Saali Mohabbat: 5 reasons to watch Tisca Chopra's directorial debut starring Radhika Apte and Divyenndu on OTT

After years of acting in plays, movies and series, Tisca Chopra tried her luck in filmmaking with Saali Mohabbat. Interestingly, fashion designer Manish Malhotra took the initiative to back the movie, who also recently produced Vijay Varma's Gustaakh Ishq. The murder-mystery features an underrated but ensemble cast Radhika Apte, Divyenndu, Anshuman Pushkar, Anurag Kashyap and Souraseni Maitra. Saali Mohabbat is directly releasing on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium this December 12, 2025. Before it drops, let's have a look at why it's a must-watch.

Reasons to watch Saali Mohabbat:

World premieres at film festivals

Saali Mohabbat made its world premiere at the 55th Intersection Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last year. Even later the movie was selected as the 'Opening Night' at the 16th Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) this year in September, which was a proud moment for the makers. The murder-mystery even garnered much praises at the festivals for its gripping plot and the actors' performances.

Tisca Chopra's directorial debut

Tisca Chopra has given numerous underrated movies and series, but that one project which helped her gained popularity was Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par from 2007, where she played the character Ishaan Awasthi's mother Maya. Later she appeared in notable projects like Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013), Rahasya (2015), Dahan (2022). The 52-year-old actress this time goes behind the camera with Saali Mohabbat, making her directorial debut.

Subtle and layered narrative

Saali Mohabbat garnered appreciations for subtly exploring complex human emotions and how they brilliantly hide their dark motives. The movie features different timelines parallaly, blurring the lines between truth and illusion, focusing on marital secrets and thrilling tensions. Throughout the movie, the narrative explore vulnerability, betrayal and identify crisis of every character.

Psychological depth in storyline

The movie aims to be a mature crime thriller that hugely fouces on psychological tension rather than loud action sequences. The story explores the quiet mind games beneath the surface of relationships, examining how love can transform into something darker and the consequences of betrayal. Saali Mohabbat follows Smita, a small-town housewife whose life shatters by a shocking double-murder in the house, leading her to become the prime suspect.

A woman-centric movie

Tisca Chopra revealed that Saali Mohabbat explores the fragile boundaries of a marriage and how it controls the women. The story of Smita is shared by another woman who points out her perspective, hinted in the trailer. The entire movie revolves around Smita's life experiences, her choices, and her strength as she deals with the aftermath of a double murder, especially her husband.

Saali Mohabbat FAQs:

Q: When is the Saali Mohabbat release date on ZEE5?

A: The film Saali Mohabbat is scheduled to premiere exclusively on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium) on December 12, 2025.

Q: Who directed the film Saali Mohabbat?

A: The film is directed by actor Tisca Chopra, marking her debut as a feature-film director.

Q: Which OTT platform is Saali Mohabbat releasing on?

A: Saali Mohabbat is a ZEE5 Original film and will be premiering exclusively on the streaming platform ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).