Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Vinay Pathak, Koel Purie, Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Palomi Ghosh, Neil Bhoopalam
Director: Rajat Kapoor
Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review Synopsis:
EVERYBODY LOVES SOHRAB HANDA is a whodunit. Raman (Neil Bhoopalam) and Jayanti (Palomi Ghosh) decide to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary with their friends. They book a bungalow in the hills where they are joined by Raman’s friend-cum-business partner Sohrab Handa (Vinay Pathak), Sohrab’s wife Isha (Koel Purie), Sohrab’s father (M K Raina), Sohrab’s disturbed brother Arun (Chandrachoor Rai), Jayanti’s sister Suman (Sadiya Siddiqui), Suman’s husband Sandeep (Sharat Katariya), Suman’s son Rohan (Elgin Dsouza), Madhavan (Ranvir Shorey), Madhavan’s love interest Nazia (Kankana Chakraborty), Kumar (Danish Hussain), Kumar’s wife Naina (Waluscha De Sousa), Raman’s psychologist friend Chandra (Rajat Kapoor) and Vidya (Mallika Singh), a nurse for Sohrab’s father. Sohrab is known for his acidic tongue and soon, he begins to argue and even gets rude with everyone. At night, a murder takes place and everyone is a suspect. Inspector Afzal Qureshi (Saurabh Shukla) comes to investigate. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Story Review:
Rajat Kapoor's story is quite good and in the zone of classic murder mysteries. Rajat Kapoor's screenplay is captivating and very easy to understand. But it goes awry in the third act. Rajat Kapoor's dialogues are praiseworthy, especially the ones mouthed by Vinay Pathak.
Rajat Kapoor’s direction is uncomplicated yet effective. Presenting a mystery of this nature is challenging, especially at a time when KNIVES OUT and several other films revolving around a murder and multiple suspects are still fresh in viewers’ minds. However, Rajat’s execution and writing stand out on several counts. To begin with, Sohrab Handa’s personality alone is enough to make his loved ones want to finish him off. Secondly, the psychological angle sets the film apart from others in the genre. The scene in which Chandra decodes the hidden equation shared by the guests purely through observation is especially memorable. The first half is laced with several funny moments, while the mid-point lands as a truly arresting moment.
On the flipside, the second half is a bit weak. The characters' backstories could have been fleshed out a little better. A few aspects, like the nurse checking herself in the mirror or a character with a sleepwalking habit, serve no purpose and one wonders why they were even added in the first place. Moreover, not all tracks are summed correctly. The biggest issue, however, is that the suspense is not entirely unpredictable. Also, the culprit gets caught easily.
Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review Performances:
Speaking of performances, EVERYBODY LOVES SOHRAB HANDA belongs to the incredible Vinay Pathak. He completely dominates the show and overpowers all other talented performers. He has given several awesome performances, but this one is arguably his second-best after BHEJA FRY [2007]. Koel Purie leaves a mark, especially in scenes where she refuses to accept the reality. Neil Bhoopalam is dependable as always. Palomi Ghosh is terrific and here’s hoping she does many more films. Sharat Katariya (director of DUM LAGA KE HAISHA and SUI DHAAGA) is an actor to watch out for. Rajat Kapoor is very likeable. Chandrachoor Rai and M K Raina play difficult characters with ease. Ranvir Shorey, Danish Hussain and Waluscha De Sousa are fine. Kankana Chakraborty is decent, while Saurabh Shukla makes his presence felt. Saurabh Nayyar (Satya; caretaker) and Mallika Singh are okay.
Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa movie music and other technical aspects:
Sagar Desai's music is forced. The lone song was not needed. The background score is much better, especially in the intro scene. Rafey Mehmood's cinematography is neat and adds to the drama. Meenal Agarwal's production design is appropriate. Darshan Jalan and Manish Tiwari's costumes are straight out of life. Suresh Pai's editing is slick.
Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, EVERYBODY LOVES SOHRAB HANDA is a decent whodunit that stands out from the other films in this genre due to its writing, drama, and Vinay Pathak’s outstanding performance. However, the underwhelming climax plays spoilsport. The film has shockingly been released with minimal promotion but nevertheless, it should find an audience due to the casting and murder mystery element.