Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Review: Interesting Whydunnit

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a well-acted, smartly written murder mystery with finely tuned performances from Vinay Pathak and the rest of the cast, notes Sreeju Sudhakaran.

A group of friends gather at an isolated homestay for a get-together. They drink, they make merry, and yet there is an unmistakable unease in the air. One among them seems determined to get under everyone's skin. That very night, he is murdered, and the killer could be anyone within the circle.

The premise should feel familiar if you are a fan of Agatha Christie adaptations or, for a more contemporary reference, Rian Johnson's Knives Out. Yet, while the intrigue of a murder mystery draws you into Rajat Kapoor's Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, it is the character study of its titular, unfortunate victim, and the 'whydunnit', that truly lingers.

The Plot of Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa

A group of friends, along with their families, assemble at a vacation home to celebrate the 10th wedding anniversary of Raman (Neil Bhoopalam) and Jayanti (Palomi Ghosh). As the night unfolds, they are shocked to discover that one of their own, Sohrab Handa (Vinay Pathak), has been brutally killed. The unsettling truth is that the murderer could very well be among them.

As the police begin their investigation, we are taken back through the events of the evening. It becomes increasingly clear that Sohrab, before his death, had managed to irk quite a few people with his abrasive personality.

An Interesting 'Whydunnit'

As you spend more time with Sohrab Handa, you begin to wonder whether the film's title is a deliberate misnomer. He is the kind of person who disrupts carefully curated gatherings with relentless ranting and rudeness, not necessarily alcohol-induced. Yet, there is something oddly compelling about him, the kind of chaotic presence that brings its own drama to the room. He certainly does not deserve to be murdered for it.

The title gains further significance when his friends, either out of fear of suspicion or out of the social instinct that the dead must not be criticised, begin to speak of him as though he were a saint. That fragile illusion is quickly punctured when one of them bluntly calls out the falseness of it all.

Director Rajat Kapoor sets the tone effectively in the opening scene, where a member of the group discovers the body. We are immediately introduced to the ensemble and the simmering tensions within. Adding a touch of dark humour, the hapless caretaker stumbles upon the corpse and, in a moment of confusion, wonders whether he should still serve tea since everyone is awake.

Kapoor's film is most invested in the 'whydunnit' of the murder mystery. This is not to say that the killer's identity is casually revealed. Rather, when the reveal does arrive, it is not designed to leave your jaw on the floor. Even the investigation, led by Saurabh Shukla's understated police officer, avoids flamboyant, Sherlock-esque deductions; save for a moment where a suspect is ruled out for being left-handed.

A Well-Written Titular Character

What makes the mystery compelling is not who killed Sohrab Handa, but why someone felt the need to. He is, by far, the most fascinating character in the film, and much of that comes from the layered perception the narrative builds around him.

The title primes you to expect someone amiable.

His snarkiness during the family drive suggests otherwise, and the lunch table sequence involving a salt shaker and a bowl of dal confirms it. Yet, as the evening progresses, it becomes evident that Sohrab's rudeness is not rooted in malice. He simply has little tolerance for pretence, and makes no effort to hide it.

He needles Sandeep (Sharat Katariya) for his over-accommodating nature. He dismisses Madhavan's (Ranvir Shorey) philosophical musings, insisting that the world runs not on ideas but on hard work. He mocks his father (M K Raina) for his dietary compromises and his clashes with his younger brother Arun (Chandrachoor Rai). Yet, in quieter moments with his wife and brother, we glimpse a softer, more vulnerable side.

Vinay Pathak captures this duality with remarkable ease, ensuring that even at his most disruptive, Sohrab never feels entirely unlikeable.

There are moments where the film recalls Kapoor's own Kadakh (2020), another chamber drama about a gathering that spirals into chaos. While Kadakh felt sharper in its humour and dramatic bite, Kapoor's command over group dynamics remains intact here. The interactions feel organic, the tensions believable, and the eventual tipping point well-earned.

Listen closely, and even the throwaway lines carry bite, such as when Raman and Jayanti toast their decade of marriage, only for someone to dryly note their own 18-year union.

Strong Performances

The performances across the board are strong with Pathak leading the pack, while Shorey, Siddiqui, Bhoopalam, Danish Hussein, Saurabh Shukla, Waluscha D'Sousa, Koel Purie, M K Raina, Chandrachoor Rai and Sharat Khatariya do very well in their parts.

Rajat Kapoor casts himself in the film, playing Raman's psychologist friend, an outsider to the group. Observant and perceptive, he recognises the fractures within their camaraderie, even as he becomes a target of Sohrab's mockery.

In the second half, he inadvertently steps into the role of an investigator, ultimately contributing, in his own way, to the chain of events that lead to Sohrab's fate.

Credit must go both to the actor pulling it off and to Kapoor's restrained treatment, which resists making the twist overly conspicuous.

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa streams on Z5.

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