Saali Mohabbat review: Radhika Apte anchors an obvious story, leaving the mystery dead on arrival

Saali Mohabbat story:

An engrossing psychological thriller, Saali Mohabbat follows Radhika Apte's character, Kavita, as she narrates the tragic narrative of Smita, a seemingly ordinary small-town housewife, after uncovering her husband's infidelity. In Fursatgarh, Smita leads a peaceful life with her garden and her debt-ridden, alcoholic husband, Pankaj (Anshumaan Pushkar). However, the arrival of her cousin Shalini (Sauraseni Maitra) disrupts her peaceful existence, leading to an affair between Pankaj and her. This web of deceit and hidden agendas leads to a shocking double murder of Smita's husband and cousin. Investigating police officer Ratan Pandit (Divyendu Sharma) names Smita as the prime suspect, and she must unravel a growing mystery to survive and reveal the disturbing truth.

Saali Mohabbat review:

Nearly a decade ago, Tisca Chopra showed her writing prowess by co-penning the screenplay of the short film Chutney (2016). It's still, to be honest, one of the most fascinating shorts I have seen and has stayed with me for a long time. The main twist in the story is that it starts with Chopra's character describing how she creates a story as remarkable as her culinary skills. Taking that page from the film, Chopra, in her directorial debut, brings Radhika Apte's character, Kavita, to the centre, narrating the story of her past but in a tale she has heard.

Saali Mohabbat in quick succession takes us back a few years, where Apte, who was Smita, is living with her husband Pankaj (Anshumaan Pushkar) in Fursatgarh. It's a loveless marriage, where she looks after the house like an obedient housewife, only to never get respect from him back. Pankaj is an alcoholic who only wants money from Smita and is eyeing her ancestral property, which her father left for her. He looks at other women as if it is not a big deal, even if his wife finds out. Amid all this, Smita's cousin Shalini (Sauraseni Maitra) comes into the picture. She moves in with them, and all hell breaks loose!

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Oh well, we see the cousin, and we know what's going to happen and how! The film ensures that the unfolding of the story leaves you with no surprises. The moment Shalini enters the plot, her character is shown as someone who loves her sister but doesn't mind getting closer to her brother-in-law in any way. I mean, can we just not have an infidelity plot, at least for once?

Yes, it's a whodunit, or as the makers call it, a "howdunit"; however, despite its title, the story includes cheating spouses and is so superficial that it offers nothing more even in its execution.

Amid all this, comes Ratan Pandit (Divyenndu), who also crushes on Shalini, but there's no progress as such in it. Until the film takes a dark twist, his character is there just for an effect, so to speak!

Chopra, in her directorial debut, does bring that intriguing gaze. However, at a time when films often include unnecessary surprises or predictable twists, Saali Mohabbat also succumbs to this same pitfall. The film takes itself so seriously that you wish it would slow down and include elements that could make it more engaging instead of distracting.

The entire plot is presented so obviously that we are supposed to believe it is a suspense thriller, even though there are no unexpected twists.

While Saali Mohabbat finally brings the crime drama to the scene, you feel that it's going to take a longer time to crack this case. But even for a corrupt police officer like Ratan, this becomes an open-and-shut case. To be honest, the third act is where the film brings a sense of relief to the genre, having a face-off between Apte and Divyenndu. However, this sense of relief is short-lived, and the outcome becomes predictable.

Apte knows how to carry a film on her shoulders entirely, and come what may, she excels in it beautifully. Even her performances come as no surprise here, but it's more been there, done that for the actor. On the other hand, Divyenndu, I wish he had something more to offer than only a twisting act nearing the film's end. The actor has shown better capabilities of being grey in his previous outings and excelled at it.

Chopra tries to put the extra sauce in a film that's longer than her intriguing Chutney, but all it does is spoil the food with every extra ingredient being added. Even the title, which literally means "Damned Love" or "Cursed Love", shows the intended meaning of a toxic or destructive form of affection. But for that, there was no "mohabbat" seen in the first place. The title also becomes misleading because nothing done here is for love, which was absent from the beginning.

Saali Mohabbat verdict:

While attempting a whodunit narrative, Saali Mohabbat reveals its fatal flaw early: a complete lack of mystery. The story is served lukewarm, spoiling any chance of genuine suspense when the central betrayal arrives with a loud, predictable thud. The narrative arc is neither cunning nor compelling, leaving us with a title that hints at intense, destructive affection yet delivers an experience that simply doesn't love the viewer back. The only real mystery here is why it wasn't more surprising.

Saali Mohabbat is now streaming on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).