When cunning meets convenience in a mediocre mashup

Ek Chatur Naar rides in on the coattails of a legendary song from Padosan, and while the remix of that iconic number adds a nostalgic touch, the film itself meanders between psychological drama, dark comedy, and half-hearted social messaging.

- Troy Ribeiro

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Lucknow, Ek Chatur Naar revolves around Mamta Mishra (Divya Khossla), a widowed mother struggling to keep her fragile world from collapsing. Burdened with the care of her young son and an alcoholic mother-in-law (Chayya Kadam), Mamta's life is far from easy. Plagued by an unpaid debt to the menacing Thakur (Yashpal Sharma) and trapped in squalid living conditions, she resorts to an unusual survival tactic by pretending not to reside in her own home. This ruse is designed to dupe Thakur and his gang of goons while she juggles a meagre job at the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation and a side gig with a catering service.