Chhal-Kapat Review: The Deception – A Story That Fell Flat..

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

• Rating: 2
• Writers: Prakriti Mukherjee and  Karishma Olou  
• Director: Ajay Bhuyan
• Cast: Shriya Pilgaonkar, Anuj Sachdeva, Tuhina Das, Keshav Lekhwani,  Yahova Sharma, Kamya Ahlawat, and others
• Duration: Seven episodes of approx. 20 minutes each; total runtime about 140 minutes
• OTT Platform: Streaming on ZEE5 from June 6

Director Ajay Bhuyan brings a new crime-mystery web series titled Chhal-Kapat: The Deception – A Story That Fell Flat, which is now streaming on ZEE5 since June 6. The series also attempts to address the issue of domestic violence, but unfortunately, the execution lacks justice and depth.

Storyline

SP Devika Rathore (played by Shriya Pilgaonkar) is transferred to Lalbagh Police Station in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh. On her first day at work, she finds her colleagues immersed in idle chatter while a phone rings unattended. When Devika picks up the call, it turns out to be from the influential minister’s son, Bikram Chandel (Anuj Sachdeva). He informs her of an incident at the wedding venue of Alisha (Kamya Ahlawat), where social media influencer Shalu (Yahova Sharma), a close friend of the bride, has allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a pond.

Alisha is about to marry Jugal. She had invited her childhood friends Mahak (Ragini Dwivedi), Shalu, and Ira (Tuhina Das) to the wedding. Mahak is also Bikram Chandel’s wife. Ira has brought along her ailing 7-year-old daughter, while Shalu is accompanied by her assistant Sapan (Keshav Lekhwani). After Alisha and Jugal’s engagement ceremony at her ancestral mansion, Shalu is found dead in the pond late at night. The festive atmosphere turns grim. Alisha’s mother places immense trust in Bikram Chandel.

SP Devika, along with her assistant officer Dubey, arrives at the scene and begins her investigation. As she delves deeper, several mysterious facts come to light about the nine suspects present at the wedding. Eventually, it becomes evident that this is not a case of suicide but murder. Gradually, everyone — including Bikram — starts pointing fingers at Sapan.

But the key question remains: who is Shalu’s killer? There were no outsiders in the house — only family members and close friends of the bride. Will these friends tell the truth? Will SP Devika catch the murderer or fall into a web of deceit herself? To find out, one must watch the series.

Review

If one overlooks minor directorial and writing flaws, Chhal-Kapat: The Deception manages to hold viewer interest till the end. The short episode format works in its favor. However, the biggest drawback lies in the writing by Prakriti Mukherjee and Karishma Olou. The script has only a few good dialogues, such as: "A relationship without respect cannot have love" (Jis rishte mein izzat na ho, us rishte mein pyaar ho hi nahi sakta). 

Director Ajay Bhuyan’s work also falters. Despite Devika being introduced as an SP (an IPS officer), Bikram Chandel repeatedly refers to her as an “Inspector.” This appears to be either a writing or direction error. Devika’s office shows only three staff members, including herself — highly unrealistic for a district SP.

The subplot involving domestic violence is poorly integrated. Devika is shown to have been a victim of abuse by her now-deceased husband, but the relevance of this backstory remains unclear. Moreover, the domestic abuse theme neither connects with the main murder plot nor is it portrayed effectively. The portrayal of past trauma is also weak and fails to evoke empathy.

Even after the murderer is revealed, the reactions of other characters remain unexplored, leaving the narrative incomplete. The show touches on themes like female jealousy, infertility, infidelity, and love, but none are handled with enough depth. It feels as though the writers and director lacked seriousness in developing the plot and characters. No character is fleshed out properly, and there’s nothing particularly novel in the storyline. The title Chhal-Kapat (Deception) doesn’t seem to truly reflect the murder mystery genre. Above all, the thriller element is sorely missing.

Acting

Shriya Pilgaonkar delivers a sincere performance as the honest and straightforward SP Devika Rathore. However, in several scenes, she struggles with body language and mannerisms expected of a senior police officer.

Kamya Ahlawat disappoints in the role of Alisha, who is torn between the joy of her wedding and the grief of losing her best friend. Her expressions remain flat, relying on a few tears in every scene. Ragini Dwivedi plays the complex character of Mahak, but poor writing hampers her ability to do justice to the role. Anuj Sachdeva, as Bikram Chandel, falters due to weak dialogue delivery. Yahova Sharma is moderately effective as Shalu.

Read also:

• Navjot Singh Sidhu Returns to The Great Indian Kapil Show, Archana Reacts
• Partho Ghosh dies at 75 – ‘100 Days’ director with Madhuri Dixit & Jackie Shroff
• Dil Ka Kya Song Out: Metro… In Dino’s Pritam-Penned Ballad with Aditya & Sara
• Ekta Kapoor Birthday Bash: Mouni Roy & Sussanne Khan Dazzle in Glam Looks