Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery rests on a very amusing plot and it’s shocking to know that it’s inspired by a true incident. The characters are quirky and one expects the film to be another Peepli [LIVE]. Some of the scenes are well written and executed and the director also makes a solid comment on certain ills in society. However, in the second half, a different track takes centre stage while the principal track of the missing jackfruit gets sidelined completely. The suspense is not convincing; it is sudden and random. Speaking of performances, Sanya Malhotra puts her best foot forward. Anantvijay Joshi (Saurabh Dwivedi) is quite likeable. Vijay Raaz is too good and one wishes he had more to do in the film. Rajpal Yadav is adorable as always. Govind Pandey (Constable Mishra), Neha Saraf (Kunti Parihar), Gurpal Singh (SP Angrez Singh Randhawa) and Satish Sharma (DSP Narendra Sharma) are fine in supporting roles. Apoorva Chaturvedi (Amiya) leaves a mark and is a great find. Apratim Mishra (Rinku Panwadi), Brijendra Kala (Srivastav) and Raghubir Yadav (Gulab Seth) are good in cameos. All in all, Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery is a good attempt but fails to make the desired impact.

My rating - ** out of 5!