Sunflower Review: Sunil Grover-starrer web series offers us exciting characters, but its plot never delivers on the promise.
Two suspects and a dead body. On one hand, there appears to be an obvious criminal, and on the other, there is one with a mystery behind his actions. Was the murder committed by both of them? Is it just the usual suspects, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
With its compelling premise, Sunflower, the latest ZEE5 series from Vikas Bahl, pulls you in immediately. The murder of Raj Kapoor leads to chaos in a suburban residential community.
Sunil Grover (Sonu Singh) is a likely suspect with numerous pieces of evidence against him. A similar suspicion is being raised about Kapoor’s neighbor, Dr. Ahuja (Mukul Chaddha). Initially, Inspectors Digendra (Ranvir Shorey) and Tambe (Girish Kulkarni) are assigned to the case, but the case gets trickier when Kapoor’s wife, played by Shonali Nagrani, enters the picture.
You can never predict the twists in a mystery thriller by looking at the plot line. The books are well-hidden, yet they also encourage you to solve crimes and find clues. Too complicated, and you get frustrated; too easy, and you get bored. In trying to balance this line, Sunflower usually veers off course.
Ahead of the Web series’ release, Sunil Grover said he couldn’t place it into a specific genre because it combines “thrill, humor, and dark comedy.” Although it does not fall into any one of these categories, its character development is its greatest asset. The character of Sonu Singh played by Grover is outstanding. Laughter and innocence combine in his performance by Vikas Bahl. He is not your usual neighbor or colleague. While you may doubt his intentions one moment, the next you may sympathize with him. Grover is a pleasure to watch in a role that has some substance.
You are fascinated by Mukul Chadda as a teacher. Short-tempered and impulsive, he reacts impulsively. As his wife did not fast on Karva Chauth, he blames her for putting his life in danger. When it comes to him, things may not be as they seem. In the end, his story fails to deliver on the suspense he creates.
In addition to Dilip Iyer, Ashish Vidhyarthi plays Dilip Iyer, one of the candidates for chairmanship. Through him, the makers subtly highlight the prejudices that still persist in the society — stigma around divorced women, single women, homosexuals, and religions. It is Paddy Iyer (Ria Nalavde), his daughter, who provides an insight into a young mind and the apprehensions of a youngster. Additionally, Gurleen and Justina’s characters serve as examples of societal stereotypes for women.
I appreciate that Bahl produces such edgy characters. Still, most of the characters and their subsequent plot lines do not add anything substantive to the main story, leaving the series without any real purpose. In the beginning, I was intrigued by the eight-episode series, but it never delivered on its promise.
The plot of Sunflower is overstretched, which can lead to some ridiculous moments in the story. The potential of the project was wasted.
