Chhal
Kapat
is
a
bland
whodunnit,
which
does
not
have
the
necessary
skills
and
smarts
to
pull
it
off,
notes
Mayur
Sanap.
There’s
a
real
disappointment
you
feel
when
a
show
has
an
interesting
protagonist
but
the
generic
material
squanders
the
possibility
of
a
compelling
watch.
Director
Ajay
Bhuyan’s
Chhal
Kapat,
which
stars
an
earnest
Shriya
Pilgaonkar,
has
an
interesting
premise
for
a
whodunnit
similar
to
an
Agatha
Christie
mystery,
but
it
ends
up
being
a
wobbly
mess
without
the
necessary
skills
and
smarts
to
pull
it
off.
The
plot
revolves
around
an
intimate
destination
wedding
at
an
ancestral
haveli
where
bride-to-be
Alisha
(Kamya
Ahlawat)
reunites
with
her
best
friends.
The
celebration
takes
a
dark
turn
when
Alisha’s
childhood
buddy
Shalu
(Yahhve
Sharma)
is
found
dead
under
mysterious
circumstances.
Enter
Inspector
Devika
Rathore
(Shriya
Pilgaonkar),
whose
primary
investigation
concludes
that
Shalu
was
murdered.
This
leads
to
many
potential
suspects
among
the
wedding
guests.
Written
by
Prakriti
Mukherjee
and
Karishmaa
Olu,
the
plot
generates
some
mild
intrigue
initially.
The
central
mystery
is
padded
by
sub-plots
that
unravel
hidden
resentments
and
unresolved
issues
among
these
friends.
But
as
a
prerequisite
for
a
whodunnit,
the
writing
lacks
sharp
touches
or
genuine
surprises
that
would
keep
us
invested
into
its
dense
plot
and
a
dozen
characters
inhabiting
it.
Most
of
the
running
time
is
dedicated
to
the
tedious
questioning
of
various
suspects,
which
feels
like
an
excuse
to
show
Inspector
Devika’s
sharp-mindedness
through
expository
speeches.
There’s
also
this
overbearing
background
score
that
tries
to
accentuate
every
emotion.
Then,
there’s
the
soap-level
dialogue
writing.
‘Yahan
sab
dost
hain,
par
sach
koi
nahi
bol
raha,’
Inspector
Devika
says
to
her
subordinate
showing
her
analytical
talent.
Despite
the
shaky
proceedings,
Shriya
Pilgaonkar
holds
her
own
and
shows
the
same
spunk
as
her
lead
turn
in
Guilty
Minds.
There’s
an
interesting
backstory
to
draw
you
into
her
character.
But
ultimately,
her
performance
suffers
because
of
a
flimsy
script
that’s
hellbent
on
giving
her
style
and
not
much
substance
to
work
around
with.
She
certainly
deserved
better.
By
the
time
we
reach
to
the
climactic
twist,
it
is
fairly
easy
to
figure
out
the
killer’s
motive,
despite
all
the
heavy
plot
distractions.
What
could
be
a
bigger
indicator
of
a
bland
whodunnit?
Chhal
Kapat
streams
on
ZEE5.
Chhal
Kapat
Review
Rediff
Rating:
