Infidelity, in its cruel inevitability, has a way of exposing itself—no matter how well-concealed, it emerges in the long run, sometimes even casting a shadow over the triumph of a half-century-long union. But every successful connection that lasts an eternity requires endless forgiveness and demands a surrender of one’s ego. I read somewhere that the highest form of love is always consideration; love reveals itself not in grand declarations, but in the subtle ways our actions honour another’s being. Infidelity hurts the most; therefore, it cleaves the soul. Betrayal leaves deepest scars. In Jab Khuli Kitaab, Anusuya (Dimple Kapadia), whose death remains imminent, wakes up from a coma—as she wakes up to life, her instinct is to first confess her infidelity to her husband Gopal (Pankaj Kapur). Where she admits she was unfaithful towards him, early in their marriage, when their marriage was just 4 months old. Anusuya got entangled with Gopal’s colleague, who was also a poet.
Gopal’s immediate reaction to it was anguish. While both stand at the mature end of their union, the wound feels raw and immediate to Gopal—he seeks a divorce. And then what Gopal does, while Anusuya is still on her deathbed, is what becomes a sensational witness. As Anusuya pleads desperately for forgiveness, her breath falters, and she proclaims her approaching death. Consumed by pain and anger, Gopal’s emotions boil over—his agitation leads, perhaps unintentionally, to the removal of her oxygen supply. In that fraught moment, Anusuya experiences a jolt—a literal shock that paradoxically rekindles her vitality, offering an unexpected revival. Time, it seems, grants them a reprieve—a second chance at life, and perhaps at love, suspended between remorse and renewal. Your ears start to ring with hope—the story then unfolds into innumerable sagas that carry their own tunes, with humour that builds on Gopal’s rigid decision to get the divorce done, with the help of a young lawyer (Aparshakti Khurana). Hilarity jumps in when the young lawyer starts to draft the papers, calling Anusuya a ‘charitraheen.’ Gopal, still upset over Anusuya’s brief affair, is nonetheless outraged by the lawyer’s choice of words. —Well, that’s where you understand the crux of their delicious, love-filled union and re-union that is foreseen.
The unexpected decision by the parents throws their adult children—Parmesh (Samir Soni), Sujata (Devyani Ratanpal), and their special-needs brother Dholu (Abuli Mamaji)—into turmoil. Having come together believing they were about to say their final goodbyes, the siblings are instead forced to confront new realities, upending their expectations and stirring deep emotional responses within the family.
The setting envelops the narrative in its finest armour. Set against the serene backdrop of Ranikhet, Uttarakhand, you can almost feel the cool mountain breeze—much like their marriage, tinged with melancholy, yet illuminated by moments of shine, forgiveness and the meaningful silences it so desperately needed. While a past mistake does overshadow their five decades of union, it also shows us the path of rediscovery —of love—while life gives you a second chance.
Streaming on ZEE5, Jab Khuli Kitaab is directed and written by Saurabh Shukla, produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Shoestrap Films.
IWMBuzz rates it 4/5 stars.
