Saali Mohabbat Movie Review: Tisca Chopra’s debut falters despite a striking setting and solid cast

Saali Mohabbat is now streaming

‘Saali Mohabbat,’ directed by Tisca Chopra, began streaming on Zee5 on 12th December and stars Radhika Apte, Divyenndu, Sauraseni Maitra, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Sharat Saxena.

Actress Tisca Chopra makes her directorial debut with a small-town murder mystery, but the final outcome turns out to be quite uneven. ‘Saali Mohabbat’ does a good job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of a small town in Uttar Pradesh, but the screenplay itself is bumpy at several places. With a runtime of under two hours, the pace remains brisk and the narrative never really drags, yet many parts of the story feel either forced or unnecessary. Producer Manish Malhotra, after the warmth and softness of ‘Gustaakh Ishq,’ takes a complete shift in tone with this darker film. However, despite having credible performers and a thoughtful actress guiding the project, the film does not reach the emotional or narrative depth it seems to aim for.

Set in an UP town, the story revolves around Smita (Radhika Apte), a woman who was once a gold medallist in botany but is now trapped in a dull, routine life. Her days pass in managing household chores and caring for her husband, with little room left for her own ambitions. Her husband, Pankaj (Anshumaan Pushkar), is deep in debt because of his gambling habits and is desperate to find a way out. His eyes are set on Smita’s father’s ancestral property in Moradabad, which he hopes to sell to clear his dues. The film also introduces Ratan (Divyenndu), a corrupt local police officer who is keen on making quick money by any means. When Smita’s younger sister Shalini (Sauraseni Maitra) returns from Moradabad after landing a job in Chhapraula and starts staying with her, the dynamics inside the household change. Ratan soon begins to fall for Shalini, while Pankaj too lusts after her. The situation turns grim when both Shalini and Pankaj are found dead, lying in a pool of blood.

As a thriller and mystery drama, the film gets its setting right. The small-town elements, the atmosphere, and the social environment are clearly visible and feel authentic. However, the film lacks the sharpness and tight writing that a murder mystery truly demands. Many important details are either rushed or left unexplained. The character of Gajendra Bhaiya, played by Anurag Kashyap, is introduced with great flair and build-up, but that promise does not really lead anywhere. On the other hand, Sharat Saxena, who plays a gardener, brings in a strong sense of mystery and actually becomes more important to the plot. Even so, the film keeps his character wrapped in secrecy till the end. The film also fails to explore Shalini’s character properly, leaving viewers clueless about her motivations and choices. The bond between Saxena’s character and Apte’s character is shown as close, yet the film never explains how or why that relationship developed.

What truly keeps the film engaging in parts are the performances. Radhika Apte delivers a solid and convincing performance as Smita. She portrays the silent frustration and emotional burden of a woman reduced to a routine life despite her academic brilliance quite effectively. Her UP accent may falter at a few points, but the effort and honesty in her performance are evident throughout. Divyenndu, in the role of Ratan, looks believable as the morally compromised local cop, but his character suffers because of weak writing and lack of proper detailing. Sauraseni Maitra, who plays Shalini, adds glamour and energy to the film and manages to leave an imprint with a decent performance. Anshumaan Pushkar, too, puts in a convincing act in his role.

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‘Saali Mohabbat’ ultimately suffers due to weak and inconsistent writing. The film often assumes that viewers will automatically connect the dots and understand certain narrative gaps on their own. Instead of adding mystery, these gaps end up becoming glaring flaws that affect the viewing pleasure. Tisca Chopra’s debut as a director does show some promise, but those moments are scattered and too few to fully lift the film. The story is framed through Smita, now known as Kavita, narrating her life story to a group of women at a party, with the film shifting between the present and the past. Even the climax, where Sharat Saxena’s character hands her a lethal potted plant, leaves several questions unanswered. 'Saali Mohabbat' is an uneven film that struggles to deliver the thrill, tension, and satisfaction that one expects from a well-crafted murder mystery.