Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV stated "What
Inspector Rishi does with great skill is probe the myths and ingrained belief systems that inevitably exist on the boundaries of a world of human greed and exploitation." Bhuvanesh Chandar of
The Hindu stated "Unlike anything seen in the Tamil horror space, the
vanaratchi makes for a fascinating horror subject, and having such a unique spectre in a setting like a forest helps a horror series that consciously shies away from the routine genre tropes like jump scares and gore. But though horror fans may not have many complaints,
Inspector Rishi isn’t quite the best investigative thriller out there." Chirag Sehgal of
News18 rated the series 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "The series plays out like a slow-burner getting us impatient at times, but the screenplay (although I could not see why it should not have been shorter) does effectively create an eerie atmosphere. And the jungle setting bathed in mist and mystery sends shivers down our spines." Sonal Pandya for
Times Now rated the series 3 out of 5 and wrote, "The dialogue is mostly expository, but it lays the groundwork for each episode." Janani K for
India Today wrote "‘Inspector Rishi’ fails in this aspect as the twists and turns remind us of many Tamil films, including ‘Whistle’. The show could have been a little more taut for it to have maximum impact." Nandini Ramnath of
Scroll.in stated, "Several characters are plagued by terrifying visions, which convince them that Vanaratachi is on the rampage, even as human villains do their work." Aswin Devan of
Cinema Express awarded 3 stars to the series and wrote that "The show follows the formula of a police procedural: expository table discussions about the case, mysteries being unravelled as a new mystery evolves, red herrings, and chase sequences. However, Inspector Rishi excels in depicting the complexities and inner turmoils of the characters beyond the apparent chills." == References ==