Gora 2 review: Ritwick Chakraborty, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, and Manali Dey present a hilarious whodunit

3/5

Story: Three tiny little girls die after having acute blood dysentery, and one’s mother dies by suicide. Her sister Sreyashi (Ushasi Ray) suspects foul play and seeks help from Gora (Ritwick Chakraborty), the eccentric slueth. Meanwhile, Gora decides to disallow his sister Kanka (Ananya Sen) to marry his friend Sarathi (Suhotra Mukhopadhyay) until he finds a suitable bride for himself. Arna (Manali Dey) joins the family as a nurse for Gora’s mother (Anuradha Roy) who had gone through cataract surgery. Inspector Sarkhel (Abhijeet Guha) seeks help from Gora to solve a suspect serial killing of girls.  

Review: First thing first, Gora 2 is not a thriller. If you are looking for a spine-chilling detective story, you may be disappointed. However, if you are aware that this Hoichoi series is not just about a whodunit, you are game for the show. With the idiosyncratic main character, the series is more of a comedy series than just a plain thriller. The second season has a lot of laughter and a strong plot.   

The forte of the show lies in its simplicity. The mystery is as disturbing and unsettling as the motive of the criminal. The presentation of the show focuses much more on the idiocy of the detective and his associates. It is not a subtle sitcom. The dialogues are loaded with rib-tickling skits. Meanwhile, the chain of events of the case is well-knitted though the modus operandi of murder is far from realistic.  

The show is also engaging because of the performances. Ritwick scores a clean sweep as a comedy actor. He leaves the audience in splits with his quirky anger and rude behaviour. Once again, Suhotra proves his versatility. The chemistry between Gora and Sarathi is delectable. In this season, Abhijeet Guha gets more prominence as Inspector Sarkhel. His character offers high-octane idiocy, and he is entertaining. Ushasi does a good job as a plane Jane Sreyashi. 

However, Gora 2 has its problems. First, it is one episode too long. Second, that one episode could have been justified if the criminal mind had been captured well. This show misses out on carving a space for the culprit. Their mind endures a social trauma, and that is not well established. As a result, the motive gets revealed in haste. It appears unconvincing because of their incomplete characterisation. The criminal’s footsteps could have justified eight episodes in the series. Meanwhile, some episodes, especially four and six, seem long-ish and sloppy. And lastly, the killing equipment is absurd. A little research might have offered a neater solution for the killing weapon than this half-baked and clumsy method.   

Verdict: Gora 2 is not a classical murder mystery. Like Eken Babu, it has its flavour. It has its shortcoming, but simplicity is its forte. It is a light, engaging, and entertaining show. It is definitely worth a watch. Go for it.