Latest news with #PushkarSunilMahabal
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
How ‘Black, White & Gray' raises the crime saga bar
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated May 26, 2025)An intelligent filmmaker knows that all stories have been told already, and a fresh story means fresh storytelling. Case in point: the new Sony LIV Hindi series Black, White & Gray—Love Kills. Written, directed and edited by Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, the Rashomon-like six-episode series is part true crime mockumentary, part chase thriller, and full metafiction. What could have been a straightforward crime story is explored as a fake documentary looking into the aftermath of the crime, juxtaposed with its dramatic re-enactment. This style coaxes us to question the ethics of the true crime genre, and the intersections of caste, class and gender across which crimes A politician's daughter and the son of the politician's driver sneak out one night to have sex in a hotel. Later, CCTV footage suggests that the man has killed the woman and escaped with her body. The police allege that the man goes on to murder a cop and two others in his killing spree. The man has been absconding for two series is framed as a project by a western filmmaker visiting India. His mockumentary features interviews with friends and relatives of the victims, while the dramatic re-enactment shows what could have gone down between the man, the woman, and the three other victims. The filmmaker reveals his trump card at the end of episode one: he has tracked down and interviewed the of the most innovative Indian series in a long time, Black, White & Gray... is true gonzo filmmaking. At a time of despair in the Mumbai film industry over its products' staleness and commercial failures, Mahabal proves that imagination is all it to India Today MagazineTrending Reel
India Today
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
The power of imagination
An intelligent filmmaker knows that all stories have been told already, and a fresh story means fresh storytelling. Case in point: the new Sony LIV Hindi series Black, White & Gray—Love Kills. Written, directed and edited by Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, the Rashomon-like six-episode series is part true crime mockumentary, part chase thriller, and full metafiction. What could have been a straightforward crime story is explored as a fake documentary looking into the aftermath of the crime, juxtaposed with its dramatic re-enactment. This style coaxes us to question the ethics of the true crime genre, and the intersections of caste, class and gender across which crimes occur.
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
‘Black, White & Gray - Love Kills' review: Starts strong but fizzles out
SonyLIV's Black, White & Gray – Love Kills kicks off with a compelling premise, wrapping viewers in the intriguing world of crime, class divide, and manipulation. The series, directed by Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, follows Daniel Gray, a determined journalist who begins documenting a complex murder case involving four deaths and one prime suspect – a young man from a financially disadvantaged background, portrayed by Mayur More. Consisting of six episodes, the show lays its groundwork well. The accused, hailing from a poor family, falls for a rich girl whose father employs his own. Their secret one-night getaway triggers a chain of tragic events, beginning with the girl's sudden collapse. Assuming she's dead, panic ensues. What follows is a downward spiral involving three more murders, with the accused and the girl at the center of it all. Initially, the series seems to promise a gritty, emotionally charged crime drama. It touches on themes like social discrimination, corruption, and the misuse of power by the elite – all through the lens of a suspenseful murder mystery. However, despite this strong thematic base, Love Kills begins to lose its narrative grip post the second episode. The suspense unravels, scenes begin to feel disjointed, and the writing falters in tying together the emotional and investigative threads. Where the plot struggles, Mayur More's performance emerges as the saving grace. He delivers one of his career-best performances, portraying vulnerability, confusion, and desperation with raw honesty. His ability to embody the scapegoated youth lends the series a much-needed emotional weight, even when the script fails to deliver. The series makes an effort to spotlight societal issues like the stark division between rich and poor, the pressure to stay silent, and the dangerous consequences of lies spun into false narratives. Unfortunately, these messages are diluted by inconsistent pacing, poor editing, and lackluster direction. Black, White & Gray – Love Kills had the potential to be a standout crime thriller but ends up being a case of missed opportunity. While the intention was noble and the themes relevant, the weak execution and fragmented storytelling hold it back. Still, if you're watching for performances, Mayur More alone is worth your time.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Blunt-force drama: Deepanjana Pal writes on the new series Black, White and Gray
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 (who really should act more), Mayur More, Palak Jaiswal, Deven Bhojani and Anant Jog. Their pre-existing fame is a reminder of the artifice and make-believe at play. Sanjay Kumar Sahu is outstanding as the suspected serial killer, who is played by More in the re-enactments. The similarities and contrasts between the two make for a fascinating study, particularly after the final reveal. Now we enter spoiler territory. In the first episode, a politician's daughter (Jaiswal) and a driver's son (More) check into a seedy hotel. When the police raid the establishment, the couple rush to escape and the girl falls, hitting the back of her head hard enough to draw blood. The boy bundles her into their car and they leave. Soon after, he realises she is unresponsive. Two days later, just as the boy is about to be killed, the girl regains consciousness and roars into action. First, she uproots a small tree; then, she bludgeons to death the man attacking the boy. This resurrection derails the carefully constructed realism of Black, White & Gray. Until this