Filmmaker Vikas Bahl’s digital debut, 8-part web series, Sunflower recently released on ZEE5. The thriller whodunnit series blends dark comedy with crime, following a murder investigation in a weird middle-class housing society of the same name.
Set in Mumbai, a mysterious murder case of Mr Kapoor of Sunflower society brings all its residents under suspicion by police officers Digendra and Tambe. As the cops try to solve the puzzle, no one but the audience knows who is behind the murder.
A salesperson with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Sonu Singh, is drawn into the investigation as the prime suspect after multiple pieces of evidence against him. A side plot of the web series also covers his pitiable social and love life.
The crime-thriller comedy series explores the lives of all the residents with quirky characteristics, ending on a twisted note. An engaging web series, Sunflower keeps you hooked till the end to find out if the actual killer gets caught.
The slow burn series with minor details making the events turn might have left you with some doubts. We are here to help you with the answers to all those questions that left you as confused as the show’s cops in the end.
How does Mr Raj Kapoor die?
As shown at the beginning of the web series, Mr Ahuja, much troubled by his arrogant neighbour Mr Kapoor adds poison to his coconut water to kill him. The victim consumes the poisonous drink and dies immediately instead of after 10 hours, unlike what Ahuja planned.
The police investigation reveals the presence of Bromethalin in the dead body. It is a type of chemical that slowly affects the brain, swells the facial nerves and makes the body blue within 10 hours.
In case of some morbid conditions, the chemical poison can also result in cardiac arrest. Due to Mr Kapoor’s diabetic state, he dies instantly after consuming the poison due to a heart attack.
Why does the Sunflower society committee keep rejecting new applications?
The Sunflower society committee is full of inflexible, prejudiced and judgmental members. They are influenced by Mr Iyer, who desires to become the chairman and maintain the ‘cultural decorum’ of the society.
They keep interviewing new applicants throughout the web series and simultaneously discuss the changes required in the form. Their strict rules reject anyone unmarried, divorced, gender-neutral or of a lower class.
During society’s anniversary celebration, Mr Iyer announces the revised form, which would allow only those residents that match the conventional and moral standards of the Sunflower Society.
Why does Sonu have syringes and poison at his home?
When the police discover Sonu having rat poison and a box full of syringes at his place, they suspect him as the murderer and bring him to the police station to interrogate him.
Sonu explains that he previously used to work in a Pharma company, and one syringe box was left with him. He tells them that he used the syringes to fill poison in flour balls and kill a rat in his house.
After the rat gets killed, Sonu tries to sell the syringes to a chemist shop. But he takes out some of them and keeps them in his drawer, which lists him as one of the prime suspects.
What happens to Gurleen?
Gurleen is an aspiring singer who has come to Mumbai, leaving her husband in Chandigarh to pursue her dreams. She practices every morning to polish her talent and prove her father-in-law wrong by becoming an established singer.
One day she leaves in the auto-rickshaw to participate in a singing show’s auditions judged by famous music composer duo Ajay-Atul. Her performance fails to impress the judges, and they advise her to go back to her family and practice more.
Crushed by the rejection, we see Gurleen crying, sitting near the seashore. The next day, we discover she has not returned to her friend Justina’s place in the Sunflower society as she searches for her in the building.
How are Sonu and Mr Kapoor related?
The investigation takes a surprising turn when the police come across a picture of Sonu and Kapoor’s family together in a wedding. The flashback shows Sonu attending Juhi and Ashish’s wedding alone. He gets clicked with the Kapoor family when he goes on the stage to wish the newlyweds.
Inspector Digendra’s further investigation reveals that Juhi was Sonu’s ex-girlfriend and Kapoor’s ex-secretary. It was Mr Kapoor who advised and convinced her to leave Sonu and marry Ashish.
The police regard this incident as a proven motive for Sonu to attempt to kill his fellow resident.
Why is Sonu’s boss after him?
Tricked by an envious colleague, Sonu is forced to hide a sample lipstick of the company at his home to save himself from the miscalculation of the batch. One day as one house party shifts to his place, a girl finds the lipstick and takes it with her.
The girl happens to be the daughter of the owner of the company where Sonu works. His boss gets furious with the team as the exclusive lipstick idea is suspected of getting leaked by an employee.
His daughter takes him to the apartment where she had found the lipstick, but Sonu escapes on time, sensing them approach his floor. The employer then discovers CCTV footage of Sonu misbehaving in the conference room through which his daughter identifies him.
Sonu’s boss calls the police and orders his senior to penalize him for his misbehaviour.
Where does Sonu go missing in the end?
Sonu leaves the hospital and asks a key maker to help him unlock his apartment’s door while he stays at the shop. But when sub-inspector Tambe visits the key shop, searching for him, Sonu is not found there.
He gets abducted by Gurleen’s husband and his father’s men. Gurleen’s father-in-law is a powerful politician who had decided to find Sonu and teach him a lesson for threatening him on a phone call while helping Gurleen convince him to let her stay in Mumbai.
Sonu gets driven blindfolded to an unknown land with Sunflower farms in the end while the police reach his apartment to arrest him and assume that he has willingly escaped.
Will there be a season 2?
Sunflower ends on a major cliffhanger, leaving a possibility of another season to solve many questions. The police are searching for Sonu to arrest him while he might not be the real killer.
Gurleen goes missing, and her husband has kidnapped Sonu. Mr Ahuja’s wife warns him to stop mistreating her because she knows that he is the actual killer. Mr Iyer is on his way to make Sunflower society culturally “perfect” by standing for the chairman elections.
Although it is not officially announced yet, Sunflower is expected to return with a season 2 to unfold the mysteries.
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