There’s a shot in actor-auteur Rajat Kapoor’s latest film, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa (ELSH; Zee5), where a character drops a 6 of spades from a deck of cards on the table, which implies he’s lost—only to then flip that no. to 9. Meaning, hence, that “your 6 can be my 9”. That expression became popular, courtesy a Galgotia University employee at the 2026 AI Summit in Delhi—over how she was possibly misunderstood on TV, attributing an imported Chinese robotic dog as having been developed by her university’s ‘centre of excellence’ instead! I bring this up w/ Rajat, who laughs, “Oh, yes, your 6, my 9; should’ve used it in the [film’s] promo, damn!” If I’m not mistaken, the phrase comes from a scene in an Amitabh Bachchan picture, Aakhree Raasta (1986). With ELSH, it applies equally to a group of buddies from varied professions, partying together—entrepreneurs, news anchor, philosophy professor, et al—who don’t quite seem as they are. It’s a matter of interpretation. As w/ Sohrab Handa himself (Vinay Pathak)—a brashly unfiltered, aggressive North Indian brat. But as the psychologist (Rajat) at that party analyses, “He’s not a bully… There’s a soft, vulnerable side to him.” The film opens w/ Sohrab found murdered in the living room, after the group had wound up for the night, post a day-long wedding anniversary celebration, at a secluded heritage property. There are a dozen & half people. None left the bungalow. No one entered either. The killer’s among them. ELSH is a whodunnit. Which is a much-loved OTT genre. I suppose, because murder mysteries seamlessly feed into the addictive urge of the brain to figure from any story: what happens next! You carry on predicting; switching b/w multiple suspects, motives, alibis… Since the plot’s the only point for the bed rot—the conclusion could underwhelm you. That’s before you press play, to another, similarly low-key murder mystery, for a movie/series, & dose off. ELSH is far more character-driven, that way. And the reason I was drawn to the film beyond its product category. What else? Column link in bio.
