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filmmakersvision · 11 months

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Kohrra Review

July 22, 2023

by Inakshi Chandra-Mohanty

Seven years back, we got a glimpse of the downtrodden state of Punjab through the film, Udta Punjab. The drugs, the violence, the chaos. It was a stark departure from the gorgeous pinds, ganne ke khet, and an overall romanticized version of Punjab we had grown accustomed to through the movies. We still see those sprawling fields in Kohrra, but now there is an ominous air over it, a fog of criminality that refuses to disappear. Netflix’s latest series is a crime thriller that follows two police officers, Balbir Singh (Suvinder Vicky) and Amarpal Garundi (Barun Sobti), as they attempt to solve the murder of a groom, just days prior to his wedding. Their personal and professional lives intertwine as the search for the culprit reveals much about the dismal state of society.

It is no surprise that one of the writers of Udta Punjab is a co-creator on this series. Sudip Sharma, also known for Amazon’s critically acclaimed show, Paatal Lok, has the knowledge and writing prowess to explore the gritty depths of Punjab. Along with director Randeep Jha, and co-writers, Gunjit Chopra and Diggi Sisodia, they create a universe that relies heavily on its atmosphere. From the Punjabi dialect spoken by the actors to the stark cinematography, they strive for authenticity.

Though it gets straight into the main plot, the crime being discovered within the first few minutes of the first episode, the story is slow to unravel. The exposition of the characters happens over the course of the series as each episode reveals a little more about their personal lives. The narrative is predictable. But, there is an unpredictability within that predictability. Many aspects of the mystery are easily guessed early on, but they are just loose threads. How these threads are woven together to form this murderous situation is the suspense we relish.

But what sets Kohrra apart, is the way it uses the mystery as background fodder for a poignant story of parental abuse and generational trauma. We see a whole generation of youngsters stifled due to the misplaced frustration of their elders. Happy suffers the inattention of his father, leading him down a treacherous path. Garundi is victim to the emotional blackmail of his brother and sister in law. Nimrat faces mental torture at the hands of her rigid father. Paul feels suppressed by the extreme beliefs of his father and as a result, Liam struggles due to Paul’s pain. The common thread here is the existence of parental figures who are insistent on imposing their beliefs from a generation of the past on their children of today. It is a bleak commentary on familial structures in modern society amid the chaotic crime scene in Punjab.

The brilliant writing along with the great performances bring these characters and themes to life. Suvinder Vicky and Barun Sobti do a commendable job leading the show. It’s remarkable to see how Barun Sobti imbibes this rustic Punjabi character, so different from any role he has portrayed thus far. This may be his fourth release of the year, but it’s definitely his best performance of them all. Suvinder Vicky is a revelation. Despite a career lasting almost two decades, with a few forays into Hindi entertainment, he is largely unknown to an Indian audience outside Punjab. This series has not only brought to light his nuanced acting, but has also catapulted him into belated stardom. While these two actors lead the way, it is the supporting cast that keeps the series afloat. Harleen Sethi is terrific in the role of Balbir’s disgruntled, angry and depressed daughter, Nimrat. Rachel Shelly beautifully portrays Clara’s agony of losing a son in a nation foreign to her. And there are many more actors that do a tremendous job bringing emotion and authenticity to their roles.

As the series comes to a close, I find myself wondering, are we supposed to like these characters? Barring Nimrat and Clara, my heart doesn’t ache for anyone. Instead, I feel disgusted by some of these people and their despicable actions. But, I believe that is the intention. These grey characters are not meant to be likeable. They are instead meant to be seen as an imperfect part of an imperfect society. A society that is slowly drowning in its own evils. But, as they each have their own form of redemption, we experience satisfaction, that in this burning society, there is a glimmer of hope. Just like its characters, Kohrra isn’t perfect. It is slow, it is predictable. But as the mystery takes a backseat, an important commentary on society emerges that makes the series a riveting watch.

#bollywoodreviews #kohrra #sudip sharma #randeep jha #suvinder vicky #barun sobti #harleen sethi #rachel shelly #netflix india #hindi cinema #web series #indian cinema

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blessed1neha · 2 years

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What happened to Lord Krishna’s body once he left for Vaikunth?

