Sisak Director Faraz Ansari Says Tisca Chopra’s Directorial Debut Saali Mohabbat ‘Shook’ Him

Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut, Saali Mohabbat, is all set for its digital premiere on December 12. The drama-thriller, written and directed by the Taare Zameen Par actress, stars Radhika Apte, Divyendu

Sharma, and Anurag Kashyap in key roles. Now, Faraz Arif Ansari has shared his honest review of the upcoming movie.

Ahead of its premiere, the makers of Saali Mohabbat hosted a grand screening in Mumbai. After watching the movie, Faraz Arif Ansari opened up about Tisca Chopra’s first full-length directorial work and showered it with praise in a series of Instagram stories.

Although the director of Sisak and Sheer Qorma revealed in one of the stories that he does not usually recommend films, he thinks this drama-thriller must be discussed. “I don’t usually recommend films just for the sake of it. I really don’t. But this one? This one demands to be spoken about. Loudly,” he penned.

Director Faraz Ansari Reviews The Unreleased Movie Saali Mohabbat

Ansari continued, “Last night, I had the absolute honour of watching Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut, Saali Mohabbat – an honestly, it shook me. The film is magnetic,” adding, “It’s visceral. It’s fiercely, unapologetically feminist. It’s painfully funny, wickedly witty, brutally vulnerable, and so deeply rooted that at one point I actually felt my breath catch – and yes, you’ll understand that only when you watch it.”

In the following post, the filmmaker discussed the work of each team member. Lauding Radhika Apte, he said, “My God. What a performance. She doesn’t just act – she inhabits. She mesmerises, confronts, pulls you in, and refuses to let go. I haven’t stopped thinking about her since. It is her film, entirely, and she rises to it with brilliance that’s almost unsettling.”

“Divyenndu, Anurag Kashyap, Sauraseni Maitra, Anshumaan- each one brings a rawness, a truth, a beautifully nuanced energy that makes the world of this film feel painfully real. And the background score? Haunting,” he added.

In the concluding note, the filmmaker mentioned, “It wraps around you and stays long after the screen fades to black. Kudos to Manish Malhotra, Jyoti Deshpande, Stage5, and Jio Studios for backing a film that actually has something to say and the courage to say it.”

Tisca Chopra’s Humble Response To Faraz Ansari

Further, praising Tisca Chopra, Ansari shared, “Tisca – I am so, so happy for you. Truly. This film deserves every ounce of recognition that’s coming its way. Please watch it on Zee5 from 12th December. This one is worth your time. Every second of it.”

Sharing the green and yellow-hued striking note by Ansari on her Instagram stories, Tisca responded, “I am so touched, @farazarifansari. Thank you, my dear!! And also.. didn’t miss the background color of this story..”

More About Saali Mohabbat

Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, and Manish Malhotra under Jio Studios and Stage5 Production, Saali Mohabbat is scheduled for a direct-to-digital release on ZEE5 on December 12. Although Tisca has previously directed short pieces, this drama-thriller marks her first venture in full-length feature films.

Written around the Geeta Colony double murder case, the film had its world premiere at the 55th International Film Festival of India in Goa in 2024, where it was screened as part of the official selection. It has also been screened at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.