KOHRRA PRODUCTION
A LIGHT IN THE DARK Kohrra depicts the lush Punjab countryside, hinting at a slow-burning darkness under the surface
Suvinder Vicky, Rachel Shelley and Manish Chaudhary in pivotal roles, the storyline revolves around the mysterious death of a bridegroom shortly after his wedding, compelling two dedicated police officers to dive deep into the intricate case. As the investigation unfolds, it begins to intertwine with their personal lives, introducing a wave of turmoil that threatens to jeopardise the case. FOGGY FRONTIERS From the enigmatic obscurity of foggy nights to exhilarating, heart-pounding action sequences, FutureWorks was commissioned to – and delivered – a grand total of 900 shots along with comprehensive colour services for the series. Upholding the critical role of preserving the ideal level of fog enshrouding the enchanting Punjab countryside emerged as a critical element in crafting the compelling ambience of the series. Given the resonance of kohrra (fog), VFX supervisor Gouri Shankar says it was essential to consistently maintain and authentically present the cryptic fog
sequences. Nevertheless, the production schedule coincided with the summer months, making it difficult to achieve the aspired aesthetic. “Creating the right amount of fog to capture the essence of the Punjab countryside was paramount to the team’s work,” Shankar explains. “Since natural fog wasn’t always present during the shoot, we had to innovate, experimenting with various techniques, eventually embracing deep compositing to integrate layers of fog with different depths. This approach gave us control that was unrestricted, so we could get the desired atmospheric effect swiftly and effectively.” However, considering the limited timeframe available to achieve this outcome, the team found inspiration in the innovative techniques employed for a number of existing films – most notably Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the first film in a reboot trilogy of the sci-fi franchise. The VFX team created a so-called ‘volume box’ that encompassed the maximum camera coverage for each shot. It then rendered out the fog layers using deep compositing, which resulted
in a comprehensive and detailed scene consumed by haze. “We had a three-month turnaround time, so we had to get creative with the execution,” says Shankar. “Using only CGI would have made the process more laborious than we had time for, so we looked for alternate solutions that would yield the same results. The team went through multiple iterations of looks first we had to innovate WITH VARIOUS TECHNIQUES” SINCE NATURAL FOG WAS NOT ALWAYS THERE,
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