Haseen Dillruba (2021)

Haseen Dillruba is special because it treats a messy marriage like a page-turner: part romance, part whodunit, part wickedly pulpy thriller that knows exactly how to keep you leaning forward. Vinil Mathew lets the story unfold through shifting versions of the truth, and the fun is in watching each new detail reframe what you thought you knew—while the dialogue stays sharp and the pace rarely loosens its grip. Taapsee Pannu is terrific as a woman who’s equal parts vulnerable, calculating, and heartbreakingly human, and Vikrant Massey brings a lived-in sincerity that makes the emotional stakes feel real even when the film turns deliciously dark. If you prefer your love stories neat and your mysteries strictly realistic, this one’s not for you—but if you’re game for a twisty, slightly sinful ride, it’s tremendously watchable.

Haseen Dillruba is aiming for a pulpy, twisty romantic noir where love, betrayal, and murder all blur together, and it clearly wants you to enjoy the messiness of its storytelling as much as the mystery. The problem is the plotting often feels like it’s sprinting ahead of its own logic, with tonal swerves that can make the “thriller” part feel more cluttered than clever. If you need a tight, believable whodunit with clean rules and a satisfying, earned payoff, this one may test your patience—especially as it leans on familiar genre tricks and a divisive ending. That said, Taapsee Pannu commits fully, the central relationship has a nasty, watchable spark, and if you’re in the mood for melodrama dressed up as a mystery, you might still have fun.