Mrs. (2025) – A Hindi Drama Film Directed by Aarti Kadav.

Kanwaljit Singh, Sanya Malhotra, and Nishant Dahiya appear in Aarti Kadav’s 2025 Hindi-language play “Mrs.” The movie centers on a talented dancer and dance instructor who struggles in her marriage. She tries to follow her own path, find her voice, and express herself freely in spite of the unnecessary and patriarchal expectations society lays on her married life.
For her role in mrs., Sanya Malhotra took up the 2024 New York Indian Film Festival’s Best Actress prize. The Great Indian Kitchen, a 2021 Malayalam drama film, has a formal Hindi adaptation as Mrs.

Film Festival Success.
Several international film festivals have given the picture favorable reviews. It debuted at the 2023 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival after a teaser was made public in November 2023. Mrs. was chosen as the closing picture at the 2024 New York Indian picture Festival, where Aarti Kadav was nominated for Best Director. The Asian premiere took place at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on November 22, 2024. It was also screened at the 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in 2024. The film was officially released on the ZEE5 over-the-top platform on February 7, 2025.

Plot Summary.
Richa, played by Sanya Malhotra, is a young, ambitious woman who resides in Pune with her husband, Raghav. Their seemingly safe lives take a tragic turn when Raghav dies in a horrible accident. Devastated yet determined, Richa finds herself at a crossroads as her family and society expect her to follow the traditional path of widowhood.

As she works through her grief, Richa starts to consider her responsibilities as a wife and the limitations society placed on her as a woman. With the help of her independent-minded friend Neha, she gradually regains her independence and starts making choices that go against conventional norms.
She rekindles her passions that she had put aside after marriage, travels alone for the first time, and pursues her job goals.
However, her in-laws and even her own family oppose her metamorphosis since they want her to follow widowhood customs. Richa must choose between following her own goals and fitting in with society’s expectations as she fights for autonomy.
Richa makes a daring choice at the end of the movie that symbolizes her full transition from a reliant wife to an independent person. She embarks on a future she designs for herself, letting go of the limitations of her past.

Cast.
Sanya Malhotra portrays Richa Sharma, while Nishant Dahiya plays Diwakar Kumar.
Kanwaljit Singh portrays Ashwin Kumar, Diwakar’s father.
Aparna Ghoshal portrays Diwakar’s mother, Meena Kumar.
Nitya Moyal portrays Vedprakash Varun, who is portrayed by Viraj Mundkar as Saavi. Lovleen Mishra plays Diwakar’s aunt, Tunnu Bhaiya, who is portrayed by Badola Nirjala.
Played by Harshika Kewalramani, Bubbles
Mrinal Kulkarni, Richa’s mother
Saavi’s mother is Gulsita, and Girish Dhamija is Richa’s father.
Aryan Arora portrays Richa’s brother.

Soundtrack.
Sagar Desai and Faizan Hussain scored the music for the movie, while Neeraj Pandey, Arun Kumar, and Pallavi Bharadwaj Hussain wrote the lyrics. On January 28, 2025, the official soundtrack was released by Zee Music Company.
“Rukte-Rukte Chali Re” is the first duration on the tracklist #Title Music Lyrics Artist(s).Neeraj Pandey, Sagar Desai, and Suraj Jagan3:37 2 “Humsafar” Arun Kumar and Pallavi Bharadwaj Faizan Hussain Hussain Gopal Vidya2:29
3 “Baar Baar” Neeraj Pandey, Sagar Desai, and Palak Muchhal3:12–4. “Majbooriyaan” by Arun Kumar with Reha Faizan Hussain2:57 Time Spent Overall: 12:15

Critical Reception.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics:
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the movie a 3/5, saying, “Director Aarti Kadav skillfully manages the film’s resources, and Sanya Malhotra delivers a powerful performance.”
“Mrs. effectively arouses anger for all the right reasons—without resorting to over-the-top drama,” Sukanya Verma said with a rating of four out of five on Rediff.com. Couples should definitely watch.
Bollywood Hungama gave it a three-star rating, calling it “a faithful remake with yet another memorable performance from Sanya Malhotra.” Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in commented, “Mrs. highlights the reality behind the glorification of the ‘ideal housewife’—who is often reduced to little more than an unpaid maid.”
With a rating of 3.5 out of 5, Sana Farzeen of India Today described it as “an important watch because it is an unsettling reflection of a reality that many women endure in silence.” It provides a striking portrayal of systemic misogyny, although lacking some of the reality of The Great Indian Kitchen.
The film follows the plot of the original so closely that viewers who haven’t seen The Great Indian Kitchen before might foresee how each situation would turn out, according to critics. However, the film’s overall execution makes it an engaging feature.

Final Thoughts.
The provocative movie “Mrs.” questions social mores and illuminates the hardships faced by women who dare to go against the grain. For those who value compelling narratives with a social message, the film is a must-see thanks to Sanya Malhotra’s outstanding performance and Aarti Kadav’s subtle direction.