# Cuttputlli
**Cuttputlli** (कठपुतली) is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller directed by Ranjit M Tewari, starring [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar) as a rookie police officer hunting a serial killer of teenage schoolgirls in a [Himachal Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/himachal-pradesh) hill town. It is the official Hindi remake of the 2018 Tamil film *Ratsasan* and premiered directly on the streaming service [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on 2 September 2022.[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli) • [2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/cuttputlli/critic-review/cuttputlli-movie-review/) • [3](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/cuttputlli-director-ranjit-m-tewari-on-working-with-akshay-kumar-its-my-privilege-and-honour-to-be-working-with-him)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | कठपुतली (Hindi for "puppet")[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli) |
| Release | Direct-to-digital premiere on Disney+ Hotstar, 2 September 2022[3](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/cuttputlli-director-ranjit-m-tewari-on-working-with-akshay-kumar-its-my-privilege-and-honour-to-be-working-with-him) |
| Source material | Official remake of *Ratsasan* (2018, Tamil), itself earlier remade in Telugu as *Rakshasudu* (2019)[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/cuttputlli/critic-review/cuttputlli-movie-review/) • [4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190) |
| Lead cast | Akshay Kumar (SI Arjan Sethi), Rakul Preet Singh (Divya), Sargun Mehta (SHO Gudiya Parmar), Chandrachur Singh (Narinder Singh)[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli) |
| Producers | Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, and Deepshikha Deshmukh, Pooja Entertainment[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190) |
| Runtime and certificate | 136.1 minutes per the CBFC theatrical listing; certified UA on 23 August 2022[5](https://www.uat.cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/assets/pdf/CC_Issued_2022.pdf) • [6](https://cbfc.watch/film/cuttputlli-2022) |
| Audience rating | 5.7/10 on IMDb from about 23,000 votes[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
The story follows Arjan Sethi (Akshay Kumar), a struggling screenwriter obsessed with serial killers who failed to sell his script and instead joined the police as a sub-inspector in Kasauli, joining his brother-in-law Narinder ([Chandrachur Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/chandrachur-singh)) in the local department.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2022/sep/02/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-steers-an-involving-remake-34340.html) When a teenage schoolgirl's mutilated body is found in nearby Parwanoo and further girls go missing, Arjan recognizes a pattern the local police, inexperienced with such crimes, do not.[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/cuttputlli-movie-review-akshay-kumar-film-rakul-preet-singh-8126317/) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/cuttputlli/etmoviereview/93854661.cms)
The killer abducts and mutilates schoolgirls and leaves severed doll heads for the police to find; Arjan explains to his superiors that the killer wants to be famous through his crimes.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2022/sep/02/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-steers-an-involving-remake-34340.html) His boss, SHO Gudiya Parmar ([Sargun Mehta](https://www.edgepedia.org/sargun-mehta)), initially scoffs at his theories but takes him seriously as more bodies appear.[10](https://scroll.in/article/1031843/scroll_in) Arjan also falls for Divya ([Rakul Preet Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/rakul-preet-singh)), a schoolteacher whose profession turns out to be part of the puzzle rather than a random detail.[10](https://scroll.in/article/1031843/scroll_in)
## Production and release
The film reunited director Ranjit M Tewari with Akshay Kumar after their 2021 film *Bell Bottom*, with Aseem Arrora as co-writer.[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190) • [10](https://scroll.in/article/1031843/scroll_in) Before the title was announced, reports said the project was called *Mission Cinderella*; at the trailer launch Tewari denied this, saying "It was never called Mission Cinderella. It was always called Cuttputlli," and that the film was shot in [Mussoorie](https://www.edgepedia.org/mussoorie) and the UK.[11](https://www.easterneye.biz/akshay-kumar-on-recent-films-failing-to-impress-audiences-its-my-fault-i-have-to-make-the-changes/) Sargun Mehta, a established Punjabi film actress, made her Bollywood debut in the role of the female police officer leading the case.[12](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/exclusive-sargun-mehta-makes-bollywood-debut-cuttputlli-says-always-wanted-debut-role-makes-difference-story-irrespective-length/)
The film skipped theaters. Disney+ Hotstar announced the direct-to-digital release in August 2022, and it premiered on 2 September.[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190) At the trailer launch, Kumar, whose three preceding theatrical releases (*Bachchhan Paandey*, *Samrat Prithviraj*, and *Raksha Bandhan*) had failed to recover their budgets, said of the run of failures, "It is my fault. I have to make the changes," and rejected the idea that an OTT release was a safety net.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/Aug/21/it-is-my-fault-actor-akshay-kumar-on-his-films-flopping-2489916.html)
