Blunt-force drama

A new series on Sony Liv offers both twists and familiar tropes — all the while asking: Has Bollywood made storytellers of us all?

- Deepanjana Pal

Halfway into Black, White & Gray - Love Kills, there's a twist in the tale. It is one of many in this series created, written, directed and edited by Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, but this one is pivotal.

Streaming on Sony Liv, Black, White & Gray is an investigation into four murders believed to have been committed by one young man. The story unfolds like a true-crime documentary being filmed by a faceless British freelance reporter named Daniel Gray (voiced by Edward Sonnenblick).

One narrative thread shows the interviews Gray conducts with people linked to the cases. Running parallel is a series of re-enactments based on their video testimonies.

In the re-enactments, we see recognisable faces and excellent performances by actors such as Tigmanshu Dhulia, Mayur More, Palak Jaiswal, Deven Bhojani and Anant Jog. Their pre-existing fame is a reminder of the artifice and make-believe at play.