- Release Date: 15/06/2023
- Cast: Suvinder Vicky, Barun Sobti, Varun Badola, Manish Chaudhari
- Creators: Gunjit Chopra, Sudip Sharma, Diggi Sisodia
“Kohrra” chronicles the murder investigation of an NRI bridegroom, Paul (Vishal Handa), who was in Punjab to get married to a local girl, Veera (Aanand Priya). Veera was chosen by Paul’s wealthy and powerful parents to be his bride. He was accompanied by his best friend, Liam (Ivantiy Novak), who has also been missing since the night of the murder. Police officers Balbir Singh (Suvinder Vicky) and his assistant Amarpal (Barun Sobti) are entrusted by the department not only to crack the case of the murder but also to find the whereabouts of Liam. Things get even more complicated when Liam’s mother, Clara (Rachel Shelly), arrives from the UK and starts pursuing the police to find her son. As the investigation proceeds, Balbir and Amarpal realise that there is a lot more afoot in the case than what appears on the surface. The murder might have just been the result of the simmering hatred and tension brewing between the victim and a gamut of different characters, which unfortunately also included his family and his parents.
During a writing masterclass, Dan Brown once said that when he is writing a thriller, he always begins with the ending of the story. This enables him to complicate his story to any extent and yet never lose focus of where the narrative was headed. It also empowers him to add as many different elements and diversions as he feels organically possible within the bounds of the narrative. This approach further aids in captivating readers with unprecedented thrills and a large number of characters with different motivations for committing a certain crime. Brown used these elements and characters to introduce diversions and confusion in the narrative that enhanced the drama and thrill. This is exactly what I felt happened in the case of “Kohrra”.
The final reveal of the murderer and how the crime happened was uncharacteristically ordinary and straightforward and was evident from the very first episode. The creators built the rest of the narrative around this simple crime so effectively and implemented so many interesting and well-known thematic and social elements through various characters and situations that the narrative of the show morphed into an intriguing, atmospheric and thrilling mystery that kept us on the edge of our sets from start to finish. The nature of the presentation of the story also forced us to question the motivations and course of actions of a large number of characters, filling us with doubts that any one of them might have committed the crime. This makes the series even more interesting and dramatic.
The show starts off as a murder mystery but quickly transforms into a character study involving the members of the ensemble cast. There isn’t a single character in the show that doesn’t have some skeletons buried in their past. Balbir Singh has had a torrid marriage, and the impact of his unhealthy relationship with his wife has taken a toll on his relationship with his daughter. When his daughter tries to break away from the forceful marriage that he forced her into, it leads to some explosive drama between father and daughter, which goes on to define Balbir as an individual.
What makes this drama noteworthy is that it raises important questions about society as a whole and, most importantly, provides some not-so-easy solutions to the problems it points towards. Balbir Singh faces an even bigger morale dilemma involving a dead informer who used to work for him, and whose family he is still supporting. The informer’s wife starts developing feelings for him, leading to some interesting drama as she was oblivious to the sinister past that Balbir shared with her husband. Suvinder Vicky is beyond great in his rendition of the character and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he is the heart and soul of the entire story.
Balbir’s assistant Amarpal is an efficient police officer, but on the family front, he is a broken, troubled and exploited man. He is in a toxic sexual relationship. While he can’t escape the lure of the flesh, it is evident that his morality is tearing him apart. Apparently, it is also eroding his peace of mind and his ability to love and appreciate himself for the man that he is. This brings an interesting angle to the dynamics between him and his family. The creators vividly document the changes in his life after he meets and falls for a simple girl who would go on to become his bride. Barun Sobti is brilliant in his rendition of this character and he adds his trademark charm to the character elevating it further.
Paul, the victim, belonged to a family that had its own demons. His father Steve (Manish Chaudhari) was not only a powerful businessman but was also extremely proud to be a Sikh. As luck would have it, Paul not only had nothing to do with his father’s Sikh pride but also turned out to be in a homosexual relationship with his friend, Liam. This secret not only goes on to impact and have great ramifications throughout the case but also proves to be at the core of the entire conflict. Paul’s uncle, Manna (Varun Badola), has had his share of conflicts with Paul’s father. Manna’s son, Happy, hates Paul to the extent that he is not afraid to order a hit on him for his own reasons. This inconvenient truth not only sours the relationship between the two brothers but also highlights how the two brothers perpetually failed to not only understand their children but also were responsible for pushing them into making decisions that were detrimental to them and put both the boys in harm’s way.
The series wants its audience to feel that Paul and Liam should have been accepted by their parents, and that would have saved Paul’s life. Strangely enough, while watching the series, I felt that a bigger villain in this case, more than Paul’s father, was Liam’s mother played by Rachel Shelley. She knew the truth about the homosexual relationship and not only hid it from Paul’s parents but also encouraged their unnatural relationship by providing them with a safe haven in her house. My heart went out to the character of Steve, who seems to be correct, and my belief is reinforced when we see Paul sexually engaging with his wife-to-be, Veera, willingly.
Veera, the wife-to-be, is a prime suspect in the murder, and there are many reasons for that. She was in a relationship with a poor rapper named Sakar, who had threatened and dealt a blow to Paul with a sharp object. Veera was one of the last people who were in the company of Paul when he was alive, and around the same time, Sakar’s phone was active in the vicinity. All of these factors made her a primary suspect. However, the fact of the matter remained that she did, in fact, want to get married to Paul and knew nothing about the fact that he was gay and that Liam was his boyfriend.
Veera’s character serves as a reminder of the awfully materialistic nature of the world we live in. She loves Sakar, but she knows that he will not be able to give her the kind of life that she wants, and thus chooses to get married to any NRI (Non-Resident Indian) that she can get her hands on. For her, love is secondary, and material wealth and prosperity are primary.
With so many different characters and so much happening all around, the police are unable to zero in on one suspect. What I absolutely loved about the writing of the series is how the various clues present themselves to the cops organically. There are no coincidences here. The police do enough work to end up with one clue after another. They are unable to apprehend the primary culprits easily, and it takes a lot of time for them to arrive at a conclusion.
The makers wonderfully show us the limitations of the police and how the culprits prove to be elusive. Even the climax of the series is wonderfully envisioned and explains a lot about how Liam’s mother is shown behaving throughout the series. I was particularly impressed by the various elements that the makers introduced in the story, not only to point at the various aspects of modern society and the issues plaguing it but also to make the series and its setting feel real and haunting.
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“Kohrra” is one of the most engrossing and engaging realistic thrillers that I have seen this year so far. The story delves into societal issues, family conflicts, and hidden truths, creating a captivating narrative. The series expertly navigates through clues and twists, keeping viewers engaged until the revealing climax that feels realistic and organic. Each of the characters is carefully crafted, and the makers ensure that they all have the necessary depth and drama to ensure audience engagement and interest. The limitations of the police are wonderfully captured, and the series ends up successfully questioning many of the societal norms and reservations that push individuals into doing things that they regret throughout their lives. This is a must-watch.
Rating: 4/5 (4 out of 5 Stars)
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position
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