Lord Krishna was not buried but cremated and there is an interesting story around it

This will be an unknown story about Bhakt Shataksh.

When Sri Krishna realised his time was up on earth he laid down under a tree. By the almighty's own will, a hunter named Jara was nearby with his bow and arrow searching for a kill.

As he caught glimpse of Krishna's foot from a distance he mistook it for a deer and shot a lethal arrow that pierced Krishna's foot.

Krishna's foot began to bleed and the blood started to seep out onto the earth below and subsequently being soaked by the earth.

Krishna forgave and consoled the repenting hunter and told him that he just played his part in the destiny.

The Lord asked the hunter to leave and soon, Krishna went into param samadhi and the divine soul left the body.

Meanwhile,

all the blood from mortal body that had seeped through the foot and onto the ground, was soaked by the earth and from there it finally reached Paatal Lok.

In Paatal Lok, the seeped blood fell on lips of a stone statue. This statue was of a demon girl called Shataki.

STORY OF SHATAKI & SHATAKSH —

Shataki was a demon girl who had 6 elder brothers, youngest of those 6 brothers was called Shataksh.

Now, although a Demon, Shataksh was a great Vishnu Bhakt.

His Vishnu bhakti would infuriate his father and 5 brothers to no end.

Although, Shataki too hated Gods (including Vishnu) just like her other brothers, she also had great affection for her youngest brother. And hence, she would refrain from speaking negative about Vishnu in front of him to avoid hurting her brother's sentiments.

One day,

Shataksh was preparing for a Vishnu puja when he realised that leaves of Mango Tree which were needed in the Puja were missing.

This was strange as he himself had went up on earth couple of days back (since no tree grew in Pataal Lok) and got the required leaves. But now they were nowhere to be found.

Well, as you would expect, the reason leaves were nowhere to be found were because the 5 evil brothers had got hint of Shataksh's Puja plans and they had hid the Mango branches.

With auspicious time soon coming Shataksh grew tense and sad, when suddenly he saw his brothers pass by laughing at him.

He realised that it was probably the doing of his brothers. Still, instead of getting angry at his brothers, he cursed himself — perhaps I am really an unworthy follower of Lord and that's why he doesn’t wants me to do Puja and made my brothers do the act. It is not their fault, but fault is in me.

Shataksh was in great distress.

Seeing his sad condition, his sister, who initially was the part of the sibling gang that stole the branches, now felt guilty.

She went to the place where the Mango branches were hidden, retrieved them and gave them back to Shataksh.

When the demon brothers came to know of this they got very angry at Shataki and in great rage they beat their sister to death.

Yes, the sister cried for help.

But Shataksh had already began his Puja and subsequently he went into a trance like meditative state and he couldn't hear his sister's cries.

When the Puja was over, Shataksh got up and moved to his house where he saw the dead body of sister lying on ground.

He was stunned.

His evil brothers jumped out of their huts and started taunting and laughing hysterically around him. They warned him that they will kill him too if he dares to do Vishnu Puja again.

Realising what has happened, Shataksh jumped on his brothers and started fighting them.

However, he was youngest and they were 5 big demons. In no time Shataksh was overpowered.

The demon brothers were about to kill him, however they were stopped by their father who came just in nick of time.

When the brothers told their father about Shataksh worshipping Vishnu, the father got very annoyed. He looked at Shataksh with great anger and held him responsible for death of his sister.

He taunted Shataksh and said - If Lord Vishnu is so powerful ask him to bring your sister to life. I promise to become his follower too.

Shataksh prayed hard to Lord Vishnu, however nothing happened.

All brothers laughed at him.

The father then said - Your god is worthless. But I have a power to bring you sister to life. But ONLY if you promise to do what I ask you to do.

Since Shataksh loved his little sister dearly, he agreed without giving it a second thought.

The father, through his demonic power, healed the demon girl and brought her back to life.

