TV show · 2017 · Crime, Drama, War & Politics · SI
Curator score: 4.6/10 (18.7K ratings)
Try to get an ant-bite!
Overview
35 year old bachelor Jehan and his partner in crime Priyantha try to exploit the loopholes in the law in order to make a living.Koombiyo tells the story of Jehan Fernando, who has neither family nor home and lives alone in an abandoned building complex in Colombo. He accidentally meets Hiruni and Priyantha Mahaulpathagama in a public bus when Priyantha is coming to Colombo on his search for a job. Jehan convinces Priyantha to abandon the job he is going for and join Jehan's company Purchasing Lanka instead, which delivers retail items to customers claiming they are from supermarkets when in reality they are bought from the local flea markets. Priyantha starts living with Jehan while being a partner in his business and they quickly become good friends.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.6/10
IMDb: 9.1/10
TMDB: 8.4/10
Production
Asanka Dodantenne
Cast
Thumindu Dodantenna, Kalana Gunasekara, Yureni Noshika, Andrew Pulle, Senaka Titus Anthony, Jagath Manuwarna Kodithuwakku, Nishantha Priyadarshana, W. Jayasiri, Dharmapriya Dias, Nimal Jayasinghe
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp Sri Lankan crime drama with a social edge, Koombiyo stands out for its morally slippery antiheroes, street-level hustle, and unusually tense writing. It starts as a con-man story but grows into a broader portrait of corruption, survival, and the cost of living outside the system.
Best for
Viewers who like character-driven crime dramas
Fans of morally gray antiheroes and scams
People interested in South Asian television beyond the usual export markets
Viewers who enjoy tense, socially grounded storytelling
Skip if
You want a light, fast, comfort-watch series
You prefer polished prestige production over rougher local TV texture
You dislike slow-burn plotting or ethically messy protagonists
Overview
Koombiyo is one of those regional crime series that earns its reputation by feeling specific, lived-in, and a little dangerous. The setup is simple — two men trying to game a broken system — but the show uses that premise to explore class pressure, opportunism, loyalty, and the everyday mechanics of corruption in Colombo.
Worth noting
What makes it compelling is the way it keeps shifting from small-time hustle to something more consequential without losing its street-level feel. The characters are not heroic, and the show does not ask you to admire them so much as understand how they got here. That moral ambiguity is the engine of the series.
Bottom line
Because it is a two-season drama with a strong serialized pull, it works best if you like watching consequences accumulate. The tone is serious, sometimes grim, and more interested in social realism than glossy crime spectacle. For viewers open to that, it is a memorable and unusually distinctive watch.