“The masala tadka in the Hindi adaptation was painful!”

The psychological thriller market has been captured by female authors. From Gillian Flynn (Gon e Girl) to Paula Hawkins writing about murderous good girls, the suspenseful crime novels all read as if they have been crafted especially for the New York Times best-seller list, and subsequently, screen adaptation. I rank the book higher for its revolving narrative, which switches between Rachel, Anna, and Megan.

In the 2016 English adaptation, the women stole the show. But they omitted a key detail about Megan’s past and didn’t even mention Libby.

Fifteen minutes into the Hindi version and I was convinced I was watching the wrong movie and wondering if they were trying to make a different movie. Everything they didn’t lift was forgettable and cringe.

I’m all for creative liberties but the unnecessary twists and forced masala tadka was painful. What suffers most is the characterisation, which should have been its trump card. Parineeti Chopra and Aditi Rao Hydari play two-dimensional characters. They are avatars of the archetypal Indian woman who can do no wrong but can only be wronged.

The gaping hole is where the movie’s heart ought to have been: The women share no common ground. There’s no introspection, reflection or depth. Which is why Parineeti’s narration sounds like your car GPS on a route you’ve taken a 100 times.

Somdutta Sarkar, 31, is a communications specialist in New Delhi, who once spent a year travelling between London and Leeds by train

“WHAT THE MAKERS DIDN’T LIFT FROM THE BOOK WAS FORGETTABLE AND CRINGE” —SOMDUTTA SARKAR

Both films are adaptations of Paula Hawkins’ book