<p><strong>Kohrra</strong></p>.<p><strong>Hindi </strong>(Netflix)<br /><br /><strong>Director</strong>: Randeep Jha</p>.<p><strong>Cast</strong>: Suvinder Vicky, Barun Sobti </p>.<p>Rating: 4/5</p>.<p>When the investigation series on the murder of an NRI ahead of his wedding drew to a close, I sat blankly. Neither did I pump my fist for knowing the killer already nor did I mull over the loose ends. Then, like a slow burn, it hit me. ‘Kohrra’ means fog, and like the title, the story is a smokescreen.</p>.<p>It is less about the postmortem of a corpse, actually, two, but more about the postmortem of the Indian society. It is less a police procedural and more a commentary on generational control and repressed freedoms. It is in this realisation that ‘Kohrra’ revels.</p>.<p>The story unfolds in Punjab but we don’t see sarson ke khet, loud uncles and aunties, or drinks overflowing in weddings. This is small-town Punjab, dusty and mundane.</p>.<p>A young boy and girl are making out in a field of tall grass. Not too far, Paul, the NRI bridegroom, is lying dead. Enter sub-inspector Balbir Singh (Suvinder) and his buddy cop Jasjit Garundi (Barun). Investigation ensues. Vishal’s bestie and a British national, Liam, is missing. His fiance Veera and her ex-lover Saakar, an Instagram rapper, get entangled in the case and then, like a classic whodunnit, many more — Vishal’s cousin, a bus driver, a trucker and his helper, and a delivery boy who arranges drugs. The police duo faces ‘pressure from the top’ to resolve the case while staying off the powerful people.</p>.<p>Halfway in the six-episode series, the focus shifts on the personal lives of the cops and grieving families and it makes one patient. The NRI’s father and his brother are warring over a property. Nothing new there but it’s heartening to see cops vulnerable. Balbir wants her daughter to go back to her husband but she is pursuing another relationship. Jasjit may bash up rowdies but at home, he can’t speak up for his right to get married. His brother fears ‘the bride’ would usurp their land, and the sister-in-law ‘loves’ him.</p>.<p>In terms of performances, Suvinder, previously seen in ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Milestone’, delivers a breakout act. Barun’s transition from a suave, stiff, clean-shaven lover on TV to a moustache-sporting, enthu sidekick comes as a surprise. And how the ‘fog’ over the case clears away in Balbir’s mind is one compelling scene.</p>
<p><strong>Kohrra</strong></p>.<p><strong>Hindi </strong>(Netflix)<br /><br /><strong>Director</strong>: Randeep Jha</p>.<p><strong>Cast</strong>: Suvinder Vicky, Barun Sobti </p>.<p>Rating: 4/5</p>.<p>When the investigation series on the murder of an NRI ahead of his wedding drew to a close, I sat blankly. Neither did I pump my fist for knowing the killer already nor did I mull over the loose ends. Then, like a slow burn, it hit me. ‘Kohrra’ means fog, and like the title, the story is a smokescreen.</p>.<p>It is less about the postmortem of a corpse, actually, two, but more about the postmortem of the Indian society. It is less a police procedural and more a commentary on generational control and repressed freedoms. It is in this realisation that ‘Kohrra’ revels.</p>.<p>The story unfolds in Punjab but we don’t see sarson ke khet, loud uncles and aunties, or drinks overflowing in weddings. This is small-town Punjab, dusty and mundane.</p>.<p>A young boy and girl are making out in a field of tall grass. Not too far, Paul, the NRI bridegroom, is lying dead. Enter sub-inspector Balbir Singh (Suvinder) and his buddy cop Jasjit Garundi (Barun). Investigation ensues. Vishal’s bestie and a British national, Liam, is missing. His fiance Veera and her ex-lover Saakar, an Instagram rapper, get entangled in the case and then, like a classic whodunnit, many more — Vishal’s cousin, a bus driver, a trucker and his helper, and a delivery boy who arranges drugs. The police duo faces ‘pressure from the top’ to resolve the case while staying off the powerful people.</p>.<p>Halfway in the six-episode series, the focus shifts on the personal lives of the cops and grieving families and it makes one patient. The NRI’s father and his brother are warring over a property. Nothing new there but it’s heartening to see cops vulnerable. Balbir wants her daughter to go back to her husband but she is pursuing another relationship. Jasjit may bash up rowdies but at home, he can’t speak up for his right to get married. His brother fears ‘the bride’ would usurp their land, and the sister-in-law ‘loves’ him.</p>.<p>In terms of performances, Suvinder, previously seen in ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Milestone’, delivers a breakout act. Barun’s transition from a suave, stiff, clean-shaven lover on TV to a moustache-sporting, enthu sidekick comes as a surprise. And how the ‘fog’ over the case clears away in Balbir’s mind is one compelling scene.</p>