BOTTOM LINE
A Middling Docudrama
PLATFORM
SonyLiv
RUNTIME
4 Hours (Approx, 6 Episodes)
What Is the Film About?
A journalist investigates a two-year-old serial murder case involving four seemingly unrelated victims killed by a young boy. As he delves deeper, alternate stories emerge, challenging the official narrative and the cops’ preconceived notions. The investigation into subsequent murders introduces many theories and a mysterious new participant. The show questions if the third death was accidental or intentional, and the truth behind the fourth.
Performances
Mayur More (of The Kota Factory fame) is consistently evolving as an actor and is using the OTT space efficiently as a springboard to diversify and better himself from time to time. Palak Jaiswal makes her presence felt in a neat portrayal of an influential girl craving a genuine connection.
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Tigmanshu Dhulia, with his steely persona, is impactful as a cop with partial blindness. The supporting cast – from Deven Bhojani to Hakkim Shahjahan, Kamlesh Sawant, the ever-dependable Anant Jog and Jairoop Jeevan – lend credibility to the proceedings with their sharp performances.
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Analysis
Black White & Gray is a chilling docudrama where director and co-creator Pushkar Sunil Mahabal reconstructs a series of events leading to four murders, supposedly committed by a Nagpur-based boy. The show presents (staged) contradictory real-life accounts of the accused and the victims’ families (interviewed by a journalist), alongside a fictional interpretation of events.
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The drama begins when a boy (from a poor family) spends a night with the daughter of an influential politician (whose family employs his father). What starts as a harmless night takes a sinister turn: the girl falls unconscious, a cop is killed, a cabbie is hacked to death, and a man recording the couple’s escape dies under mysterious circumstances.
Through this story, the creators explore the grey areas of the investigation, especially as the boy maintains he was framed. The series delves into the rich vs poor dynamic, and how class and social privilege may have shaped the case. It asks: how could someone with no prior criminal record commit four murders? Were the couple truly denied a fair chance at being together?
The series is most effective when it doesn’t attempt to present any single account as definitive. Instead, it stays suggestive and opens up multiple interpretations that might have obscured the truth. However, the narrative does lean towards the accused’s side, offering him a space to share his version, which often contradicts those of the investigating officer and the girl’s close ones.
The relatively untapped mockumentary format in the Indian OTT space adds freshness and allows the case layers to unfold more intricately than a conventional police procedural. However, the creators occasionally become overly absorbed in the form. The storytelling feels jittery, and the tension seems manufactured rather than organic.
As the show stretches to maintain a sense of mystery, it loses emotional grip. At several instances, you find yourself detached from the drama. The narrative becomes predictable, and while various theories emerge, they lack the depth or surprise needed to truly provoke thought. The show stops short of challenging itself, settling instead for convenient creative and dramatic choices.
Black White & Gray works better as a concept than as a fully realised show. You appreciate what it’s attempting, but the screenplay is passive, grim, and could’ve used more sharpness. While the opening draws you in, the series eventually runs out of steam, filled with generic perspectives/accounts. On the technical front, though, the guerrilla-style filmmaking, cinematography, and innovative staging merit praise.
Music and Other Departments?
Meghdeep Bose’s background score strikes a fair balance between silence and a mysterious soundscape to build tension in the proceedings, though more enthusiasm in enriching the mood could’ve helped. Shree Bhope’s cinematography is a major asset, alternating from the fictional interpretation to real-life accounts seamlessly.
The structuring of the show is one of its primary weaknesses; it struggles to sustain its mojo in exploring a gimmicky concept and could’ve pushed the bar more. It’s also hard to understand the reason behind the four-hour-plus runtime.
Highlights?
Unique idea
Good performances
Technically brilliant
Drawbacks?
Loses steam after initial flourish
Dull, generic screenplay
Lengthy runtime
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
In case you’re game to explore a new approach to an investigation drama
Black White & Gray OTT Movie Review by M9
