BOTTOM LINE
Worthy Sequel With Winsome Performances
Platform
Netflix
RUNTIME
300 Mins (6 episodes)
What Is the Show About?
Preet Bajwa is found dead on her family’s poultry farm. Cops Dhanwant Kaur and Amritpal Garundi soon discover the family has been hiding a dark secret for twenty years: they were keeping people as slaves. As the police get closer to the truth, the family takes desperate, violent steps to hide their crimes. The story shows how old secrets eventually catch up to people and destroy their lives.
Performances
Mona Singh and Barun Sobti pack a punch as the righteous cops at work who are vulnerable partners at home. They bare the essence of the characters effectively through their body language, timely pauses, and gestures, seldom needing words to express themselves.
Pooja Bhamraah, in a central character as Preet, does the needful, sticking to her role’s requirements. Prayrak Mehta’s silent intensity (as Arun), Anuraag Arora’s assertive screen presence (as Baljinder), and Muskan Arora’s calming influence (as Garundi’s wife) deliver other notable performances.
Analysis
Kohrra is an exceptionally unique case in OTT where organic storytelling has done the talking over big names and hyped plots. It has miraculously translated into viewership, convincing Netflix to clear the ground for a season renewal. The gritty cop drama, set in the heart of Punjab, serves as a logical extension of the first part, while the officers deal with their pasts and take on a new case.
If there is a theme that underlines Kohrra Season 2, it is the brutality of karma, in which the burdens and sins of the past catch up with its key characters. Preet Bajwa’s murder in a poultry farm provides a licence for the storytellers to unhook the dark chapters in the victim’s life and those of the investigating officers, Kaur and Garundi, while intersecting it with a man’s quest to find his father.
Preet’s case is a classic setup for a noir drama: a woman unafraid to speak up for herself gives up on her marriage due to loyalty issues, stays with her brother (who is no different from the average, stereotypical male), and fights for her ancestral property before being killed. The brother, the husband, and an alleged lover, all flawed and messy men, are placed firmly under the scanner.
The revelation of the culprit is not meant to be drastic; it is almost insignificant. What interests the creators is tackling the rot within Preet’s family, their history, and the little details that provide context to their actions. The officers’ integrity at work often conflicts with their situations at home: Garundi struggles to be honest with his partner, while Kaur fails to stand by her husband after a tragedy.
The ultimate strength of the show lies in its ability to create striking parallels among the trajectories of the characters and their dysfunctional families in an earthy setting, tapping into the not-so-comfortable corners of their lives. The characters are impressively nuanced, both the men and women, and the storytellers give them enough time to unpack the storm brewing within.
There is adequate complexity in each of the character conflicts, and you really get to know why they are struggling to express themselves. From the casual sexism at the workplace to the internalised patriarchy among women at home, to men building a wall to guard their emotions, Kohrra does not merely gloss over the details of the subplots but makes you live with their burdens.
All that the world needs are simple acts of kindness to heal our invisible wounds: Kohrra puts this idea across with utmost nuance through the characters and the layered writing, which come alive on screen with a similar level of finesse. Of course, there are moments when you tend to get restless about the growing number of subplots and keep wondering how they will come together eventually.
Kohrra Season 2 is as good a cop drama gets: contemporary in flavour, a gripping screenplay and powerhouse performances with strong characters. Find a way to digest the slow-burn treatment, give it enough time to grow on you, and the payoffs are quite worth it.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score, a joint effort by Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor, is immersive, letting the characters soak in the moment without invading the spirit of the scene. The use of Ishq Tera Tadpave is innovative, adding spunk and authenticity to the backdrop. The grounded, muted cinematography by Isshaan Ghosh is in sync with the show’s grim, sedate mood. Still, the subplot transitions and editing choices (could have been smoother) create an element of ambiguity at times.
Highlights?
Nuanced writing, characters
Impressive performances
Rooted, immersive storytelling
Drawbacks?
Slow to take off
Jerky shifts across subplots
Absence of a surprise factor
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
It’s a highly recommended watch for investigation drama enthusiasts
Kohrra S2 Review by M9 News
