For co-creator Sudeep Sharma, who was reluctant to launch another crime show, the murder was secondary to the people surrounding the investigation. In an exclusive interview, the showrunner talked about the portrayal of Punjab in his works, why Tom and Jerry is more violent than Paatal Lok and others.
Where were you when you got the concept for Kohrra?
Paatal Lok had just released and Gunjit Chopra and Diggi Sisodiya pitched this idea during the pandemic. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do another crime show right after Paatal Lok. But I realized when I read the doc that as much as the show is about crime and investigation, it’s also about relationships. Usually when we do crime shows, they’re really focused on the crime and the thriller aspect of it. But here was a show that tried to explore relationships, life and living in Punjab here and now. And he was trying to look at the sub-societies that existed in Punjab. I found that super exciting and that’s kind of how the journey began.
What went into setting up the show’s opening scene?
Kohrra is a fog, or mist, or cover under which things can happen that you don’t want discovered. There was a starting point – Here is a couple walking in this nice cover of winter fog. But there’s someone else who has also used this cover to commit a criminal act. They happen upon a dead body and the story starts from there. We wanted to introduce the idea of Kohrra through the opening scene itself. There was also a deeper meaning to it , which sought to explore the fog in relationships that prevents us from seeing the truth.How the fog of our personal complexities prevents us from seeing the truth and prevents us from being able to connect with the other person in a deeper way.
How did you manage to flesh out the personal stories alongside the criminal?
When trying to tell a story, there are two factors to consider. One is the plot and the other is the characters. The crime we looked at from a plot point of view, and any good story needs to have a balance between plot and characters. If you make it too heavy, then the story can become shallow and not have enough depth. If you make it too heavy on the characters, then chances are it will become boring. The crime thriller aspect of it, we looked at it from a plot point of view. At the same time, we were trying to look at character development as well. It’s a trick. It’s a balancing act.
How did you start researching the crimes the show explores?
We added a lot of live experiences to the writing of the show. Gunjan has spent a lot of time in Punjab, he loves the place. He has drawn a lot from his experience there. Crime is also a phenomenon that interests me personally. The intersection of crime and society and the social consequences it creates have always excited me as a storyteller. We mined our personal experiences. He also helped with the research for Udta Punjab. We traveled a lot in Punjab and met many policemen. It all comes out in the show.
How much did your experience in Udta Punjab help the show? And was it difficult to get it right?
Udta Punjab had limited time and space to tell a story. In the long format, there was an opportunity to dive deep into the subplots. We wrote the show out of love for the place, so that was never an issue. The play is in no way a critique of society. It came from the idea of finding these lives and their complexity is fascinating as a storyteller. We approached it from the perspective of trying not to tell a political story, but to look at it from the politics of relationships.
How did you manage to add short light moments in such a heavy show?
Punjab is an incredibly vibrant place. Punjabis have a naturally funny sense of humor without trying to be funny. And that’s what actually makes them so funny. So when you’re dealing with Punjab, it would be unnatural not to have moments of levity because there’s no escaping that in Punjab. It comes into conversation right away. If you spend time with a bunch of Punjabi, you will come out of it smiling or laughing. The language itself is so rich and alive. So instead of trying to make it light because the show is so heavy, it naturally flows from the characters.
When did you realize you had the lead characters in Barun Sobti and Suvinder Vicky?
I had worked with Suvinder Vicky earlier in Udta Punjab and Paatal Lok. There is a lot of pathos and sadness on his face. He just fit the profile we had in mind for Balbir – A man whose life hasn’t been very kind to him, but he hasn’t been too kind to life either. Barun, I had seen his work in Halal, Randeep’s film and loved it. There is a natural sense of humor in Barun as there is in Garundi. We wanted to tap into that. He has comic timing. He also has a great command of the language and is a true Punjabi son at heart. It gave authenticity to the character. These actors were my first choice.
Was it difficult to create a show around two characters you couldn’t really fall for?
No, it’s not. I think we put too much emphasis on the word hero. They are main characters of your story, they are not really characters. The moment you start telling the story from a certain point of view, there’s no way the viewer won’t be interested in his life, as long as you make it engaging and draw that empathy. It doesn’t matter if he is a murderer or has committed the worst crimes. As long as you are able to tell me his point of view and make me understand where he is coming from. I may not like it, but I understand it, and I think that’s more important. Both characters also have some redeeming qualities. If they didn’t, you would interrogate, then you would interrogate them as viewers. Once you see the potential for change in a character, as humans we appreciate that because deep down we all want to change. We all want to improve, to become better versions of ourselves. When we see this happening in characters, on screen, or in literature. There is something satisfying and recognizable about it.
What were some of the lines you gave for the visuals of the show?
More than wanting to shoot a noir thriller, we wanted to explore Punjab in a healthy way. We shot the fictional place called Jagrana in Ludhiana. Visually we wanted, we wanted to cover the famous fields of Punjab, the plush homes of NRIs and the industrial side of Punjab. There is a huge industrial base that is being neglected. Most movies are shot in Amritsar or Chandigarh. But we wanted to capture another side of Punjab. Grunge destroyed as well as the vibrant and thriving side of Punjab.
Many of your works contain violence. How do you use it as a device?
It’s hard, isn’t it? The depiction of violence on screen. If violence is done for effect, then I don’t want to do it. I’m not interested in violence for effect. I’m not interested in cartoonish violence where there are no consequences to actions. For example Tom and Jerry I think is a very violent show. Tom does go after Jerry and there are no consequences and I think that’s dangerous. Through my work, I want to tell people that if you take a hammer and hit someone on the head, it can end up like this. It’s important to say it like you see it and not flinch from it. The idea is never to justify violence and never to justify it, but to accept that there is violence in society. But let’s also look at what can happen if you choose violence.
What are some movies or shows that have influenced your filmography?
When you’re a movie buff, your influences come out in ways that even you don’t understand. There is Satya, Maqbool and Bandit Queen. The whole idea of writing Sonchiriya was a tribute to that film that changed the course of my life. are Martin Scorsese’s films that have many fans. “The 1970s were a golden period for Hollywood and the independent cinema that emerged. I’m a big fan of his.
What can you reveal about Paatal Lok 2?
Season 2 has a tense story, but it’s a very personal journey. I grew up in the North East during tough times in the 80s and 90s and I carry some scars from that time and baggage from the past. me, the second season was about going back there after 20 years and saying, well, I’m using my past experiences in a constructive way. There was something immensely satisfying about it.
Kohrra is due out on July 15, 2023.