‘Sunflower’ review: Murder, bias and agendas lurk in a Mumbai high-rise

Filmmaker Vikas Bahl has emerged after being cleared of sexual assault allegations with a web series about excessive moralising, confirmation bias and pursuing the wrong man.

Sunflower, which is out on Zee5, is based on Bahl’s screenplay and has been directed by him and Rahul Sengupta. The thriller is named after a housing complex in suburban Mumbai. A murder via poisoning takes place within the opening minutes. The murderer’s face is revealed. The suspense in Sunflower revolves around whether the killer will manage to escape.

The police arrive, led by Digendra (Ranvir Shorey) and assisted by Tambe (Girish Kulkarni). The needle of suspicion points towards various characters, including the victim’s domestic worker and his neighbour Ahuja (Mukul Chadda), with whom he has waged a long war that began over a trifling disagreement about parking.

The most suspicious character is the eighth-floor resident Sonu (Sunil Grover). Sonu appears to be an adolescent trapped in the body of a 35-year-old man, the kind with whom women might hesitate to share an elevator. Sonu is diligent at work and something of a savant when it comes to chemical substances. But he completely lacks social skills.

Female specimens are all around Sonu – a colleague whom he secretly adores, an aspiring singer, and…

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