Cast: Madhu Shalini, Sneha Ullal, Tony Luke, Ali Raza

Director: Marthand K Shankar

Rating: ***

ZEE5's Expiry Date is the new mind boggler that has released today in Hindi and will be premiering on Zee5 in Telegu on October 9. Produced by Shattath Marar for Northstar Entertainment Private Limited, the series is a magnum opus with a spine chilling conundrum.

All the 10 episodes of this series will help the onlookers to understand each psyche and keeps them glued to the edge of their seats as they explore each layer. The series scripts about a young couple, apparently in love and married, and how the incidents unfold between them revealing a dark truth.

Love turns to vengeance as Vishwa (Tony Luke) who is in love with his wife Disha (Sneha Ullal) ends up killing her when he finds out that She has been cheating on him with Sunny (Ali Reza), a gym instructor. Vishwa then lodges a missing complaint with his sister-in-law Nisha after burying off Disha's dead body at his farmhouse property.

Everything is not what it seems, and as the case undergoes a series of twists and turns. He finds out eventually that Sunny has also been killed on the same day as Disha, and Sunny's wife Sunitha (Madhu Shalini) also claims she knows nothing like Vishwa. The duo then collaborates to make the cops believe that Sunny and Disha have eloped and are 'missing'. However, they soon realize that there is a third person who knows their dark secrets and wants to get back at the duo.

Expiry date is a unique concept that revolves around the emotions of love, stakes, treachery, and virulence. It is a murder mystery, that has a lot more to offer than just a topsy turvy climax of searching the murderer.

Expiry Date is a series with an ensemble of commendable actors who have played their parts with exemplary tactics and finesse. Tony Luke who plays the character of Vishwa brilliantly makes the audience connect to him and accept his character believingly, similarly, Disha played by Sneha Ullal has an equally strong screen presence.

Madhu Shalini also convinces us to sympathize with her character as a girl next door, an innocent woman, caught in the turmoil of situations, and is a victim of a cheating husband. Ali also conveniently manages to make the audience hate Sunny as a villain with his performance.

This thriller-drama series is a work of a past master, with intense shots, well-molded lithography and characters, and their meandering complex singularities, all so well directed by Marthand K Shankar. Apart from the beautiful direction the series also has a good transitional screenplay and just the perfect thrill supported by great background music.

Overall, Expiry Date is an electrifying temperament which keeps the audience gripped from beginning till the end as they watch each episode unfold a new twist or what more it must reveal about a certain persona or its personality.