Nakhrewaalii Movie Review: A Familiar Romantic Comedy Made Fun by Its Leads

Nakhrewaalii is a Hindi romantic comedy directed by Rahul Shanklya, starring Ansh Duggal, Pragati Srivastava, Kumud Mishra and Gopal Datt. Released in theatres on October 30, 2026, the film explores modern relationships, gender expectations and the complications of love through an unusual role-reversal storyline.

Produced by Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma, the film combines cross-dressing, mistaken identities and situational humour with a message about respecting women. Although its premise feels familiar and the screenplay struggles with certain inconsistencies, the confident lead performances and entertaining comic moments make it a reasonably enjoyable romantic comedy.

Nakhrewaalii Movie Details

Nakhrewaalii Story Overview

The story follows Sumit Mishra (Ansh Duggal), a young man from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, who believes that women have an easier life than men. After his girlfriend marries someone else, Sumit moves to Delhi to pursue higher studies and enjoy his independence. He rents a room in the house of Batuk (Gopal Datt), where he meets Batuk's daughter Paridhi (Pragati Srivastava).

Their initial interactions develop into attraction, but Sumit's outdated views about women complicate their relationship. Although Sumit enjoys spending time with Paridhi, he judges her for expressing her feelings openly. He also becomes interested in Mihika (Aayushi Verma), a college student whose lifestyle represents a different social environment. When Sumit eventually realises his feelings for Paridhi, her father agrees to consider their marriage only if he secures government job within a month.

Unable to find employment, Sumit disguises himself as a woman named Sumita Mishra, creating a series of misunderstandings and comic situations. The rest of the story follows whether Sumit can maintain his disguise, win Paridhi's trust and reconsider his beliefs about women.

Nakhrewaalii Review: A Familiar Story With Enjoyable Humour

Director Rahul Shanklya builds the film around a familiar romantic-comedy formula involving mistaken identities, relationship confusion and exaggerated situations. The cross-dressing premise immediately brings to mind other Bollywood comedies that have explored similar ideas. However, ‘Nakhrewaalii’ attempts to distinguish itself by connecting the disguise to Sumit's views about gender and relationships.

The first half benefits from lively conversations, amusing situations and humorous exchanges between the characters. Several jokes work because they emerge naturally from Sumit's personality and his increasingly complicated circumstances. The second half continues the comic confusion, although the screenplay occasionally becomes predictable. Despite these shortcomings, the film maintains enough entertaining moments to remain watchable.

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Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava's Performances

Ansh Duggal makes a confident impression as Sumit Mishra. He handles the character's arrogance, romantic confusion and comic situations with enthusiasm. His performance becomes particularly important once Sumit adopts the identity of Sumita. The role requires him to move between two contrasting personalities, and he manages several humorous moments effectively.

Pragati Srivastava brings charm and confidence to Paridhi. Her character is outspoken, independent and unwilling to accept Sumit's narrow understanding of relationships. The chemistry between the two actors helps make their romantic interactions engaging, even when the screenplay relies on familiar conflicts.

Gopal Datt is especially entertaining as Batuk. His dialogue delivery and comic timing provide some of the film's most enjoyable moments. Kumud Mishra adds credibility to his supporting role as a government official, while Akash Makhija brings humour as Sumit's friend Jhaadi. Aayushi Verma also contributes to the romantic complications surrounding the protagonist.

Story and Screenplay

Divy Nidhi Sharma's screenplay attempts to combine lighthearted entertainment with observations about gender inequality and modern relationships. Sumit's belief that women enjoy unfair advantages becomes an important part of the narrative. His experiences while disguised as Sumita are intended to challenge these assumptions. However, the film does not always explore its social commentary with sufficient depth.

Some situations focus more on generating laughter than examining the realities of women's everyday experiences. The romantic conflicts also follow predictable patterns, reducing the emotional impact of certain developments. Nevertheless, the screenplay contains enough humorous exchanges and entertaining situations to prevent the narrative from becoming completely repetitive.

Cross-Dressing Comedy and Gender Role Reversal

The film's central comic device involves Sumit presenting himself as a woman to secure employment and improve his chances of marrying Paridhi. This creates opportunities for mistaken identities, awkward encounters and unexpected complications. The humour works best when Sumit struggles to manage the consequences of his decisions. His transformation also allows the film to question his assumptions about women's lives.

However, the execution sometimes depends on familiar cross-dressing jokes rather than fresh observations. The film's social message is clear, but its treatment remains relatively simple. A more thoughtful exploration of gender expectations could have given the comedy greater originality.

Romance, Chemistry and Emotional Impact

The relationship between Sumit and Paridhi forms the emotional centre of the film. Their contrasting personalities create several amusing disagreements, particularly because Paridhi refuses to accept Sumit's double standards. Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava share a comfortable screen presence, helping the romantic portions remain engaging.

However, the screenplay occasionally struggles to make Sumit's emotional transformation convincing. His change in attitude feels more connected to the demands of the plot than to a carefully developed personal journey. The film works better as a lighthearted romantic entertainer than as a deeply emotional relationship drama.

Music, Direction and Technical Aspects

Rahul Shanklya maintains a playful atmosphere through the film's colourful presentation and energetic comic sequences. The music complements the romantic storyline, with contributions from Vayu, Vaibhav Pani, Sharan Rawat, Gaurav Chatterji and Tanishk Bagchi. The songs support the film's lighter moments without becoming a major distraction.

However, the technical execution has some noticeable weaknesses. Sumit's appearance while disguised as Sumita is not always consistent, particularly when his facial hair changes between closely connected scenes. These continuity errors become distracting because the disguise is essential to the central storyline. The film's 129-minute runtime is manageable, although tighter editing could have improved the pacing of certain sequences.

What Are the Weak Points?

• Familiar cross-dressing premise
• Predictable romantic conflicts
• Noticeable continuity errors
• Simplistic social commentary

Is Nakhrewaalii Worth Watching?

Watch it if you:

• Enjoy lighthearted Bollywood romantic comedies.
• Like mistaken-identity and cross-dressing humour.
• Appreciate fresh lead actors and entertaining supporting performances.
• Prefer uncomplicated films with romance and comedy.

Skip it if you:

• Expect an entirely original romantic storyline.
• Prefer subtle and meaningful social commentary.
• Dislike predictable relationship conflicts.
• Want technically polished storytelling without continuity errors.

Final Verdict

‘Nakhrewaalii’ is a familiar but entertaining romantic comedy that benefits from its energetic performances and humorous situations. Rahul Shanklya's direction keeps the mood light, while Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava bring freshness to the central relationship. Gopal Datt's comic timing and the supporting cast's contributions add to the entertainment. Although the screenplay relies on established cross-dressing conventions, it manages to create enough amusing moments to maintain interest.

The film's attempts to address gender expectations are relevant, but the writing rarely explores these ideas beyond familiar observations. Noticeable continuity errors and predictable romantic developments also weaken the overall experience. Despite its limitations, ‘Nakhrewaalii’ remains a pleasant choice for viewers looking for a casual romantic comedy with a likeable cast and a fair share of laughs.

Rating: 3/5

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