Richa, a bold bank employee, is coerced by Mumbai smuggler Gopi Jaiswal into helping rob her own branch, which draws DCP Gohil into a cat-and-mouse pursuit. The plot thickens when Rasik, a small-town Bollywood fanatic, mistakes Richa for his lookalike schoolteacher wife and schemes to extract money from her. Comedy, suspense and a double-role tangle drive the chase toward its resolution.
Cheel Zadap arrived in September 2019 as a mainstream Gujarati caper, notable more for who it gathered than for what it achieved. Dharmessh Mehta, the man who directed roughly the first five hundred episodes of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, moved to the big screen with a comedy thriller built on mistaken identity and a bank heist. Its headline draw was Sushant Singh, the Bollywood character actor making his Gujarati debut, sharing the screen with veteran Darshan Jariwala and the reliably funny Jimit Trivedi.
The story runs on a familiar engine. Richa, a bold bank employee played by Soniya Shah, is strong-armed by Mumbai smuggler Gopi Jaiswal into helping rob her own branch, which sets DCP Gohil on the trail. The film then doubles down on farce when Rasik, a small-town Bollywood obsessive, mistakes Richa for his schoolteacher wife, her exact lookalike. It is engineered as a roller coaster of suspense and slapstick, shot across Siddhpur and Mumbai in a brisk nineteen days, with playback from Usha Uthup and Aditya Gadhvi.
Reception was modest. The film never drew the major trade reviews its bigger Dhollywood cousins pulled that year, and its IMDb score sits at a middling 5.8, the mark of a picture that entertained its core audience without breaking out. The double-role gimmick and heist framework feel more borrowed than fresh, and the comedy leans on broad, recognisable beats. What holds it together is casting: Jariwala lends gravity, Trivedi handles the laughs, and Singh's presence gave the project a curiosity it might otherwise have lacked. It is a passable weekend watch for Gujarati comedy fans, not a film that rewrote the form.
Verdict
A serviceable Gujarati caper that leans on its cast more than its script, watchable but forgettable.
What works
- Sushant Singh's Gujarati debut adds star curiosity
- Darshan Jariwala brings veteran gravity
- Jimit Trivedi's dependable comic timing
- Brisk, entertainment-first caper pacing
What holds it back
- Double-role and heist plot feel borrowed
- Comedy leans on broad, familiar beats
- No major critical footprint
- Middling word of mouth at IMDb 5.8
Cast & crew
Writers: Vihang Mehta
Music: Piyush Kanojia
Cast: Soniya Shah (Richa / Vidhya Bhramabhatt), Darshan Jariwala (DCP Gohil), Sushant Singh (Gopi Jaiswal), Jimit Trivedi (Rasik Bhramabhatt), Hardik Chauhan (Actor)
Producers: Raju Raisinghani, Dhaval Pandya
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Dharmessh Mehta
More Comedy Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Cheel Zadap worth watching?
A serviceable Gujarati caper that leans on its cast more than its script, watchable but forgettable. Kevu Che rates it 2.5 out of 5.
What is Cheel Zadap about?
Richa, a bold bank employee, is coerced by Mumbai smuggler Gopi Jaiswal into helping rob her own branch, which draws DCP Gohil into a cat-and-mouse pursuit. The plot thickens when Rasik, a small-town Bollywood fanatic, mistakes Richa for his lookalike schoolteacher wife and schemes to extract money from her. Comedy, suspense and a double-role tangle drive the chase toward its resolution.
What is the IMDb rating of Cheel Zadap?
Cheel Zadap (2019) holds an IMDb rating of 5.8 out of 10.