As Shataki sprang back to life, Shataksh's happiness knew no bounds. With tears of joy, he hugged his sister and proceeded to ask his father as to what he wants him to do in return for the great gift he gave to him by bringing back his beloved sister.

The demon father put forward his demand — Kill Vishnu.

Shataksh was horrified on hearing the ask.

He told his father this was impossible. Firstly, he would never even harbor such a wicked thought lest even thinking of executing it. And secondly, he was just a small powerless demon who was no match to the divine himself. Mere thought of him being able to kill Vishnu was laughable and a figment of a fool's mind.

His father looked at him gravely and said —

Shataksh, I am now going to tell you something that I never told you or any of your brothers. You and only you have the power of killing Vishnu. Long back, I used to work for head-guru of demons, Shukracharya.

After seeing my decades of sincere and selfless service, he got really happy and consequently he blessed me and gave me RING OF DEATH.

Shukracharya told me that if myself or any of my sons, wears this ring, then we would be able to burn to ashes any God, any demon, any human or any life form just by our touch.

However, their was one condition — ring would only work on earth.

In effect, Shukracharya has given his blessing in form of ring to me by virtue of which I could rule on earth.

I got really happy as I could now face any challenger on earth and kill them.

However, when I tried to wear the ring, it just would not fit me, no matter how much I tried.

Frustrated, I decided to marry and have a son to whom I would pass on the ring and through him rule the earth.

But sadly, the ring did not fit either of your 5 brothers. Each time the ring would get either get smaller or bigger and just would not fit on the fingers.

But my son, when you were born, the ring fit all your fingers perfectly.

I was so happy.

I removed the ring and decided to wait for you to grow up my son, to handover the ring to you at right time.

But sadly as you grew older to my horror you became a Vishnu Bhakt and it made me think twice before revealing the secret of death ring to you, Shataksh.

I knew you would never use the ring against Vishnu and it would be waste of this great gift we demons have got from Shukracharya.

However, now my son you are under oath. You have promised me to do what I say and hence, I present you this ring.

Moment Shataksh wore the ring it fitted him perfectly and he felt brighter and powerful.

His father ordered him to go and kill Vishnu.

Shataksh looked at his father and said to him — O respectable father, I am your son and while fulfilling father's wish is son's duty, a rightful son will do anything to ensure his father never strays on wrong path even if it means disobeying the father. I hence refuse to do the highly abominable work that you are asking me to do. You may take your ring back.

Shataksh tried to remove the ring but miraculously it refused to come out.

Hearing Shataksh's word the demon-father grew very angry and accused him of being a bad son.

He ordered his 5 elder sons to pounce on Shataksh and kill him and get the ring back.

All 5 brothers pounced on Shataksh's with their swords. However, the moment swords touched Shataksh, the wound that would have come on Shataksh instead came on the brothers body and all of them lay dead.

Scared at death of his 5 sons and enraged at the seeming betrayal by his own son, the father cursed Shataksh and turned his daughter into stone statue.

His father screamed in great sorrow —

O disreputable Shataksh, you have brought shame and sadness to your father. This, I am turning this sister of yours, who you love so much, into stone. I also curse that she will only come back to life when blood of dead Vishnu is brought to her lips.

As your father, I also forbade you from every leaving this place or asking for help from anybody, including your so called Lord Vishnu.

If your Vishnu is as wonderful god as you say, let him sacrifice himself and grant life to your sister.

NOW WAIT WITH YOUR STONE SISTER IN THIS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOREVER.

For hundreds of years, Shataksh just waited and waited in that place alone with only his stone sister for company. He could not even pray to Vishnu for help and his confinement seemed eternal.

His despair knew no bound. After all, how will Lord help him when he cannot even pray to him to tell his condition? And even if Lord Krishna somehow comes to know about him, will he ever allow Lord to kill himself to bring life his sister? No Never.

Such thoughts brought him great distress. His punishment seemed eternal.

But Lord Vishnu knows everything. He sees everything. He knows every Bhakts sorrow without being need to tell to.

Still, in this UNIVERSE, that is made by Lord himself, there is an order that has to be followed and redemption comes at right time.

