Haseen Dillruba review: Love and hate collide in intriguing ways in this explosive whodunnit

Is there such a thing as the perfect murder? Vinil Mathew’s Haseen Dillruba (2021) explores the possibility.

The action begins with a bang as the charred body of Rishabh Saxena (Vikrant Massey) is found after an explosion in the kitchen. But who murdered him? Was it his wife Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu), who had both motive and means, along with her lover Neel Tripathi (Harshvardhan Rane)?

Writer Kanika Dhillon sets up an intriguing whodunnit and takes us back to show how the marriage between Rani and Rishu quickly deteriorated after their initial attraction. Delhi resident Rani relocates to a small-town setting in Jwalapur after her arranged marriage, and she is soon bored of her surroundings and her husband, whom she finds neither attentive nor exciting.

As the couple try to navigate their roles in an uneasy relationship, a new person enters to disrupt their lives. Rishu’s cousin, Neel, arrives to spend some time with his relatives and, of course, the neglected Rani finds herself attracted to the hunky new arrival, who is the opposite of her husband in many ways.

The two embark on a fling and their decision sets off a spark which lights a powder keg in the newlyweds’ relationship. As Rishu’s resentment of his wife grows, so does Rani’s determination to make it work somehow. So what becomes the final nail in the coffin for the couple?

Aditya Shrivastava, known for his role in the television serial CID, is cast well as the tenacious police officer Kishore Rawat who narrows down on Rani from the get-go and is determined to nab her for her sins. The young widow makes round after round at the police station and is questioned about every aspect of her life.

The odds are stacked against Rani already — with her affair with Neel and her love for the Hindi crime novels of writer Dinesh Pandit. Pannu inhabits Rani with ease, going from cheeky bride to repentant wife. She withstands the harsh treatment of the police who believe her to be guilty even before the trial.

In Manmarziyaan (2018), which was also written by Dhillon, Pannu essayed the role of Rumi, a woman who was caught between two men she loved. While Haseen Dillruba’s Rani regrets her actions eventually, like Rumi, she finds herself coming to appreciate the man she has married.

While Amit Trivedi's soundtrack in Haseen Dillruba is pleasing, it isn't as integrally mixed into the film as the one in Manmarziyaan was, because of which it does not make as much impact.

Massey shows his range as he plays the smitten Rishu who can’t believe his luck in marrying the beautiful Rani. His character is shown to be impulsive yet measured, and the actor shows his resolve as he sticks by the decisions he makes. Rane makes the most of his smaller part as a cad who wreaks havoc in Rani and Rishu's marriage.

The first half of Haseen Dillruba has many light-hearted moments of comedy as Rani tries to adjust to the Saxena household, clashing with her mother-in-law (Yamini Das) on household chores and jazzing up the appearance of her father-in-law (Daya Shankar Pandey). However, the film takes a dramatic turn at the halfway point, with Rishabh openly resenting his wife.

The setting of the small town is almost like a character in the film, with the river that runs by the house, witnessing several key moments of the protagonists’ lives.

Dhillon and Vinil Mathew keep up the suspense well as flashbacks from the marriage play out when Rani explains herself to Rawat and the investigators. The editing by Shweta Venkat Mathew neatly takes us between the past and the present, giving us glimpses of destruction later. But is the merry widow weaving a tale of defence just like in the novels she enjoys, or is it the truth?

The film leaves the audience guessing until its emotional finalé, but if you have been a keen follower of crime novels and films, like Rani, you will know where to find the clues. Haseen Dillruba, like its title, is a delicious mix of love and hate.

Haseen Dillruba is now available on Netflix.