Mistry Web Series Review: Ram Kapoor and Mona Singh Excel in This Heartwarming Indian Crime Drama

Mistry Web Series Review
Credit: Google
When a popular Emmy-winning show such as Monk gets remade in India, hopes rise sky-high. Welcome Mistry Hotstar’s eight-episode crime procedural that substitutes gritty intensity for warmth, humor, and a lead character who’s half-genius, half-hot mess. Supported by Ram Kapoor’s career-high act and Mona Singh’s realistic cop performance, this show is more than your run-of-the-mill detective series.
It’s a character-driven examination of trauma, OCD, and seeking order in chaos – packaged in a desi avatar that is both new and familiar. Located in vibrant city India, Mistry tracks Armaan Mistry (Ram Kapoor), an ex-cop whose life disintegrated after his wife Sushmita’s still-unsolved car-bomb killing. Crushed by bereavement and acute obsessive-compulsive disorder, Armaan’s existence contracts to rituals and germ-obsession. But when his brilliant intellect is required to solve impossible crimes, he’s wheedled back by ACP Sehmat Siddiqui (Mona Singh). The catch? His OCD isn’t a liability – it’s his strength.

Why Ram Kapoor's Armaan Mistry Is a Masterclass in Acting

As Armaan, he gives a performance so subtle, it defies his six-decade-long career. Ditch the boisterous, larger-than-life characters – Kapoor is low-key, vulnerable, and strangely, compelling here. His Armaan stumbles along in a halting shuffle, pats surfaces with shivering fingers, and wages war on invisible bacteria like a warrior. But when he examines a crime scene, his eyes burn with Sherlock-level intensity. The genius is the way Kapoor gets eccentricity to coexist with depth of feeling. In one scene, he’s riotously funny – trying to fit into a child-sized school chair or setting out tea cups with geometric symmetry.
In the second, he’s heartbreaking – gazing at his wife’s photo with tearful silence. His OCD is not ridiculed; it’s humanized. Whether he’s counting paces or seeing a bloodspot in the guise of ketchup, Kapoor makes you cheer for this dysfunctional genius. It’s a part that calls for physical humor and deep sorrow – and he gets it right. Mona Singh as ACP Sehmat: The Steady Hand in Mistry’s Chaos Where Kapoor is the heartbeat of the show, Mona Singh is the backbone.
As ACP Sehmat Siddiqui, she’s the practical, no-nonsense police officer who connects Armaan’s genius with cop-hood bureaucracy. Singh brings her usual warmth and subtle strength to the part, eschewing the “angry female officer” cliche. Sehmat is instead multifaceted – frustrated by Armaan’s behavior yet fiercely loyal to him. Their past (suggested but not explained to death) makes every exchange richer. Singh’s subtlety triumphs in tiny moments: a raised eyebrow as Armaan insists on hand sanitizer during an interrogation, or a relaxed gaze as he solves a case.

Her rapport with Kapoor is effortless, as if two jigsaw pieces falling into place

In the OTT universe populated with yelly policemen, Sehmat’s serene competence is a breath of fresh air. Mona Singh demonstrates why she’s one of India’s most underappreciated talents. The Supporting Cast: Shikha Talsania and Kshitish Date Steal Scenes Mistry lives or dies by its cast. Sharanya, Armaan’s aide, played by Shikha Talsania, is a personal favourite. She’s the emotional centre – a single mother struggling to balance Armaan’s eccentricities, her son’s demands, and a perfect deadpan sense of humour.
Talsania exudes relatable frustration at every turn, from bribing her child with gadgets to eye-rolling over Armaan’s 10th handwash of the hour. Her chemistry with Kapoor is absolute gold – part-therapist, part-sibling, and all heart. Then there’s Kshitish Date as Inspector Bunty – the inept yet lovable cop who brings the laughs without turning into a caricature. Date is perfectly timed, particularly in episodes such as the ill-fated vacation murder, when his freak-out over a missing corpse is both hilarious and charming. Even minor players – such as victims or suspects in cases of the week – feel well fleshed out.

This isn’t just Armaan’s show; it’s a tapestry of personalities that make Mumbai’s crime world feel alive.

The Good: Charm, Wit, and a Refreshing Tone Unlike darker Indian crime thrillers (Sacred Games, Mirzapur), Mistry opts for warmth and wit. Its tone is its biggest win – think Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! meets The Office. The comedy flows naturally from Armaan’s OCD: his disgust at a cluttered desk, or his shoe-alignment ritual before approaching a crime scene. But the show never pokes fun at mental illness. Rather, it points out how Armaan’s rituals make him stand out – noticing an obscured murder weapon because the angle “felt wrong.”
The writing is dazzling with Indian pop-culture references (a great Drishyam joke) and witty dialogue. Standout moments, such as a monsoon-bound locked-room killing, demonstrate creative plotting. Rishab Seth utilizes close shots to heighten Armaan’s view – a loose fiber or an smudged fingerprint is a visual indication. The score, punctuated by tongue-in-cheek sitcom-like riffs, enhances the light-hearted atmosphere. It’s crime-solving as comfort food – suspenseful enough to entice but relaxed enough to wind down with.
The Not-So-Good: Pacing Issues and Unresolved Arcs Mistry’s not perfect. Its greatest failing? The half-baked central plot point – the murder of Armaan’s wife. While on-going weekly cases wrap up tidily, Sushmita’s trajectory is an afterthought. Clues are planted haphazardly (a dodgy phone call, a flashback), but the ending provides none. It’s obviously a Season 2 setup, but audiences may feel short-changed. Tonal changes jar too. A scene finds humor in Armaan’s germaphobia; the next, his nightmarish traumas.
The changeover is not always silky. Production cuts are apparent as well – jarring green-screened car scenes pull attention away from essential dialogues. Moreover, three episodic mysteries concern marital cheating, so patterns start to feel like a repeat. Monk fans may lament the original’s increased stakes and complicated culprits. The Verdict: Should You Watch Mistry?

Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5) Mistry is an endearing, binge-worthy first effort that relies on characters rather than complicated plots. Ram Kapoor’s nuanced performance and Mona Singh’s down-to-earth presence make it worth watching. It’s ideal for audiences who enjoy emotional puzzles rather than gory action. Though the unsolved central mystery and occasional tonal stumbles prevent it from reaching its full potential, the show shines as a soulful crime drama that feels good.

Amidst a packed OTT landscape, Mistry finds a niche with its large heart and larger performances.

Ram Kapoor and Mona Singh elevate it beyond a Monk clone into something uniquely Indian – where chai breaks interrupt interrogations and OCD meets jugaad. Yes, it needs tighter plotting in Season 2 (fingers crossed!), but as a first chapter, it’s a triumph. You’ll laugh at Armaan’s quirks, tear up at his grief, and cheer when he spots the “pattern in the chaos.”
Stream Mistry on Hotstar for a series that shows heroes aren’t perfect – they’re intriguingly human. And with Kapoor and Singh at the helm, this franchise has legs. Just don’t forget the hand sanitizer!
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