Soon streaming on Netflix is Kohrra the crime-thriller set in Punjab. Ahead of its release in mid-July Indulge caught up with the lead cast Barun Sobti, Suvinder Vicky, and Harleen Sethi for a candid chat.
Tell us about your characters.
Barun: I play a complex cop called Garundi who is in a very precarious spot in his life and profession.
Suvinder: Balbir Singh is a senior police official handling a criminal investigation with his team.
Harleen: My character is Nimrat, Balbir Singh’s daughter. She is very resentful of things going wrong in their home like physical and emotional abuse, dominance, compromising on dreams, and more. She has reached a point where she wants to live for herself and be happy.
What preparations did you undertake?
Barun: We did a lot of workshops and were told about the internal operations by the makers as there was a lot of research that went into writing this show. It took four months to grow the handlebar moustache.
Suvinder: To look my character, I gained around eight to nine kilograms and had a paunch. I did some meetings with my police officer friends in Punjab as well.
Harleen: I borrowed these toxic father-daughter experiences from a couple of people. But I also felt sorry for having them recall their traumas. Before filming we had workshops with acting coaches. I jotted down Nimrat and my personality traits to build the character.
Was your character relatable in real life?
Barun: No. I play a single and aggressive ASI who lives in a village with his brother and sister-in-law who are farmers.
Suvinder: I met a lot of real-life cops. My character also has a family with contemporary relationship problems. I have tried to keep real nuances in my character. In fact, thinking carefully maybe some of my real-life incidents might match my reel-life character as well.
Harleen: Not in terms of the father-daughter relationship. But in terms of this aspect generally, in society, women put people’s needs before their own.
Was there any scene/ incident that you found challenging about this crime investigation series?
Barun: The show is very intense. Sometimes, it also gets brutal to shoot or even stomach, but then as actors you have to be thick-skinned.
Suvinder: I believe as an actor I had to remove Suvinder Vicky from myself and incorporate Balbir into my soul. We also battled season changes during the shoot with heavy costumes.
Harleen: Pretty much all my scenes are emotionally exhausting. I found the monologue towards the end of the series very challenging.
How was your experience working with acclaimed screenwriter/ showrunner Sudip Sharma?
Barun: It was an absolute delight. I have always believed that every set is the reflection of the showrunner’s temperament and this one was filled with creativity and intellect. I don’t say this often about people but Sudip is definitely a genius. What makes him different is that he is a great guy but at the same time an audacious filmmaker.
Suvinder: He was the person from whom I got the first call for Kohrra. I believe this is one of the best characters of my career. He is extremely talented and gives 100% to his craft. He is both sensitive and stern with his work. When the show is run by Sudip Sharma, his entire team also works with the same intensity. I hope to work with him again.
Harleen: It was one of the most special experiences. He is a lovely human being, talented, focused, and collaborative. I could always go up to him and share my thoughts. He was encouraging and supportive.
If there's one fictional cop/investigator you admire, who would it be?
Barun: I think Jaideep’s [ Ahlawat] Hathiram [ Pataal Lok] is legendary!
Harleen: Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown.
One crime you would want to free the world from
Barun: Rape.
Harleen: Power struggle and its consequences
Please tell us about your upcoming projects.
Barun: Bawandar, a coming-of-age drama comes out later this year. Then there is Donali, a period drama.
Suvinder: There’s another series releasing in August and a Bollywood film that will be ready for release soon.
Harleen: I have a medical drama releasing around October; Sultan’s of Delhi by Milan Luthria around September. There’s a film I just finished shooting with Abhishek Bachchan which should release next year. I did a dance number in a movie called Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan. There’s a science fiction short film called Entanglement which is travelling across the science-fiction film festivals and will release shortly.
Kohrra is all set to stream on Netflix from July 15, 2023.
Also Read: Unlocking Punjab's dark secrets in the upcoming crime noir Kohrra