## Censor certification
The [Central Board of Film Certification](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-board-of-film-certification) certified the film UA on 23 August 2022 under certificate CA011108202200162, after four modifications: a health spot about cigarette and bidi damage was inserted at about the 1 hour 5 minute mark; scenes of graphic violence over a child at timecodes 40.54, 40.59, and 41.03 were replaced to reduce the brutality of the depiction; a scene of a teacher asking a girl student to bend down, suggestive of forced oral intercourse, was deleted; and dialogue at the 23-minute mark mocking a deaf person was removed.[6](https://cbfc.watch/film/cuttputlli-2022)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. The Times of India gave 3.5/5, calling it "an engaging serial killer saga" that gets the eerie atmospherics of a campy whodunit right.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/cuttputlli/etmoviereview/93854661.cms) Cinema Express also rated it 3/5, calling it "by some distance, the best Akshay Kumar film this year" and noting the actor gets only about one and a half action scenes.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2022/sep/02/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-steers-an-involving-remake-34340.html) Scroll.in found it "an overly clinical serial killer thriller" that follows the original's template without elevating it.[10](https://scroll.in/article/1031843/scroll_in) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) gave 1/5, writing that instead of suspense the film offers "a mix of tired family drama-and-romance, and clunky cop procedural."[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/cuttputlli-movie-review-akshay-kumar-film-rakul-preet-singh-8126317/) On Rotten Tomatoes the Tomatometer stood at 53% from two reviews.[14](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cuttputli)
Audience measures were middling: IMDb records 5.7/10 from about 23,000 votes.[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli) In reach, the film performed well for a streaming title: a Disney+ Hotstar document citing Ormax Media's 2022 report says *Cuttputlli* topped the platform's list of most-watched Hindi films, and Ormax's buzz ranking placed it among the most-buzzed direct-to-OTT Hindi films of 2022 with a score of 15, behind only *Gehraiyaan*.[15](https://discover.hotstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ConnectingthedOTTs-with-Disney-Hotstar.pdf) • [16](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/StreamingOriginals-The2022Story-OrmaxMedia.pdf) As of late 2026 it streams in India on VI movies and tv and free with ads on JioHotstar.[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli)
## Relation to Ratsasan
*Cuttputlli* is the second official remake of [Ram Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ram-kumar)'s Tamil-language *Ratsasan* (2018), which starred [Vishnu Vishal](https://www.edgepedia.org/vishnu-vishal) and [Amala Paul](https://www.edgepedia.org/amala-paul); the first was the Telugu *Rakshasudu* (2019) directed by Ramesh Varma.[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190) Reviewers noted how closely the Hindi version follows the original: Hindustan Times described it as a "frame-by-frame remake" that keeps elements including the doll-face calling card, the suspect maths teacher, and the added romance.[17](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-as-a-raw-and-real-cop-is-refreshing-101662104015860-amp.html) When asked at the trailer launch what changes he had made, Tewari answered, "You will have to watch the film to note what changes we have brought in the remake."[3](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/cuttputlli-director-ranjit-m-tewari-on-working-with-akshay-kumar-its-my-privilege-and-honour-to-be-working-with-him)
## References
1. [Cuttputlli (2022), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/cuttputlli)
2. [Cuttputlli Movie Review, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/cuttputlli/critic-review/cuttputlli-movie-review/)
3. [Cuttputlli director Ranjit M Tewari on working with Akshay Kumar, Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/cuttputlli-director-ranjit-m-tewari-on-working-with-akshay-kumar-its-my-privilege-and-honour-to-be-working-with-him)
4. [Cuttputlli: Ratsasan remake to stream on Disney+ Hotstar, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/cuttputlli-ratsasan-remake-starring-akshay-kumar-and-rakul-preet-singh-to-stream-on-disney-hotstar/87e4e29a98190)
5. [List of feature films certified in 2022, CBFC](https://www.uat.cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/assets/pdf/CC_Issued_2022.pdf)
6. [CUTTPUTLLI, CBFC Watch](https://cbfc.watch/film/cuttputlli-2022)
7. [Cuttputlli Movie review: Akshay Kumar steers an involving remake, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/hindi/review/2022/sep/02/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-steers-an-involving-remake-34340.html)
8. [Cuttputlli movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/cuttputlli-movie-review-akshay-kumar-film-rakul-preet-singh-8126317/)
9. [Cuttputlli Movie Review: An engaging serial killer saga, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/cuttputlli/etmoviereview/93854661.cms)
10. ['Cuttputlli' review: An overly clinical serial killer thriller, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/article/1031843/scroll_in)
11. [Akshay Kumar on recent films failing: 'It's my fault', EasternEye](https://www.easterneye.biz/akshay-kumar-on-recent-films-failing-to-impress-audiences-its-my-fault-i-have-to-make-the-changes/)
12. [Sargun Mehta makes Bollywood debut with Cuttputlli, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/exclusive-sargun-mehta-makes-bollywood-debut-cuttputlli-says-always-wanted-debut-role-makes-difference-story-irrespective-length/)
13. ['It is my fault': Actor Akshay Kumar on his films flopping, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2022/Aug/21/it-is-my-fault-actor-akshay-kumar-on-his-films-flopping-2489916.html)
14. [Cuttputli, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cuttputli)
15. [Did You Know?, Disney+ Hotstar](https://discover.hotstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ConnectingthedOTTs-with-Disney-Hotstar.pdf)
16. [Streaming Originals: The 2022 Story, Ormax Media](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/StreamingOriginals-The2022Story-OrmaxMedia.pdf)
17. [Cuttputlli review, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/cuttputlli-review-akshay-kumar-as-a-raw-and-real-cop-is-refreshing-101662104015860-amp.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2020s › Hindi films of 2022*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license