Follow Us
Join UsStar Cast: Arjun Mathur, Rasika Dugal, Paresh Pahuja, and Zoha Rahman.
Director: Anshuman Jha
What’s Good: Rasika Dugal and Paresh Pahuja.
What’s Bad: The limited appeal of the subject.
Loo Break: In 108 minutes, not really!
Watch or Not?: It completely depends on what you want out of a theatrical experience!
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical Release
Runtime: 148 Minutes
User Rating:
A countryside mansion in Yorkshire sees a live-in couple, Rohit (Arjun Mathur) and Sanya (Zoha Rahman), in ardor-filled physical romance even when expected guests Ira (Rasika Dugal) and Dr. Basukinath (Paresh Pahuja) keep ringing their doorbell. They have travelled to Rohit’s uber-lavish home with some difficulty, with limited bus services and a long forest walk.
The occasion? Sanya has invited (she works at a bar in the city) her customer-turned-friend, Ira, so that she can meet her husband, known as Dr. Basuki. Dr. Basuki is, to use a colloquial term, a ‘weirdo’ who self-admittedly suffers from hypertension, and so his stoic calmness is a veneer. Rohit offers the couple a drink, but the doctor says that his wife and he do not partake of alcohol. Rohit, however, laces Ira’s orange juice with alcohol. A huge locked wooden chest stands behind the sofa set. When Basuki asks what is in it, Rohit jokes that there is the dead body of Lord Curzon (named after a British Viceroy of India who demeaned Indians in pre-Independence times).
Basuki gets obsessed with the chest when he thinks he hears urgent knocking from within. As the evening proceeds, with pizzas ordered and delivered by an Indian, things get darker and more mysterious. There are revelations galore on the Ira-Basuki front, including their individual backgrounds and more, as well as some insights into the lives of Rohit and Sanya. And things spiral out of control when the four play the game of Truth or Dare along with an outsider.
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli Movie Review: Script Analysis
The script takes a subtle look at not just illegal immigrants but at Indian identities and the value of hardworking Indians in a foreign country. It examines the fetish of a man who looks down on his motherland, adopts (in this case) the UK as his whole-and-soul, wants to be a Briton purer than any British, and yet wants a homely, traditionally Indian wife from (in this case again) Punjab. It also looks at squatters, unintentional criminals, camera recordings, and more.
The script fleshes out nuanced characters. Ira throws surprises not just at her reel husband but also the audience. Dr. Basuki reveals his layers as his own skeletons rapidly tumble out of his closet, unmasking his suppressed inferiority complex. Sanya is on her own trip. The delivery boy returns for a purpose and gets inveigled without choice in the ongoing shenanigans. And then there is a mysterious call from a lady who wants to talk to her husband, Henry, who, she is sure, is present in the house.
The script is fast-paced in its own manner, and the dialogues (considerably in English) is perfectly lifelike. However, the happenings do get a shade uncongenial and even inexplicable for the context of the storyline, especially in the first half. Revealing them here would be spoilers, so let them be!
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli Movie Review: Star Performance
Rasika Dugal, with her innocent smiles and instant chameleonic swings, is—in one word—marvelous. Nothing else describes her fantastic portrayal of the lovelorn housewife. Paresh Pahuja gets to sink his teeth into a complex character who speaks only when needed but often reacts violently. He uses his face and eyes impeccably in playing the stuck-up medico.
Zoha Rahman’s role has the least depth, but she is subtly impactful as Sanya. As the delivery boy, Tanmay Dhanania has to rely on his eyes and tone to convey what his character needs to, and he does it very well.
Trending
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli Movie Review: Direction, Music
Anshuman Jha, who starred in the critically acclaimed Lakadbaggha, gets into a different zone here, but maintains his motive of social commentary done through storytelling rather than in-your-face homilies. But I wish his attempt had been more conventionally appealing and less niche. Though intense in its ambition, the film ultimately becomes an esoteric experience for the normal (especially in these days of high ticket-pricing) filmgoer who seeks entertainment, which does not mean masala alone.
The music is used sparingly, with even Beethoven’s compositions coming in, and I did not notice the background score, which means it was excellently done!
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli Movie Review: The Last Word
A festival film cannot aspire to commercial recognition. Exceptions prove this rule. And Lord Curzon Ki Haveli follows the rules. It is definitely a decent film, but barely audience-friendly.
Three stars!
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli Trailer
Lord Curzon Ki Haveli released on October 10th, 2025.
Share with us your experience of watching Lord Curzon Ki Haveli.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Google News
