Sriram Raghavan's dark thriller Ek Hasina Thi has all the ingredients of a winner.

Outstanding acting by Urmila Matondkar, who I consider to be the best actress in Bollywood. Good supporting acting by veteran actor Saif Ali Khan and veteran actress Seema Biswas.

Karan Singh Rathod (Saif Ali Khan) who secretly works in the for the underworld, strikes up an acquaintance with Sarika Vartak (Urmila Matondkar) which inventually leads to a romance between them.

One day Karan who is away on business tells Sarika that some friend of his would be staying a while at her flat. The Karans friend arrives, Sarika welcomes him. He leaves but leaves a suitcase behind. The next day, on news Sarika finds out that Karan's friend was a notorious gangster who was gunned down by the police in a fatal encounter.

The suitcase that he left to Sarika now becomes a big problem. Sarika decides to dispose the suitcase discreetly but is apprehended by the police at her doorstep with the suitcase in her hand.

The cold and unfeeling ACP Malti Vaidya (Seema Biswas) interrogates Sarika ruthlessly in to confessing.

Sarika lands for the first time in prison. Events unfold in the film, which paces on relentlessly, which later come to a terrifying climax towards the end.

Excellent casting, acting, dialogue, score, editing and photography.

This film has scenes of graphic violence and should not meant for younger viewers under 18.