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.
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