Saali Mohabbat review: This Radhika Apte, Divyenndu thriller is watchable; could have benefitted from more thrills

Saali Mohabbat
Director: Tisca Chopra
Cast: Radhika Apte, Divyendu Sharma, Anurag Kashyap
Rating: ★★★

As I watched Saali Mohabbat, directed by actor Tisca Chopra, I was instantly reminded of Chutney, the popular short film she starred in a few years back. It almost feels like we’re witnessing the beginnings of a Tisca Chopra cinematic universe.

What is the story of Saali Mohabbat?

Jokes aside, the plot centres on Smita (Radhika Apte), who narrates the story of a woman hurt by her husband Pankaj (Anshumaan Pushkar). He cheats on her with her cousin Shalini (Sauraseni Maitra), and one day, the adulterous pair is found dead. Investigating the case is a corrupt cop Ratan (Divyenndu). Finding out who murdered them forms the rest of this whodunit.

The story tries hard to build suspense from the word go. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned- and Tisca (also the co-writer) takes this idea and stretches it into a near two-hour film. It begins on an interesting note, examining the breakdown of a marriage built entirely around the man’s satisfaction, sexually and otherwise.

The runtime is just fine. But the film loses steam as it progresses. Like a conventional mystery drained of mischief, there are no red herrings to throw you off track. Which also means you see the big reveal coming from afar. Predictability and a lack of tension ultimately become its undoing.

Performance wise, Radhika does a good job, bringing to life the helplessness her character feels as she’s backed up against a wall. How she deals with the turbulent situation, with just a sole helping hand in the form of Sharat Saxena’s character, is fleshed out properly. But again, the film loses its way as it reaches the climax.

In the end, Saali Mohabbat is a film with a promising premise but not enough bite. Tisca’s attempt at a slow-burn thriller has moments that draw you in. What could have been a wickedly layered whodunit settles instead for the obvious. You’re left admiring the intention, even the performances, but wishing the film had the nerve to be far more surprising than it ultimately is.