# Haseen Dillruba (हसीन दिलरुबा)
**Haseen Dillruba** (हसीन दिलरुबा) is a 2021 Hindi-language romantic mystery thriller directed by Vinil Mathew and written by [Kanika Dhillon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kanika-dhillon), starring [Taapsee Pannu](https://www.edgepedia.org/taapsee-pannu), Vikrant Massey, and [Harshvardhan Rane](https://www.edgepedia.org/harshvardhan-rane), released on Netflix on 2 July 2021[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/) • [2](https://www.colouryellow.com/films/haseen-dillruba/). The story follows Rani Kashyap, a small-town wife who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her cousin-in-law Neel, believed to be her husband Rishu, who killed Neel and staged his own death after an explosion destroys her home[2](https://www.colouryellow.com/films/haseen-dillruba/) • [14](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/phir-aayi-hasseen-dillruba-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 2 July 2021, on Netflix[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/) |
| Director / writer | Vinil Mathew (director); story, screenplay, and dialogues by Kanika Dhillon[2](https://www.colouryellow.com/films/haseen-dillruba/) • [3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-works-on-some-counts-but-comes-up-short-in-delivering-a-watertight-thriller/cid/1820971) |
| Lead cast | Taapsee Pannu as Rani Kashyap, Vikrant Massey as Rishabh "Rishu" Saxena, Harshvardhan Rane as Neel Tripathi[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5) |
| Setting | The small north Indian town of Jwalapur[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-works-on-some-counts-but-comes-up-short-in-delivering-a-watertight-thriller/cid/1820971) |
| Music | Amit Trivedi; background score by Amar Mangrulkar[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/haseen-dillruba) • [6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/) |
| Runtime | 2 hours 15 minutes (listed as 136 minutes on Google Play)[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5) • [7](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B8_%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AC?hl=hi&id=946ECC2BFF6C53F5MV) |
| Critical aggregate | 62% on the Tomatometer, from 13 reviews (8 fresh, 5 rotten)[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film opens with an explosion in the Saxena household in Jwalapur that is staged to make Rishabh "Rishu" Saxena ([Vikrant Massey](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikrant-massey)), an engineer in the Jwalapur Electricity Board, appear dead, leaving his wife Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu) the prime suspect in the eyes of investigating officer Inspector Kishore Rawat ([Aditya Srivastava](https://www.edgepedia.org/aditya-srivastava))[8](https://m.thewire.in/article/film/review-haseen-dilruba-collection-of-obvious-tropes-recycled-characters) • [1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/) • [14](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/phir-aayi-hasseen-dillruba-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs). The narrative then cuts back six months to Rishu's arranged marriage to Rani, a confident Delhi woman and devotee of Hindi pulp crime fiction, particularly the thrillers of a fictional writer named Dinesh Pandit[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-works-on-some-counts-but-comes-up-short-in-delivering-a-watertight-thriller/cid/1820971) • [8](https://m.thewire.in/article/film/review-haseen-dilruba-collection-of-obvious-tropes-recycled-characters).
The marriage is strained from the start: Rani finds small-town life stifling and the relationship passionless, and Rishu overhears her telling her mother ([Alka Kaushal](https://www.edgepedia.org/alka-kaushal)) and masi (Puja Sarup) that he is not good in bed[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/). The arrival of Rishu's cousin Neel Tripathi (Harshvardhan Rane), a dashing river-rafting entrepreneur, leads to an affair between Neel and Rani[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/). When Rani tells Neel she wants to end her marriage and move in with him, the commitment-shy Neel panics and disappears, and Rani confesses the affair to Rishu[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/). The rest of the film unfolds through Rani's police interrogation, in which her account of the marriage blurs rather than clarifies the truth[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5).
### Sequel
A sequel, *Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba* (फिर आई हसीन दिलरुबा), was later made available for streaming[13](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/phir-aayi-hasseen-dillruba). Colour Yellow Productions lists it among its upcoming films[2](https://www.colouryellow.com/films/haseen-dillruba/).
## Production and crew
The film was produced by Aanand L Rai, Himanshu Sharma, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishna Kumar under the banners Colour Yellow Productions and T-Series[7](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B8_%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AC?hl=hi&id=946ECC2BFF6C53F5MV). Jayakrishna Gummadi served as director of photography, and the film was shot around [Rishikesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/rishikesh), whose locales reviewers singled out for praise[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/haseen-dillruba) • [6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/). It was Mathew's second feature after his debut *[Hasee Toh Phasee](https://www.edgepedia.org/hasee-toh-phasee)*[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2021/Jul/02/haseen-dillruba-movie-review-taapsee-pannu-starrer-is-an-incredibly-silly-murder-mystery-2324599.html).