That day when Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu died, the tree spot which Lord Krishna chose was deliberate.

Everything was as per plan.

Lord's blood seeped from that place to Pataal Lok, dripping directly on the lips of stone statue.

And voila! as expected Shataksh's sister came back to life.

She looked around and saw her weak brother lying on ground, sad and dejected. She ran to him and held him with great happiness.

When Shataksh saw his sister back to life, his happiness knew no bounds. He screamed with joy and danced with his sister.

Shataksh asked his sister, how did she came to life?

She pointed towards the ceiling from where the elixir of life — a blood like substance was dripping.

Almost immediately, the brother realised.

His joy turned to terror.

A sudden sadness engulfed him - Is my Lord dead? Oh no, how can the Lord kill himself for me? A demon like me is not worthy for such sacrifice.

Deeply anguish, Shataksh decided to check from where the blood was coming from.

‘Sister, we have to go to earth and find the source of this blood,'’ Shataksh said.

Both brother and sister started their journey to Earth and reached there in half a day.

When they reached the spot they found several hundred people weeping and crying at some distance. They walked through them and finally saw a dead body on pile of woods.

The face of this dead man had a radiant glow and a calm smile. Even though the body was dead for 6–7 hours now, the death had not faded the aura away.

Shataksh knew immediately that the body was of his Lord Vishnu.

Shocked his strength gave away. He fell down next to that pile of woods and started weeping like a child. He felt responsible for the death of his Lord. Shataksh hated himself for being the reason for the death of Lord Vishnu.

He cried loudly, lamenting how the other devotees seek gifts from lord but how wretched he was that he seek his lord's death. He hated himself for his selfish existence.

Now, in the crowd were Pandavas.

When Yudhisthira saw this inconsolable demon, he grew curious. He walked up to his sister Shataki who was weeping silently beside her brother and asked about them. She told the Dharmaraj everything.

Yudhisthira, a wise man, realised that nothing is done by Lord without purpose.

He sat down next to Shataksh and told him about peculiar problem all the people there were facing — they had all tried to give a proper cremation to lord by putting him on Chandan wood with pure ghee poured on it by most illustrious Brahmins. And yet, now matter how hard they try they are unable to lit the body to fire.

It is important that the body is offered to elements before the sun sets so as to not attract inauspicious elements in night towards Lord.

With folded hands, Yudhisthira said, will you be able to help us in this?

Puzzled, Shataksh looked back at Yudhisthira — how can a demon like him help lit the Lord's….

And then he realised.

He realised it all.

How, he fit in larger scheme of things.

How Lord wanted him to play an important part in his life on earth.

Suddenly, tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. He jumped up in great happiness and began to dance around in happiness laughing loudly. Everyone thought that the demon had gone mad.

Within minutes, Shataksh composed himself and told everyone about the ring he got from his father. And he told that he now realised his true purpose in life.

He felt happy and honoured that the lord has chosen him for this special work. He was special soldier of god.

Shataksh asked everybody to back off a little.

And then with great devotion and determination he grabbed the hand of Lord in his hand and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a loud burst of fire awoke from the ring which soon consumed the pure divine body of lord.

The fire began to consume Shataksh too as that was the will of Shataksh.

His sister tried to pull him back but Shataksh just smiled and pushed her away.

Lord's body was burning and so was Shataksh. LORD AND THE DEVOTEE WERE ONE NOW. There was no pain.

Shataki cried watching her brother and tried to jump on the burning pyre but she was stopped by the Pandavas.

Within few minutes, the Lord and Shataksh were lost in huge flame and gone. The ring too disappeared.

Everyone raised their voices — Hail Shri Krishna, Hail Bhakt Shataksh.

As everyone started to leave, Sister Shataki refused to go away. But with great persuasion, the Pandavas took her away to their palace where Draupadi and other ladies welcomed her with great love and respect.

However, she was in deep distress and sadness. As the night came, she decided to end her life at very same place where her brother had met his end.

When everyone had slept, she flew to that place. As she passed through the thick jungle and closed in to the spot, her eyes opened wide in wonder.

