Killer Soup

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, "The Killer Soup," a Netflix India Original, brings a dark comedy crime thriller to the streaming platform, starring Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma in lead roles. Set in the fictional hill station of Mainjur, Tamil Nadu, the film unfolds a gripping tale of deception, doppelgangers, and culinary conspiracies.

This movie, by its very nature, caters to a niche audience-those who appreciate the nuances of dark comedy, crime thrillers, and art films. The plot, revolving around an aspiring yet talentless home chef, Swathi (Konkona Sen Sharma), and her elaborate plan to replace her husband, Prabhakar Shetty (Manoj Bajpayee), with his squint-eyed doppelganger, is both slow-paced and captivating. The story's strength lies not only in the leads but also in the supporting cast, which contributes significantly to the film's overall impact.

Manoj Bajpayee, in a double role, manages to maintain a delicate balance, but the performance might feel different from what audiences have come to expect from the versatile actor. Nassr, playing the role of senior police inspector Hassan, steals the show with a stellar performance, especially when dealing with the death of a rookie officer, ASI Thupalli, portrayed by Anbuthasan, who showcases remarkable acting skills that deserve recognition.

Sayaji Shinde as Arvind Shetty, Prabhakar's elder brother, delivers another memorable performance, reaffirming his status as a go-to choice for characters with Marathi/South Indian don shades. Anula Navlekar as Apeksha "Appu" Shetty surprises with her acting prowess, adding a delightful twist to the movie.

"The Killer Soup" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who appreciate the genre, it serves as a testament to the potential of such concepts in mainstream cinema. The film prompts viewers to question why more narratives like this aren't explored in the broader film landscape, making it a standout for aficionados of dark comedy and crime thrillers.

Killer Soup, an eight course delectable experience, served up by Netflix is a concoction of dark humor and mystery. The show will leave you satisfied and uneasy in equal measure.

Swathi a novice cook with dubious cooking skills and equally questionable morals finds herself in literal pickle when her misadventures with her husband's (Prabhar) doppelganger Umesh goes awry. Prabhakar's discovery of Swathi's affair also leads to his demise, upon which Swathi decides to swap him for Umesh with slight adjustment to Umesh's configurations. How the two then try to fulfill their ambitions while at the same time attempt to cover their tracks fraught with moral and ethical dilemmas serves as the basic premise of the series.

The show is replete with stellar performances from the cast. Konkona Sen Sharma immaculately portrays the desperation and wickedness of Swathi. Manoj Bajpayee is in his usual best masterfully depicting the brashness of Prabhakar and excels as a loyalty laden partner in crime Umesh. Sayaji Shinde shines as an arrogant, foul mouthed patriarch with little clue as to what his sister in law and daughter are brewing.

The series ably keeps the viewers guessing regarding what will transpire. However, like a cook in haste, it does muck up a few details. Some of the progression, especially that of Inspector Hassan seem quite convenient. The constant appearance of Thupalli as a guiding voice of Hassan will ultimately get to your nerves.

Overall, Killer Soup is a worthwhile mix of thrill, dark humor and mystery. It does become a slow simmer on a couple of occasions but you will be satiated in the end. It may not be everybody's cup of tea but will delight any dark humor connoisseurs.

Anwar Says: It's a mixture of Shakespeare and Hitchcock, which Abhishek Chaubey tried to present on OTT, more than 7 hours long runtime in 8 episodes, engaging the two all time top actors, Manoj Vajpayee and Konkna Sen Sharma. A real black comedy and almost in every episode, someone dies or is about to die. There are a number of narrative threads which emerge from the main crime story. All full of lies, deceit, blackmail and melodrama.

No word about Manoj's performance, every role looks tailor made for him. But this show belongs to Konkna, she is so calm and poised and does everything effortlessly. There is neither any desperation to shift from middle class life nor any hue and cry after a murder has been committed. Sayaji Shinde is extra loud and Naseer's ( Inspector) character is totally confused amidst hallucinations and always looks disillusioned. Others have been properly casted as per script.

I liked the way the title KILLER SOUP appears differently in each episode and also the use of some Western Classic songs appropriately. But joining threads would be difficult for you, if you don't go for a binge watch. Go for it for Manoj and Konkna.

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I rate this 7/10 because it kept me engaged and for fabulous acting by konkana sen and manoj bajpayee. As a web series fan I would like to see more such series in hindi where you are hooked onto the story from beginning to the end. There are so many details in every scene in this series and credit goes to the direction.

There are elements of comedy which impressed me because of the humour added which should go well with the genz viewers too. Have your drink or a smoke 😉 and you are in for an entertaining journey.

And believe it or not , this is my review after just watching one and half episode.

Dont know why this has low rating. This series was very intriguing and I just watched all episodrs in 2 days. Manoj Vajpayee and Konkana are brilliant. Director has done a very good job. Story is believable and yet surrealistic. This was something fresh otherwise you see all those run of the mill series that have nothing new to offer. All actors were very natural. Some faces are not well known but they surprised me with their craft. Abhishek haubey director has shown that he is super talented. Only critique I have is that it was a bit longer. 5-6 episodes would have been sufficient. Else a must watch!