Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Review: A Whodunit Where Human Drama Steals the Show

When a man with enemies at every turn ends up dead at a house party, the real mystery isn’t the murder — it’s the web of broken relationships, buried secrets, and simmering resentments that led to it. Writer-director Rajat Kapoor brings this idea to life in Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a sharp, character-driven ensemble thriller that trusts its audience to care more about the people in the room than the crime itself. Anchored by a terrific Vinay Pathak and a uniformly strong cast, this ZEE5 release is one of the more refreshing Hindi mystery dramas to arrive on streaming in recent times.

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a well-crafted, character-rich mystery that finds its strength in layered relationships and a uniformly solid ensemble cast. It may not reinvent the whodunit wheel, but it spins it with enough wit, warmth, and sharp writing to make for a thoroughly engaging watch.

Language: Hindi
Age Rating: UA
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Drama
Director: Rajat Kapoor
Streaming On: ZEE5

Plot Summary

At a picturesque holiday villa, a group of friends, family, and business partners gather to celebrate a wedding anniversary. The evening turns sinister when Sohrab Handa — loud, politically incorrect, and unapologetically blunt — is found dead with his throat slit. Everyone present has a motive, and as the night unravels through a non-linear narrative, buried secrets and fractured relationships surface one by one. The real question isn’t just who killed Sohrab — it’s understanding why it could have been anyone at all.

Also Read: Raakaasa Movie Review: Sangeeth Sobhan’s Comic Brilliance Makes This Fantasy Entertainer a Must-Watch This Summer

Cast & Crew

Role	Name
Director & Writer	Rajat Kapoor
Sohrab Handa	Vinay Pathak
Sub-Inspector Afzal Qureshi	Saurabh Shukla
Raman	Neil Bhoopalam
Jayanthi	Palomi Ghosh
Isha	Koel Purie
Supporting Cast	Waluscha De Sousa, Sadiya Siddiqui, Ranvir Shorey, Sharat Katariya, Danish Hussain, Chandrachur Rai
Runtime	1 hr 39 mins
Streaming Platform	ZEE5

Performances

Vinay Pathak is the beating heart of the film. Playing Sohrab Handa — an equal-opportunity offender who is loud, abrasive, and impossible to look away from — Pathak delivers a performance of effortless conviction. His absence after the murder is felt through every subsequent scene, which is precisely how it should work.

Koel Purie is the standout of the ensemble as Isha, Sohrab’s emotionally volatile, pill-dependent wife. She brings raw unpredictability to every scene and ensures you never quite know what she’ll do next.

Palomi Ghosh and Waluscha De Sousa offer grounded, credible support, while it’s a genuine delight to see Sadiya Siddiqui back on screen — fondly remembered as Priya from the iconic 90s Zee TV drama Banegi Apni Baat. Ranvir Shorey, Sharat Katariya, Danish Hussain, Chandrachur Rai, and director Rajat Kapoor himself all blend naturally into the ensemble without competing for the spotlight. Saurabh Shukla brings his trademark gravitas as Sub-Inspector Afzal Qureshi, though the role deserves even more screen time given his calibre.

Technical Craft

Direction & Writing

Rajat Kapoor’s writing is the film’s biggest asset. No character feels wasted — each one is given just enough space to register and leave a mark. The non-linear structure peels back layers of who Sohrab truly was, keeping the narrative alive and curious. The film’s sharpest achievement is its portrayal of upper-class social circles — passive aggression, transactional friendships, and politeness masking deep resentment — rendered with uncomfortable authenticity.

Also Read: Kaalidas 2 Movie Review: Bharath’s Gripping Crime Thriller Delivers a Twist You Won’t See Coming

Setting & Atmosphere

The old hill-station villa is inspired casting as a location. Eerie, slightly claustrophobic, and rich with atmosphere, it provides exactly the kind of backdrop a story like this demands, and the production design uses it well.

Pacing

At a lean 99 minutes, the film is briskly paced and never overstays its welcome — a crucial quality for an ensemble mystery juggling multiple timelines and perspectives.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

• Vinay Pathak in career-form, commanding every scene he occupies
• Sharp, relatable writing that captures urban social dynamics with real authenticity
• Koel Purie’s raw, standout performance as Isha
• Brisk runtime that respects the audience’s time
• The atmospheric hill-station setting enhances tension naturally
• A uniformly strong ensemble where every actor understands the assignment

Weaknesses

• Too many characters occasionally causes certain arcs to feel rushed
• The mystery element loses a little steam mid-film under the weight of multiple subplots
• Saurabh Shukla, despite his brilliance, feels underutilised in his role

Also Read: Vaazha 2: Biopic of a Billion Bros Review – The Sequel That Does Everything Right

Final Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a film best enjoyed when you stop waiting for the big twist and simply invest in its people. Rajat Kapoor delivers an engaging, imperfect, and wholly human whodunit — one that is less about the shock of “who did it” and far more about understanding why it could have been anyone in that room. Anchored by a terrific Vinay Pathak and a cast that fires on all cylinders, this ZEE5 release is a rewarding, binge-worthy watch for anyone who loves character-driven mystery drama.

---