Simple fact - don't remake a thriller/whodunnit! Especially of widely acclaimed movies like Ratsasan. Two months ago, we had a similar situation with the Rajkummar Rao starrer HIT. Cuttputtli follows the same pattern by adopting the original scene by scene with no ingenuity whatsoever (except the massive cut).
Ratsasan's plot shifts to the scenic Himachal, where newly inducted SI Arjan (Akshay) has to hunt down a serial killer, who is targeting teenage girls.
The biggest issue with Cuttputtli is the timing. Dumped on OTT, just two weeks after Akshay Kumar's last release seems to convey how the expectations from the actor has dropped. The other one is obviously the rushed climax that destroys the movie. The antagonist is reduced to a two-dimensional (rather one) caricature of a character. The backstory is reduced to a 10 second montage (pathetic!).
Akshay Kumar doesn't seem like the right guy for this role. This could have done by a newcomer instead. At least it would have given them a good launchpad. The other actors don't matter here because they don't have to do much. Chandrachur SIngh's presence is welcoming though. His renaissance has been one of the better ones the industry has seen.
Cuttputtli is a miserable attempt at remaking a film. Akshay Kumar's choices are akin to those of Mohanlal or maybe he just has a lot of free time on his hands to do five films a year. Whatever it is, I have almost lost faith.