 "‘Search: The Naina Murder Case’ Review: Konkona Sen Sharma’s strong, layered role and sharp performance will steal your heart")
Language: Hindi and Bengali
Director: Rohan Sippy
Cast: Konkona Sen Sharma, Surya Sharma, Shiv Panditt and Dhruv Sehgal
Looks like Konkona Sen Sharma from the very beginning of her career has chosen her roles with a lot of care. And she carries on the good work and sinks into the role in such a manner that she forgets herself. In JioHotstar’s ‘Search: The Naina Murder Case’, Konkona becomes ACP Sanyukta Das and most importantly a mother to a sixteen-year-old.
Even when she was a young girl in Mr. and Mrs. Iyer she played the role of a mother with so much perfection. When she gets into a role she literally owns the character and that is exactly the sign of a brilliant craftsman. Though Konkona feels that in ‘Search: The Naina Murder Case’, this is the easiest role that she has played so far because she is a mother now and she understands that there is no good or bad parenting.
Being a director in real life Konkona understands the finer details of her character like the back of her hand. Here she plays the role of a strong woman, yet she is navigating her own demons and is a little confused too as she doesn’t really know what she actually wa_nts_ from life.
Based on Danish television phenomenon The Killing (Forbrydelsen), originally produced by DR Drama, the series is made keeping the Indian sensitivity in mind. The show starts with the murder of a college girl after a college fest. The body of this teenage girl named Naina, was discovered in a politician’s car.
The case is shown being handled in the most sensitive possible manner by ACP Sanyukta Das ( Konkona Sen Sharma ). But she too is on the verge of her transfer to Ahmedabad from Mumbai. But her seniors have a huge fate in her and believe it is she who can handle the case with care. It is indeed refreshing to see a woman actor heading a thriller especially in genre which is hugely dominated by men especially in the Hindi film industry.
The series shows that ACP Sanyukta Das was supposed to join her husband in Ahmedabad, but because of the sensitivity of the case, she is unable to concentrate on her packing as she has to move to another city to join her husband. The case gets complicated with each passing day and Sanyukta is running out of time. Her relationship with her husband gets strained.
Search: The Naina Murder Case exposes the dark side of internet, social media and information overdose. Sanyukta is paired with another young officer who is being brought to replace her when she moves out of Mumbai. The role of this over confident and brash officer, Jai Kanwal from Haryana is played by Surya Sharma. His way of handling cases is way different from Sanyukta. Being new to Mumbai, he just can’t get over his north Indian palate and his love for chola bhatura. He is immature and is always in a hurry.
There are places where the script thins out especially towards the end, yet Search: The Naina Murder Case is immersive and engaging. Most importantly even though it is a series with all its twists and turns, it is crisp. Sometimes, you may feel that it is a political thriller as there are many secrets that unfold towards the end. Again, the political bit is just superficial. Most importantly, the show is definitely a must-watch because it touches upon several troubling issues.
Rating: 3 and half out of 5
WATCH the trailer of ‘Search: The Naina Murder Case’:
Lachmi Deb Roy is the Entertainment Editor of Firstpost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. She is a 'Rotten Tomatoes' certified critic. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes a huge interest in world cinema. She has been the winner of the prestigious Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until it's a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.