Brown EXCLUSIVE! Why Abhinay Deo Told His Cinematographer 'Make Me Uncomfortable'?: Wanted Every Character To

Brown: ZEE5 promised to take the audience on a roller coaster ride filled with thrill and suspense with the release of Brown, and it surpassed all expectations. The suspense thriller has managed to woo the viewers, keeping them hooked to their screens.

The cinematography is top-notch in Brown, adding muscle to the storyline. In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Assistant Editor Abhishek Ranjit, the director, Abhinay Deo, got candid about the thought process while designing the look in Brown.

Here are excerpts from the interview-

The show carries an undercurrent of unease throughout - how did you sustain that tension without overplaying it?

Creating a constant sense of unease throughout the series was one of the most challenging aspects for me as a director. I wanted every character to feel as though there was a dark cloud constantly hanging over them, and maintaining that mood consistently required a lot of thought and technical precision. A city like Kolkata naturally helped because it has an eerie, layered quality to it. One street can feel modern, while another, just a kilometer away, feels frozen in time with 150-year-old dilapidated buildings that instantly create discomfort and tension. The city itself contributed heavily to that atmosphere. Technically, we worked very consciously on framing and visuals. My brief to the cinematographer was simple, every frame should subconsciously make the audience uncomfortable. Whether it was unusual compositions, excessive negative space, or placing characters awkwardly within the frame, everything was designed to create unease without being obvious. The music and production design also played a huge role. I told our music director, Gaurav, that I didn't want the score to feel complete or comforting. Similarly, the art department carefully used colors, textures, and spaces to enhance that discomfort. Ultimately, it was a complete team effort. In fact, the one word written across my notepad throughout the process was "uncomfortable" - that became the guiding vision for the entire series.

As a director, how do you know when a silence or stillness is more powerful than dialogue in a thriller like this?

That's a very tricky and philosophical question. I don't think there's a fixed formula for understanding the power of silence or stillness over dialogue or music. I believe it comes from observing life closely, from experiencing pain, emotions, and different situations, while constantly keeping your eyes and ears open to the world around you. I would never claim that I have mastered it, because I'm still learning myself. But with this series, I consciously tried to use silence and stillness as strong storytelling tools. Sometimes, what you don't say can have a far deeper impact than what you do say. I've always felt that one of the most important qualities of a director or any technician is knowing when to stop, when to hold back, and when restraint is more powerful than excess. That balance becomes especially important while handling sensitive and layered subjects like this. Whether I have truly managed to achieve that or not is ultimately for the audience to decide, and I'm very eager to know how they respond to it.

What conversations were most important for you and your cinematographer while designing the look of Brown?

The most important conversations between me and my cinematographer and honestly, with every department revolved around one core idea: discomfort. The brief was very simple. Whether it was cinematography, music, art direction, makeup, or costume design, I kept saying the same thing: "Make me feel uncomfortable." I wanted every character to feel real, burdened, and emotionally heavy, as though there was a constant dark cloud hanging over them. Similarly, every frame had to carry a certain weight and unease, even beyond what was visibly happening on screen. That became the guiding vision for the entire team, and hopefully, audiences will feel that atmosphere throughout the series.

With so many murder mysteries out there, what makes Brown stand out!? Why should people invest their time in watching this series?

Brown is not just a murder mystery and I say that with a lot of conviction. At its core, it is a study of people, a decaying city, a broken system, and the complexities of human nature. It offers insight into the mind of a killer, the workings of a police department, and the different social strata that coexist within a city like Kolkata. The murder mystery is really the thread that ties all these layers together. Beyond the suspense, the series explores how morality decays, how vulnerable and flawed people can be, and the darker sides of human behavior. I believe audiences should watch Brown because it opens up so many layers of human emotion and psychology. Whether you are 15 or 80, there will be something in the story or the characters that connects with you on a personal level.

Brown is available for streaming on ZEE5.