Star Cast: Karisma Kapoor, Surya Sharma, Jisshu U Sengupta, Soni Razdan, Helen

Web Series Review: BROWN benefits from Karisma Kapoor’s powerful act but is let down by inconsistent writing

Director: Abhinay Deo

Synopsis:

BROWN is the story of a cop with a traumatic past. Rita Brown (Karisma Kapoor) is a depressed police officer who has taken a transfer to the Reserve Police Force in Kolkata. She’s yet to recover from the loss of her partner, Nitin Goswami (Shaan), and heavily relies on alcohol to survive. One day, senior police official Sudhendu Babu (Phalguni Chatterjee) shifts her to the Detective Department to solve a sensational murder case. The deceased victim is Ahana Jaiswal (Vaibhavi Malhotra), who has been ruthlessly beheaded while her hands and legs were tied to a bed in her residence. Ahana’s father, Dheeraj Jaiswal (Ajinkya Deo), is a big-shot businessman and a close friend of Chief Minister Srijan Samanta (Arijit Dutta). As a result, the stakes are higher. Inspector Arjun Sinha (Surya Sharma) is asked to work under Rita and together, they begin the investigation. Despite being from a wealthy family, Ahana stayed alone in a nondescript flat. Her relationship with her father and mother, Nonnie Jaiswal (Meghna Malik) was fractured. However, she was said to be close to her brother, Sanjay (Paresh Pahuja), but his statements don’t help much. Ahana was an introvert and her only friend was Shefali (Ahalya Shetty), who hadn’t met Ahana in a month, or so she claims. The suspicion falls on two people – ex-driver Raju (Kaushal Goswami), who was kicked out and had harassed Ahana hours before her death, and her ex-boyfriend Saikat (Aryann Bhowmik). As Rita tries to solve the case, she realizes that cover-ups are happening without her knowledge and that the motive is to catch any random accused and make him a scapegoat to pacify the angry residents. What happens next forms the rest of the series.

Brown Story Review:

BROWN is based on the novel ‘City Of Death’ by Abheek Barua. Diggi Sisodia, Sunyana Kumari and Mayukh Ghosh’s story shows promise. Diggi Sisodia, Sunyana Kumari and Mayukh Ghosh’s screenplay is engaging and keeps viewers hooked. However, there are several inconsistencies in the writing. Diggi Sisodia, Sunyana Kumari and Mayukh Ghosh’s dialogues are conversational.

Abhinay Deo’s direction is average. To give credit where it’s due, he has depicted Kolkata beautifully. Several crime films and shows are set in the city, but Abhinay ensures that BROWN stands out. The scene of an informer operating from Chinatown makes for a fresh watch. Rita’s bond with her mother and Arjun is sweet, while the way Rita is made a scapegoat keeps the interest going. Most importantly, even when the show falters, it never becomes unwatchable or boring.

Web Series Review: BROWN benefits from Karisma Kapoor’s powerful act but is let down by inconsistent writing

On the flipside, a murder mystery succeeds when the revelation of the killer stuns the viewers. Nothing of that sort happens as one can guess who the culprit is from a mile away. Even the finale fight is predictable and one exactly knows what’s going to happen. Certain secondary characters had no relevance and were added just for the heck of it. Some developments are puzzling, while the Jaiswals’ family track and Arjun’s track could have been executed better. Also, Raju is forgotten after a point and viewers don’t learn what happened to him, especially once the truth is out. Lastly, the idea of a lady cop being depressed while solving a life-changing case has been beaten to death. In recent times, we have seen similar portrayals in THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS, DALDAL etc., and hence, it gives a been-there-done-that feeling.

Brown Performances:

Karisma Kapoor constantly rises above the script and delivers a performance that is powerful and moving. An actor who deserves to be seen more, for sure. Surya Sharma is like the hero of the show and performs ably. Jisshu U Sengupta (Dr Sandip) has a late entry but does well and has a crucial part. Soni Razdan (Janice; Rita’s mother) is dependable, while Helen (Aunt Bertha) is very cute in her comeback role. Paresh Pahuja leaves a huge mark with his convincing act. Shaan, in a special appearance, is very sweet. Aryann Bhowmik gets completely into his character. But the writing lets him down. Also, one wonders what exactly he is doing in the lab all day. K K Raina (Arjun Sinha’s father) performs as required, but his track is very weak. Phalguni Chatterjee and Kharaj Mukherjee (Durga Babu) make their presence felt, and the same goes for Pamela Bhutoria (Ananya; Sanjay Jaiswal’s wife) and Jayashree V (Usha Jain; second victim). Anupam Bhattacharya (Anirban; TV reporter) is entertaining and his character seems to be inspired by a real-life personality. Annirudh Roy (Rehman; cyber cell) raises some laughs. Kenny Basumatary (John John) impresses initially, but later, his character is treated in an unjustified manner. The others who do well are Vaibhavi Malhotra, Ajinkya Deo, Arijit Dutta, Meghna Malik, Ahalya Shetty, Kaushal Goswami, Purnendu Bhattacharya (Commissioner Mohan Kumar), Leena Lal (Lisa; who stays with Bertha) and Latin Ghai (Hemant; Usha Jain’s husband). Husne Shabnam (Nisha; lead singer in band) looks cool and does well in her first scene. But later, she’s forgotten, making one wonder why her character was even there.

Brown music and other technical aspects:

Gaurav Chatterji’s background score is satisfactory. Amogh Deshpande’s cinematography is breathtaking and captures Kolkata beautifully. Shiuli Thukral’s production design is appropriate, while Chetna Rawat’s costumes are realistic. Manohar Verma’s action is a bit gory in some scenes. Huzefa Lokhandwala’s editing (additional editing by Sandeep Singh) could have been sharper.

Brown Review Conclusion:

On the whole, BROWN benefits from Karisma Kapoor’s powerful, deeply felt performance and an atmospheric depiction of Kolkata, but the series is let down by predictable twists, inconsistent writing and a mystery that lacks the required shock value.

Rating – 2 stars

Tags : Abhinay Deo, Bollywood, Bollywood Features, Brown, Features, Helen, Jisshu U Sengupta, Karisma Kapoor, OTT, OTT Platform, Show, Soni Razdan, Surya Sharma, Web Series, Web Series Review, Web Show, Zee5