Chakwa

An 8 part web series

When a lone gunshot in the moonlit coconut groves of their ancestral Konkan estate kills their iron-fisted patriarch, siblings Renu, Rajaram and Pratap find themselves ensnared by Chakwa—the restless spirit of Maharashtra’s coast—trapped in a spiraling loop of suspicion, greed and buried resentments, as an exiled officer and a loyal servant race to unmask the killer before the family—and the curse—tears them apart.

AI generated image_Only for representation purpose

Brief Take

Chakwa unfurls on Maharashtra’s mist-drenched Konkan coast, where coconut groves whisper of ancient grudges and restless spirits. When a lone gunshot shatters the night and kills their iron-fisted patriarch, siblings Renu, Rajaram, and Pratap find themselves ensnared in Chakwa’s relentless loop of greed—forced to retrace each choice, each betrayal, until their darkest desires are exposed.

Renu returns with her husband Sagar and their two teenagers, hoping to heal old wounds but secretly coveting her share of land and legacy. Rajaram—unmarried and desperate for his father’s approval—grapples with crushing expectations. Pratap arrives alongside his devoted wife Vrunda, determined to defy patriarchal chains, only to taste Nana’s scorn once more. Even Gotya, the loyal servant, fears the whispers that accuse his late mother of witchcraft.

Summoned to unravel the truth, exiled Officer Sable prowls the groves and verandas, where shadows warp and memories bleed into reality. As the night deepens, alliances fracture: Sagar conceals a damning secret from Renu; Atharva—Renu’s eldest—wrests with a guilty conscience; Rajaram’s fragile identity teeters on the edge of revolt.

With every rustle of palm fronds, Chakwa tightens its grip. Only confession—of sins, of greed, of love—can break the curse.

Creator's take

I was born in Konkan and have always been captivated by its lush landscapes, warm communities, and vibrant folklores. As an avid traveler, I was intrigued by the legend of Chakwa—a spirit said to trap lost souls, forcing them to return, again and again, to the same spot. To me, Chakwa embodies the loops of the human mind: unreturned love, generational vengeance, the obsessions that bind us.

In this eight-part series, a greedy son-in-law in a feudal family believes a single, sly murder will grant him everything he desires. But that gunshot echoes through time, unearthing buried traumas and jeopardizing the family’s future. I see this story as literary fiction perched at the edge of a supernatural thriller and a complex family drama, delving deep into each character’s wants, needs, and darkest drives—against an eerie, almost primeval backdrop of human impulses.