Hush Hush begins on a note of mystery that keeps our curiosity going for the first few episodes. Then it turns aimlessly in different directions, notes Divya Nair.

If you sign up for an OTT service today, chances are at least one or two of the top five shows are crime fiction.

What inspired Tanuja Chandra to be part of another?

In fact, the talented director hired both Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Jhulka to help her make her OTT debut.

Hush Hushdirected by Tanuja along with Kopal Naithani and Ashish Pandey, is the story of four friends who become involved in a mysterious murder involving one of them.

Zaira (Shahana Goswami), a leading fashion designer, Saiba (Soha Ali Khan), a former journalist with a happy family of a supportive husband and two children, and Dolly (Kritika Kamra), an unhappy daughter-in-law of a corporate magnate, are with Ishi ( Juhi Chawla), a successful public relations professional who is embroiled in a scandal.

At a party, the friends meet Ishi, who is arguing with a man who is also threatening to kill her.

To save her friend, Dolly fires her gun but ends up killing the man whose identity is unknown.

Zaira and Ishi throw the body into a nearby lake.

Ishi then convinces her to go home and promises to take care of everything.

The next day, Ishi is found dead in a closed room.

Although forensics draw a definite story, it is not clear if Ishi was murdered or committed suicide.

Enter Tehlan (Karishma Tanna), a no-nonsense cop who collects the scattered pieces of this puzzle and tries to solve the case.

Among the last people Ishi meets is Meera Yadav (Ayesha Jhulka), her childhood friend who runs a home.

When skeletons tumble out of the closet, the friends are in for a surprise.

It seems the Ishi who knew her have many secrets.

Was she a liar, an enigma, a fighter, or a soft target of a ruthless system of hypocrisy?

As the investigation progresses and the noose tightens around the perpetrators, the plot thickens and presents multiple perspectives on a dark crime.

The seven-episode series begins on a note of mystery that keeps our curiosity going through the first few episodes.

Then it turns aimlessly in different directions.

Instead of creating shock and awe, you get a predictable template.

Nothing extraordinary happens.

The series is further disappointed by the lackluster performances of the leading women, particularly Juhi Chawla, whose mysteries don’t excite you enough to discover the truth behind her death.

While Shahana and Soha have meatier roles to play, their characters lack the depth it takes for you to relate to them.

Unlike in Crime in DelhiIn which you are presented with a realistic portrait of the honest, hard-working police officer, it is surprising to see that Tehlan gets the job done without major hiccups simply because of her “gut feeling” and her trust in her superiors.

Kritika Kamra as Dolly is perhaps the only character I can relate to in any way. They will agree with their natural anger at their in-laws and family members, all of whom convince them to “adjust” and “ignore” the unsuccessful parts of a marriage.

At the end of seven episodes, each lasting over 40 minutes, it’s not clear how the four met or became friends.

Or like Ishi, who grew up in an orphanage, rose through the ranks and became a successful professional.

Juhi Chawla should have picked a better OTT debut as this one is as memorable as the corpse thrown in the pond that nobody really cares about.

Hush Hush Stream on Amazon Prime Video.

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