There sat her brother and Lord Vishnu himself, smiling back at Shataki. She was greatly overjoyed and yet perplexed at same time.

Her brother called out to her and asked her to come closer. She smiled and reached out to his brother and together, Lord Vishnu took them both with him to Vaikunt.

There they lived happily, free of circle of life and death and in the service of Lord Vishnu forever.

Jai Shri Krishna

#lord krishna #krishna #hare krishna #harekrishna #lordkrishna #vishnu #lordvishnu #hare

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the-stray-storyteller · 11 months

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Happy sts ! How does myth and folklore appear in your stories ? Does someone tell a myth that relates to the problems at hand, or maybe someone's telling spooky stories by the campfire ? What impact does that have on the narrative ?

Thabkyou!

its not a saturday

WIP: Defenders

Magic users exist in this world. Most of them live in places called underworlds.

The ‘underworld’ is the hidden world of magic or the magical communities all over the world. These names were given due to a joke. When anything related to magic was seen as the worship of satan, a joke started to run through the magical community who started to call their community the netherworld.

These names changed according to culture, the magical communities. In India they called themselves paatal lok. Diyu in China. Kuzimu in Swahili, and so on.

In these underworlds several creatures live together. Most of the creatures are straight out of mythology. Even some monsters which the magic users fight are from mythology.

Apart from this I don't usually incorporate much mythology in my stories but I really want to write a retelling at some point.

#sts #asks #Defenders

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wellofseries · 2 years

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BEST 10 WEB SERIES IN INDIA

There is no doubt that the web series boom has taken over India in the past few years.And with so much great content out there, it can be hard to know where to start. So, if you're looking for some recommendations, here are 10 of the best web series from India that you need to check out: 1) MIRZAPUR The Mirzapur web series is a gripping tale of power, politics, and crime.The Mirzapur web series has been hailed by critics as one of the best Indian web series of all time. The series is a must-watch for fans of crime dramas and is sure to keep you hooked till the very end. 2) The Family Man The Family Man is an Indian action thriller web series created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.The Family Man is an engaging and well-made web series that is definitely worth watching. The series has something for everyone and is sure to keep you entertained from beginning to end. 3) TVF Pitchers TVF Pitchers is a 2015 web series that follows the story of four friends who quit their corporate jobs to start their own startup.TVF Pitchers is considered to be one of the best web series in India and has been ranked among the top 10 web series of all time by various critics. 4) Sacred Games Sacred Games is an Indian web television series based on Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel of the same name.Sacred Games has been praised for its writing, direction, and performances. The show has received several awards, including the Best Drama Series at the 46th International Emmy Awards. 5)Kota Factory The series revolves around the lives of 16-year-old Vaibhav and his friends at an IIT coaching institute in Kota, Rajasthan.The series has been praised for its realistic portrayal of the coaching culture in Kota and the challenges faced by students. 6) Special OPS The series revolves around a team of specialists who are tasked with investigating a series of terrorist attacks in India.With its pulse-pounding action and edge-of-your-seat suspense, Special OPS is a must-watch for fans of the thriller genre. 7) Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side is a 2020 web series that explores the dark side of human nature.The series follows the Asur as they battle the forces of evil, and it is packed with action, adventure, and suspense. If you're looking for a thrill ride, this is the series for you. 8) Paatal Lok The series is a gripping tale of crime and intrigue. Set in the fictional town of Paatal Lok, the series follows the lives of four characters - two detectives, a journalist, and a criminal mastermind.The Palatal Lok web series is a thrilling ride from start to finish, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. 9) Apharan The series is a thriller that revolves around the kidnapping of a young girl. The girl's father, a police officer, sets out to track down the kidnappers and bring them to justice.Whether you love it or hate it, Apharan is sure to keep you hooked till the very end. 10) BREATHE The series is a groundbreaking new project that explores the power of breathwork and its ability to improve our overall health and well-being.The BREATHE web series is an essential resource for anyone interested in exploring the benefits of breathwork. Whether you're looking to improve your physical health, mental clarity, or emotional well-being, this series has something to offer.

#web series #best web series to watch #best web series in india

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