krishand adopts a slightly more conventional approach here, though he doesn’t lose his quirky touch. Vishnu Prabhakar’s cinematography supports that vision well.
‘Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham’ Review – Final Thoughts
Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham may be Krishand RK’s most conventional work, yet it brings the director’s flair aplenty with its blend of dark humour, crime, and character-driven chaos. With strong performances – particularly from Sanju Sivram and Jagadish – and Krishand’s sharp directorial choices, it is a gripping, irreverent watch that showcases Malayalam Cinema’s excellence even in the web-series format. Sambhava Vivaranam Nalarasangham aka The Chronicles of the 4.5 Gang is streaming on Sony LIV.
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(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Aug 29, 2025 12:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
