Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa
Directed byRajat Kapoor
Written byRajat Kapoor
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRafey Mahmood
Production
companies
Distributed byZEE5
Release dates
  • October 2023 (2023-10) (MAMI)[1]
  • 10 April 2026 (2026-04-10)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language mystery film written and directed by Rajat Kapoor.[2][3] The film features an ensemble cast including Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey,[4] Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Koel Purie, Sadia Siddiqui, and Chandrachoor Rai.[5] Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Mithya Talkies, the film premiered on ZEE5 on 10 April 2026.[6] The film received mixed reviews upon its public release.[7]

Plot

Raman and Jayanti host an outstation party at a secluded mansion in Himachal Pradesh to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Among the guests is Raman's business partner, Sohrab Handa, an abrasive and foul-mouthed man who spends the evening insulting and belittling the other attendees.

Following a session of heavy drinking and parlor games, Handa is found dead in the early hours of the morning with his throat slit. Local police inspector Afzal Qureshi arrives to conduct the investigation, and the celebratory atmosphere quickly dissolves into mutual suspicion. As Qureshi interrogates the guests, it becomes evident that every person present had a significant motive to kill Handa, exposing deep-seated resentments and hidden secrets within the group.

Cast

Production

The film features director Rajat Kapoor's recurring collaborators,[8] including cinematographer Rafey Mahmood and editor Suresh Pai. It was produced by Sameer Nair and Deepak Segal of Applause Entertainment. To maintain a claustrophobic setting, the film was shot primarily in a single location.[9]

Reception

Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India writes that "Rajat Kapoor continues his alt-mainstream career with a perfectly pitched murder mystery that unfolds in a cabin full of guilty characters."[10] Deepa Gahlot writing for the Scroll.in describes that "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa must feel like a palate cleanser between heavy courses. Not that it’s easy to mount a murder mystery, get a bunch of disparate characters together and work out their connections, problems and hidden agendas."[11]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu said that "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a quintessential Rajat Kapoor film. It doesn’t reinvent the whodunit, but it humanises it, turning a murder mystery into a mirror held up to the insidious violence we inflict on the people we claim to love."[7] BH Harsh of The New Indian Express gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and observed that "Chaotic conversations and great casting are the strengths of this Rajat Kapoor directorial."[12]

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a single-setting murder mystery which focuses more on the fragile nature of relationships than the actual murder."[13] Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India gave 3 stars out of 5 and writes that "A classic whodunit setup, writer-director Rajat Kapoor’s Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa thrives more on messy relationships than pure suspense."[14]

Shweta Keshri of India Today gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and describes it as a slow-burn murder mystery offers strong performances but struggles with pacing and suspense.[15] Bollywood Hungama rated it 3/5 stars and said that "the film 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."[16]

References

  1. ↑ https://mami.mumbaifilmfestival.com/detail/?UID=D1A4A739-2A41-4F31-8B3C-96E013E290FF
  2. ↑ Chakravorty, Reshmi (2025-08-07). "Rajat Kapoor: I See Myself as a Filmmaker First". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  3. ↑ "Rajat Kapoor On What We Can Expect From Him In 2025: My New Film As A Director | EXCLUSIVE". Times Now. 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  4. ↑ Chakravorty, Reshmi (2025-08-14). "Ranvir Shorey: I've been officially adopted by Tollywood". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  5. ↑ "Vinay Pathak's & Rajat Kapoor's Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review: A portrayal of interpersonal relationship". Firstpost. 3 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' trailer: A slick murder mystery in the offing". The Hindu. 2026-04-08. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2026-04-09.
  7. 1 2 Kumar, Anuj (10 April 2026). "'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' movie review: The pathology of a bully". The Hindu.
  8. ↑ "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa: Filmmaker Rajat Kapoor puts psychological drama at the centre of his latest whodunnit". Firstpost.
  9. ↑ Bamzai, Kaveree (2022-07-29). "Rajat Kapoor: Boy in the Bubble". Open Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  10. ↑ Desai, Rahul (10 April 2026). "'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' Movie Review: A Savoury And Thought-Provoking Whodunnit". The Hollywood Reporter India.
  11. ↑ Gahlot, Deepa (10 April 2026). "'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' review: Murder mystery has sharp actors and witty banter". Scroll.in.
  12. ↑ Harsh, BH (10 April 2026). "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review: A finely woven murder mystery that goes beyond the surface". The New Indian Express.
  13. ↑ Sharma, Devesh (10 April 2026). "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Review:Vinay Pathak Shines in This Whydunit". Filmfare.
  14. ↑ Kotecha, Ronak (10 April 2026). "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review". The Times of India.
  15. ↑ Keshri, Shweta (10 April 2026). "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa review: Strong cast, weak grip". India Today.
  16. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood (10 April 2026). "Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa Movie Review: EVERYBODY LOVES SOHRAB HANDA is a decent whodunit". Bollywood Hungama.