Karisma Kapoor nails it as Rita Brown
Karisma Kapoor is making waves with her latest outing in Brown, the Hindi ZEE5 crime thriller that’s got everyone talking. The series, directed by Abhinay Deo, follows Rita Brown—a brilliant detective with a messy personal life who’s as broken as the cases she solves. For Karisma, stepping into Rita’s grungy, alcoholic, pill-popping shoes was a daring departure from the polished glamour she’s known for. And fans are loving every bit of it.
The actress has been receiving heaps of praise for bringing authenticity to this gritty character. Brown isn’t your typical whodunit—it’s dark, raw, and driven by its protagonist’s inner turmoil. Karisma’s performance is already being called one of the biggest highlights of the series.
Why Rita Brown was her toughest role yet
Speaking about her transformation, Karisma admitted that playing Rita pushed her like never before. ‘Well, I think Rita Brown is everything I am not. She is an alcoholic, she is a smoker, she is a pill popper. She is grungy, she is completely broken. To be so raw on screen, and to let yourself go to that extent was very exciting and a big challenge for me,’ she shared.
The actress called the entire process an ‘exceptional experience’ and said she enjoyed every minute of the madness. ‘I enjoyed every single minute of this process and there was a method to the madness,’ she added.
The method behind the madness
Karisma credited director Abhinay Deo for helping her bring Rita to life through tiny, deliberate details. From the way she constantly sips from her cup to the ritual of re-tying her hair before an investigation—every mannerism added layers to the character. ‘Abhinay was so detailed with the nuances that Rita Brown has. Apart from this, there are so many small things that she does. She is constantly sipping on her cup. When she goes into investigation, she will re-tie her hair, these are small things you don’t even realise. It is so exciting for an actor, when you need to incorporate these tiny things as well,’ she said.
Brown is now streaming exclusively on ZEE5 in Hindi, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you’re missing some top-notch acting.