Movie Review: Saali Mohabbat – A Surprisingly Heartfelt Romantic Drama 2025

Saali Mohabbat : Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Story

Saali Mohabbat traces the disturbing path of an apparently conventional homemaker whose tranquil life turns into a nightmarish journey of adultery, deceit, and murder. The pivotal theme of the drama revolves around whether a woman living through this turmoil can ever come out untouched.

Review

Saali Mohabbat begins as one story embedded in another. During a social event, Kavita, played by Radhika Apte, inadvertently finds out about her husband’s cheating on her. This is quickly followed by Kavita telling another story regarding events that unfold in Fursatgarh, an imaginary town.

In Kavita’s investigation, we are introduced to Smita, another woman who is shown to be leading a simple life. Smita finds solace in tending to her vegetable garden, where she also grows all the vegetables used in her recipes. Smita is dealing with the aftermaths of having a problematic husband. Her husband, Pankaj, played by Anshumaan Pushkar, is shown to be an alcoholic because of debts accumulated by him owing to gambling addiction at a local casino operated by the ruthless Gajendra, played by Anurag Kashyap. Out of desperation, Pankaj tries compelling Smita to sell their ancestral home at Moradabad, but Smita refuses.

The normal life of Smita gets disturbed when her cousin, Shalini, portrayed by Sauraseni Maitra, moves in with the couple. Though Smita finds some relief with the presence of Shalini, she feels embarrassed when Shalini becomes acquainted with the local policeman, Ratan Pandit, portrayed by Divyenndu Tihai. The fact that Smita is not aware of is Shalini’s secret relationship with Pankaj, Saali Mohabbat thus infusing multiple levels of deception in the story.

The movie craftily pays homage to the 2016 short film Chutney, thus immediately establishing the pseudo-dark narrative in which purity runs only skin deep. As the story weaves in and out through the timelines, the similarities between the lives of Smita and Kavita increasingly come to light. Smita, advised and supported by her mentor and well-wisher, played by Sharad Saxena, is pushed to take matters into her own hands. Just as she thinks she may just get off scot-free, Ratan starts to close in on her, thus increasing the suspense factor.

Written by Tisca Chopra and Sanjay Chopra, with screenplay by Namrata Shenoy, “Saali Mohabbat” combines elements of greed, morality, struggle, and weak associations in relationships. It is always grounded in the female point of view, and thus makes for a personal and unnervingly grim watch. The camera angles and pauses by Vidushi Tiwari contribute to the dark, pensive mood in the movie.

Aggarwal’s love for plants is more a metaphor. Smita is a botany graduate, and her achievement is lost in her domestic humdrum. She takes strength from nature, and nature is instrumental in leading her to make decisions. Even Ratan is not a straightforward person. He is a corrupt cop. On one hand, he is looking for a bribe, and on the other hand, he is living his dream of solving a big case. Like a weed, the movie slowly gets the viewer immersed in its web, suspicious throughout. The background score by Karan Kulkarni is completely in sync with the tension.

With the exception of a few incidents, most puzzle pieces fall into their designated places, with some hints at a sequel. Radhika Apte gives a convertible role to Kavita and Smita, making them both so empathetic and disturbed. The performances by Divyendu, as the lovable and crooked Ratan, are also noteworthy. Anshumaan Pushkar, Sauraseni Maitra, Anurag Kashyap, and Sharad Saali Mohabbat is the kind of thrill ride that new director Tisca Chopra has taken up with Saali Mohabbat This is a dark and satisfying mystery that is well worth the wait.