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Karisma Kapoor delivers one of the finest performances of her career in Brown, a dark and absorbing crime thriller, set in a brooding Kolkata.
Karisma Kapoor in Brown.
BrownU/A
3.5/5
Starring: Karisma Kapoor as Detective Rita Brown, Jisshu Sengupta as Sandeep Chakraborty, Surya Sharma as Arjun Sinha, Soni RazdanDirector: Abhinay DeoPlatform: ZEE5
Brown review: There is something deeply unsettling about Brown and not just because it revolves around a string of gruesome murders. Abhinay Deo’s crime thriller is steeped in grief. Almost every major character is carrying the weight of a loss they have never fully recovered from and that emotional darkness seeps into every frame of the series.
Set against a brooding Kolkata that feels as wounded as the people inhabiting it, the story begins with the brutal murder of Ahana Jaiswal, the daughter of Kolkata’s wealthiest businessman, Dheeraj Jaiswal. Found dead in a chillingly staged crime scene inside her room, Ahana’s murder sends shockwaves through the city. But what initially seems to be a high-profile murder soon takes a darker turn when a second victim, homemaker Usha Jain, is found killed in a similarly disturbing manner. With the possibility of a serial killer looming over Kolkata, a brilliant but troubled police officer, DCP Rita Brown, is forced back into active service.
Rita and Inspector Arjun Sinha (Surya Sharma) descend into the city’s dark underbelly, uncovering a maze of buried secrets, institutional failures and personal vendettas. The deeper they dig, the murkier the truth becomes. What begins as a high-profile investigation soon unfolds into a story about trauma, guilt and the lengths people go to bury their past.
The beauty of Brown lies in the fact that it doesn’t rush. The series takes its time building its world, introducing suspects, planting clues and throwing enough red herrings in the viewer’s way to keep the mystery alive. Almost everyone is a suspect at some point, yet the writing manages to hold attention because each character is given enough emotional baggage to feel real. The screenplay is taut and rarely loses sight of its characters.
At the centre of it all is Karisma Kapoor, who delivers what may well be one of the finest performances of her career. Rita Brown is not at all designed to be likable. She is self-destructive, emotionally distant and often consumed by work. Yet Karisma makes her impossible to look away from. Whether she is confronting a suspect, drowning in memories of her husband (singer Shaan, in a delightful cameo) or simply walking through a crime scene, she brings a remarkable emotional weight to the role that anchors the entire series.
Surya Sharma is another standout. As Inspector Arjun Sinha, a man burdened by immense personal loss, he is given one of the show’s strongest character arcs. Surya maintains a stoic exterior for much of the series but allows glimpses of vulnerability to seep through measured moments. Jisshu U Sengupta, as psychiatrist Sandeep Chakraborty, is predictably excellent. As the story progresses, he only gets better, delivering a performance that stays with you long after the credits roll. Soni Razdan and Helen provide some of the series’ most heartfelt moments.
The real star, however, may be Kolkata itself. Far too often, cities in crime dramas function as decorative backdrops. Brown refuses to do that. From Chinatown and Bow Barracks to dimly lit streets, bridges and metro stations, Kolkata becomes a living, breathing presence in the story. Amogh Deshpande’s cinematography plays a huge role in creating that effect. Every frame carries a sense of heaviness, as though the city is burdened by the secrets it hides.
The casting deserves special mention. The inclusion of several familiar Bengali faces lends authenticity to the world of the show. Veteran actor Falguni Chatterjee brings considerable gravitas to his key role, while Kharaj Mukherjee shines in a welcome change from his trademark comic outings. But, it is Aryann Bhowmick who emerges as one of the show’s biggest surprises. As Saikat, he is equal parts charming, cunning and menacing on screen, delivering a performance that keeps viewers constantly guessing his intentions. And for fans of Bengali cinema, there is a pleasant surprise in store with a blink-and-you-miss appearance by superstar Abir Chatterjee.
If Brown falters, it is only in its final stretch. After spending six episodes building an engrossing mystery and repeatedly delivering emotional punches, the ending leaves behind a slight sour taste. It works, but not quite as powerfully as one hopes. The series gears up to deliver a final gut punch, yet the payoff falls just short of the impact created by the build-up. In a lesser show, that might have been a bigger issue. Here, it merely prevents an excellent thriller from becoming a great one.
A must watch!
About the Author
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment wo…Read More
