Tisca Chopra's Directorial Debut Saali Mohabbat Is 'Visceral' Says Sisak Director Faraz Ansari: It Shook Me

Tisca Chopra's directorial debut Saali Mohabaat is all geared up for release on December 12. A direct-to-digital film, it boasts of a cast comprising Radhika Apte, Divyendu Sharma, and Anurag Kashyap.

A drama-thriller, the film is Tisca's first full-length directorial work. She had earlier directed short pieces and is best known for her role in the 2007 Aamir Khan film Taare Zameen Par.Ahead of the film's release, Sisak and Sheer Qorma director Faraz Arif Ansari took to Instagram to reveal he has already watched the film and shared his review of the same. The filmmaker said he does not usually recommend films but Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut deserves to be spoken about. He went on to call the film ‘unapologetically feminist’ and added that it is ‘painfully funny’ and ‘vulnerable’.

Ansari wrote, “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. 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. 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."Also Read: Kartik Aaryan X Johnny Depp: The Rooh Baba - Jack Sparrow Collab We Never Knew We Needed!He also lauded Radhika Apte’s act, writing, “Radhika Apte ... my God. What a performance. She doesn't just act - she inhabits. She mesmeises, 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.”According to Ansari, Divyenndu, Anurag Kashyap, Shauraseni Maitra, Anshumaan everyone brings a rawness, truth and “beautifully nuanced energy” to the film which makes the world it creates, “feel painfully real.”The filmmaker is also all praise for first-time director Tisca Chopra, writing, “Tisca - I am so, so happy for you. Truly. This film deserves every ounce of recogntition that's coming is way. Please watch it on Zee5 from 12th December. This one is worth your time. Every second of it.”As per reports, the film, which will stream on Zee5 has been written around the Geeta Colony double murder case. The case itself is just the starting point of the narrative, rather than becoming a direct retelling. 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