point, the pseudo-documentary is gripping precisely because of how convincingly true-crime it is. The comatose character who miraculously recovers feels absurd against this backdrop. Rather than a lazy contrivance, however, this is a deliberate narrative choice — one that relies heavily on an assumed shared context between the audience and the storyteller: that of pulpy Bollywood excess. The rip in the fabric of believability serves to alert the viewer to the many other clichés on screen. Poor little rich girl: Check. Bad cop (complete with Rottweiler): Check. Hero as victim of circumstance: Check. Runaway couple in picturesque natural setting: Check. Golden-hearted villager: Check. Nexus between media and politics: Check. What do all these tropes do to the credibility of a confession? Does the fact that we have vintage Bollywood pulp coded into our DNA make us more susceptible? Or, does it make storytellers of us all, enabling us to spin new narratives from gaps in the plot we are given? Sadly, Mahabal's screenplay falters in a few key areas. His worldbuilding could have done with more hints to the pervasiveness of pulpy, mainstream cinema in our lives. Barring the kitschy synth-pop of the show's opening credits, there are no visual or sonic nods to mainstream Indian cinema, in the series. He also struggles to maintain the tension, and this makes the show feel overlong. Still, Black, White & Gray is more thought-provoking than the average Indian streaming show. As a foreign journalist, for instance, Gray believes his position as an outsider makes his gaze clearer. Instead, it arguably also renders him blind to the clichés in the investigation. Meanwhile, it turns out he is susceptible too. The structure of his documentary shows how he has internalised tropes of the true-crime genre, down to a hat tip to the 2015 documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, in the final reveal. Clearly, no one is immune to the influences of pop culture. With its unreliable narrators and warped storyline, Black, White & Gray allows us to glimpse just how insidiously culture can impact our perception of the world around us. (To reach Deepanjana Pal with feedback, write to @dpanjana on Instagram)
News18
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Abhishek Bhalerao's Black, White And Gray Is A ‘Must-Watch', Declare Fans
Last Updated: Black, White & Gray – Love Kills revolves around journalist Daniel Gray investigating a series of murders linked to a mysterious young man. All eyes are on director Pushkar Sunil Mahabal's latest crime-drama Black, White & Gray – Love Kills. The mockumentary-style series, which arrived on SonyLIV on May 2 has gripped viewers with its gritty storyline, suspense and power-packed performances. Black, White & Gray features Abhishek Bhalerao, Nishant Shamaskar, Mayur More, Palak Jaiswal, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Deven Bhojani, Hakkim Shahjahan, Edward Sonnenblick and Kamlesh Sawant in key roles. Black, White & Gray – Love Kills has been receiving rave reviews from binge-watchers. Let's check out some of them on X (formerly Twitter). Heaping praise on the series, a fan wrote, 'As a creative professional, we always aspire to create something that will be a breakout success for all ~ Producers, Creative Teams, Actors and everyone involved. Black White & Gray – Love Kills is exactly that. A true breakout, a well-made gripping series with its innovative storytelling approach, terrific writing and some exceptional performances. Finished all the episodes in one go. This one is not to be missed." As a creative professional, we always aspire to create something that will be a breakout success for all ~ Producers, Creative Teams, Actors and everyone White & Gray – Love Kills on SonyLiv is exactly that. A true breakout, well made gripping series with its… — Shiladitya Bora (@ShiladityaBora) May 4, 2025 Another pointed out, 'The title is tacky, but Black, White & Gray – Love Kills is good. Mockumentary is a fun way to shake up a genre that's gotten pretty stale." The title is tacky, but Black, White & Gray – Love Kills is good. Mockumentary is a fun way to shake up a genre that's gotten pretty stale.— Rahul (@notself) May 5, 2025 An individual dubbed the show as 'the best thing in the Indian streaming space right now. So so soooooo original in its execution. Kudos to the entire team!!!! #BlackWhiteAndGray on @SonyLIV is the best thing in the Indian streaming space right so soooooo original in its execution. Kudos to the entire team!!!! #sonyliv — Abhijeet Mudgal (@IamAbhi2290) May 4, 2025 Echoing a similar sentiment, a viewer wrote, 'Brilliant & one of the most unique web series in recent times. The blend of documentary making along with fictional representation of the events grabs the attention right from the first frame. Recommended. Must watch for the plot & thrill." #BlackWhiteAndGray – Brilliant & One of the most unique web series in recent times. The blend of documentary making along with fictional representation of the events grabs the attention right from the first frame. Recommended on @SonyLIV. Must watch for the plot & thrill. — Sahil Dev Rath (@sahil_dev_rath) May 2, 2025 'Brilliant series, very well written, thrilling, engaging and disturbing… Must-watch" read a positive remark. #BlackWhiteAndGray brilliant series… .very well written ..'Every frame of the recorded documentary makes you believe it's real! Amazing acting by a talented cast!" commented an impressed user. Take a bow team #BlackWhiteAndGray Every frame of the recorded documentary makes you believe it's real! Amazing acting by a talented cast ! This one is a Must Watch for all! #BlackWhiteAndGrayreview #Review @HemalAThakkar — Bharat Patel (@jampachakar) May 3, 2025 One person had a mixed reaction: 'Just watched Black, White & Gray – Love Kills. Had potential, but the execution fell short. Great visuals, weak storytelling. Could've been a gripping thriller, but ended up just grey." Just watched Black, White & Gray – Love Kills Black, White & Gray – Love Kills revolves around journalist Daniel Gray (Edward Sonnenblick) investigating a series of murders linked to a mysterious young man. Digging deeper into the probe, Daniel unearths dark secrets on patriarchy, social injustice and corruption, forcing him to question the system. First Published: May 05, 2025, 18:53 IST
