Ziddi Ishq Review: Raj Chakrabarty’s 'expressionless' Hindi adaptation of Parineeta is a forgettable watch that never finds its heart

Ziddi Ishq Story: Ziddi Ishq is streaming on JioHotstar and OTTplay Premium, and it is about a woman named Mehul (Aaditi Pohankar) whose intense one-sided love for Shekhar Da (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) turns into obsession after his death, which is officially ruled a suicide, but she suspects it is not. The series is an adaptation of the 2019 Bengali film Parineeta, both directed by Raj Chakraborty.

Ziddi Ishq Review

Ziddi Ishq marks Raj Chakraborty's first Hindi-language web series as a director and creator. It is the adaptation of his Bengali movie Parineeta, which starred Subhashree Ganguly (also the producer of the series) and Ritwick Chakraborty. While the Bengali movie received widespread love and attention, Ziddi Ishq seems to have an opposite reaction. 

Ziddi Ishq is a story of Mehul, a simple Bengali girl who harbours a deep, one-sided love for her charming tuition teacher and neighbour, Shekhar Da (Parambrata Chattopadhyay). Teacher-student love has been explored several times in films and series. In this series, Mehul's affection for him is an open secret among her friends and grows into an obsession. 

She tries to win his heart but Shekhar Da unknowingly ignores it. One day, Shekhar Da introduces Sayantika, his girlfriend, to Mehul and since that day. But days later, Mehul's life is shattered when Shekhar Da is found dead under mysterious circumstances, his death quickly dismissed as a suicide.

but Mehul is convinced that it was not a suicide. Upon this incident, a grieving and angry Mehul embarks on a relentless journey to uncover the truth behind his death. This is how she meets Sidharth Roy Chaudhary, the CEO of Unicorn, where both Sayantika and Shekhar Da used to work. Eventually, Mehul gets to know that Shekhar Da was accused of molestation, filed by Sayantika. This leads her to find the harsh truth, and the investigation explores the harsh reality. 

The plot of Ziddi Ishq lacks proper execution and genuinely fails to create an impression. It seems like the story tries to reach the finale even before providing a solid background. If you have watched the Bengali film Parineeta, you can relate to the plot; otherwise, Ziddi Ishq is one such series that is extremely fast-paced. 

No idea why Raj Chakrabarty has decided to make a Hindi adaptation of Parineeta, but he is very wrong this time. Maybe he should have worked on some other plots because some films and series do not need adaptations when the original piece is vastly praised.

Apart from the broken plot, the acting performance is not up to the mark at all. While Parambrata (Shekhar) tries his best, Aaditi (Mehul) needs more practice. She does not have expressions in serious situations, and it leaves the series with zero impression. In high-intensity scenes, especially those involving Shekhar Da's confrontation or discovery of alleged misconduct, his lack of expression and inconsistent emotional responses weaken the tension of the series.

Sayantika's (Shekhar Da’s girlfriend) portrayal, played by Riya Sen, lacks depth, making her motivations feel abrupt and underdeveloped. Siddharth, played by Sumeet Vyas, can be praised than the other cast. He acts as a narrative bridge between the corporate dimensions of Mehul and Shekhar Da's lives. While his character is supposed to exude authority and intrigue, the performance feels superficial and doesn’t add much gravitas to the investigation or the series’ dramatic tension. His performance feels measured and confident, making him one of the more reliable anchors in an otherwise uneven cast.

Meanwhile, Barkha Bisht, Priyanshu Painyuli, Shaji Choudhary, and others subtly add depth to the story. 

Also Read: Ziddi Ishq OTT release date: When and where to watch the Hindi remake of Subhashree Ganguly's Parineeta

Ziddi Ishq Verdict

Ziddi Ishq struggles to justify its existence as the Hindi adaptation of the beloved Bengali film, Parineeta. Although the main story, Mehul's obsessive love and the subsequent mysterious death of Shekhar Da, has the potential for a captivating thriller, its execution fails, along with expressionless acting. The narrative is hastily crafted, important character development is skipped, and key plot points remain underexplored.