When TV Crime Mirrors Daily Life in Modi’s India
As the government prepares to host the G-20 summit, papering over police violence has implications for security.
Life imitating art.
Photographer: Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images
Kohrra is the latest Indian crime thriller to capture the attention of Netflix viewers, now in its third week at No. 1 of the streaming giant’s Top 10 most-watched series in the South Asian nation.
If you haven’t dipped your toe into this gritty genre — devoid of giant Bollywood dance numbers and cringingly improbable heroes — it’s time you did. There, with other excellent dramas such as Paatal Lok, Delhi Crime and Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi, you will find the story of today’s India writ large. Life imitating art: Corrupt politicians, violent cops, a society riven by caste and class divisions, and a staggering level of inequality.