Modern Love Mumbai Cutting Chai is the sixth and final episode of the Prime Video anthology, directed by Nupur Asthana. Chitrangada Singh plays Latika, a writer stuck in marriage and motherhood, and Arshad Warsi plays her husband Danny. It is a quiet, realistic story about choosing the life you have, and it is worth watching.
Modern Love: Mumbai premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 13 May 2022 with six episodes by six directors. It is the Indian take on the American anthology based on the New York Times column of the same name. Cutting Chai closes the season on a softer note than most episodes before it.
Cutting Chai: quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Show | Modern Love: Mumbai |
| Episode | 6, Cutting Chai |
| Director | Nupur Asthana |
| Cast | Chitrangada Singh, Arshad Warsi, Flora Jacob |
| Release date | 13 May 2022 |
| Where to watch | Amazon Prime Video |
What Cutting Chai is about
Latika is in her 40s. She wanted to be a novelist, but years of raising children and running the house have left her book unfinished. Her husband Danny is warm and funny but always late, and he leaves most of the housework to her.
Also readModern Love Mumbai Episode 3 Mumbai Dragon: Recap and Review
Over one eventful day, Latika looks back at her marriage and imagines other versions of her life. What if her life had taken a different path? Should she end the marriage or accept what she has? The episode moves between her memories, her “what if” fantasies and the present.
The title refers to the small half-glass of tea served at Mumbai’s roadside stalls. Like the drink, the story is simple and everyday, and the city’s streets and chai stalls are part of its charm.
Modern Love Mumbai Cutting Chai review
The writing is plain and grounded. There are no big twists, and that is the point. Latika slowly realises that Danny, for all his lateness, has always come back to her. Love here is not about never making mistakes. It is about room for compromise and understanding.
The resolution is gentle. Latika does not get a grand apology, and Danny does not change overnight. He shows his love through small actions, and she chooses to forgive. Some viewers will find this too neat, and the symbolism around the chai can feel lukewarm. But it fits the tone of the episode.
Performances
Chitrangada Singh carries the episode. She plays Latika’s frustration without turning it into a speech, and her small reactions say more than the dialogue. It is one of her best screen performances in years.
Arshad Warsi is natural and easy as Danny. He makes a careless husband likeable without excusing him. The two have an easy chemistry that makes the long marriage believable.
Direction and look
Nupur Asthana keeps the pace steady and lets the actors do the work. Mumbai looks lovely throughout, almost like a travel reel, which some may find too polished. The episode also links back to the other stories in a clever way without any big crossover scene.
Verdict
Cutting Chai is not the strongest episode of Modern Love: Mumbai, but it is a satisfying end. It works best for viewers who like slow, adult relationship stories. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Who should watch it
Cutting Chai will connect most with viewers who have been married for a while, or who have put a personal dream on hold for family. It is also a good entry point for anyone new to the anthology, since each episode stands alone and this one is easy to follow. The runtime is under an hour, so it makes for a short, pleasant watch.
If you prefer sharper drama, try Baai or Raat Rani first. Watch Cutting Chai last, as intended, because its final moments tie the season’s stories together in a small but satisfying way.
All Modern Love Mumbai episodes
- Raat Rani, directed by Shonali Bose, with Fatima Sana Shaikh
- Baai, directed by Hansal Mehta, with Pratik Gandhi and Tanuja
- Mumbai Dragon, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, with Meiyang Chang
- My Beautiful Wrinkles, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, with Sarika
- I Love Thane, directed by Dhruv Sehgal, with Masaba Gupta and Ritwik Bhowmik
- Cutting Chai, directed by Nupur Asthana, with Chitrangada Singh and Arshad Warsi
Critics were mostly kind to the anthology. The Times of India and Pinkvilla gave it four stars, while NDTV and The Quint gave it three and a half. For more reviews, visit our reviews section.
What came after Modern Love Mumbai
Prime Video followed the Mumbai edition with Modern Love Hyderabad, a Telugu anthology released on 8 July 2022, and Modern Love Chennai, a Tamil anthology released on 18 May 2023, with Thiagarajan Kumararaja as creative producer. All three Indian editions stream on Prime Video. Find more shows in our series section.
Frequently asked questions
Who directed Cutting Chai in Modern Love Mumbai?
Nupur Asthana directed Cutting Chai, the sixth and final episode of Modern Love: Mumbai.
Who plays Latika in Cutting Chai?
Chitrangada Singh plays Latika, an aspiring novelist. Arshad Warsi plays her husband, Daniel, called Danny.
Where can I watch Modern Love Mumbai?
All six episodes of Modern Love: Mumbai stream on Amazon Prime Video in India.
Is Modern Love Mumbai based on a true story?
The anthology is adapted from the Modern Love column in The New York Times, which publishes real personal essays about love. The Mumbai episodes adapt those ideas to Indian settings.
Sources: Wikipedia: Modern Love Mumbai, Wikipedia: Modern Love Chennai, Wikipedia: Modern Love Hyderabad.