[Amit Trivedi](https://www.edgepedia.org/amit-trivedi) composed the songs, including "Dil Melt Karda", "Phisal Jaa Tu", and "Milaa Yun", with lyrics by Kshitij Patwardhan and Varun Grover; the music label was T-Series[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/haseen-dillruba). Reviewers were divided on the music: Bollywood Hungama called the songs forgettable while praising Mangrulkar's background score in the thriller scenes[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/).
## Reception
**Critical response was mixed.** The film holds a 62% Tomatometer score from 13 reviews[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5). Individual ratings ranged from 2/5 (The New Indian Express, which called it an "incredibly silly murder mystery") to 3.5/5 (Navbharat Times)[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2021/Jul/02/haseen-dillruba-movie-review-taapsee-pannu-starrer-is-an-incredibly-silly-murder-mystery-2324599.html) • [10](https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review-in-hindi/moviereview/84062508.cms). Bollywood Hungama gave 2.5/5, NDTV 2.5/5, and Maharashtra Times 3/5[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/) • [11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-review-sometimes-good-sometimes-not-like-protagonists-rani-rishabhs-marriage-2-5-stars-2477592) • [12](https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/haseen-dillruba/moviereview/84137601.cms).
Reviewers consistently praised the performances while faulting the script. Bollywood Hungama wrote that Taapsee Pannu "yet again delivers a smashing performance" and that Vikrant Massey's multi-shaded role was a treat, but found the second-half narrative unconvincing and the climax a disappointment[6](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/). The Telegraph India called the film ambitious in refusing to be boxed into one genre, combining a murder mystery, an obsessive romance, and a tale of lust and passion, but said Kanika Dhillon's script failed to justify some character motivations[3](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-works-on-some-counts-but-comes-up-short-in-delivering-a-watertight-thriller/cid/1820971). [The Wire](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-wire) criticized the film as a collection of recycled tropes with hollow writing[8](https://m.thewire.in/article/film/review-haseen-dilruba-collection-of-obvious-tropes-recycled-characters). NDTV's review summed up the film with Rani's own line about her marriage, "sometimes good, sometimes not", noting that Massey stole the show and that Aditya Srivastava made a perfect investigating officer[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-review-sometimes-good-sometimes-not-like-protagonists-rani-rishabhs-marriage-2-5-stars-2477592).
## References
1. [Haseen Dillruba Movie: Release Date, Songs, Trailers, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/)
2. [Haseen Dillruba, Colour Yellow Production](https://www.colouryellow.com/films/haseen-dillruba/)
3. [Haseen Dillruba comes up short in delivering a watertight thriller, Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-works-on-some-counts-but-comes-up-short-in-delivering-a-watertight-thriller/cid/1820971)
4. [Haseen Dillruba, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/haseen-dillruba/umc.cmc.52xr3j9vtycrmvrnhz0m8sln5)
5. [Haseen Dillruba (2021), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/haseen-dillruba)
6. [Haseen Dillruba Movie Review, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/haseen-dillruba/critic-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review/)
7. [हसीन दिलरुबा, Google Play पर फ़िल्में](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B8_%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AC?hl=hi&id=946ECC2BFF6C53F5MV)
8. [Review: Haseen Dilruba is a Collection of Obvious Tropes and Recycled Characters, The Wire](https://m.thewire.in/article/film/review-haseen-dilruba-collection-of-obvious-tropes-recycled-characters)
9. ['Haseen Dillruba' movie review, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/review/2021/Jul/02/haseen-dillruba-movie-review-taapsee-pannu-starrer-is-an-incredibly-silly-murder-mystery-2324599.html)
10. [हसीन दिलरूबा समीक्षा, Navbharat Times](https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-review/haseen-dillruba-movie-review-in-hindi/moviereview/84062508.cms)
11. [Haseen Dillruba Review: 2.5 Stars, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/haseen-dillruba-review-sometimes-good-sometimes-not-like-protagonists-rani-rishabhs-marriage-2-5-stars-2477592)
12. [हसीन दिलरुबा समीक्षा, Maharashtra Times](https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/haseen-dillruba/moviereview/84137601.cms)
13. [Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/phir-aayi-hasseen-dillruba)
14. [Everything You Need to Know About Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/phir-aayi-hasseen-dillruba-release-date-news?inapp=trueOs)
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*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 2021*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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