Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Crisscross (2018) movie poster

Plot Summary

Crisscross (2018) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 116 mins · Bengali, Bangla
Directed by
Birsa Dasgupta
Starring
Mithu Chakrabarty, Dolon Roy, Nusrat Jahan, Phalguni Chatterjee, Jaya Ahsan, Priyanka Sarkar

Five women and the men they encounter find their lives dramatically altered by unexpected and devastating events in Kolkata. Each character’s story unfolds separately, revealing contrasting behaviors and choices as they navigate a challenging world where consequences are ever-present. The interwoven narratives explore themes of karma, personal reflection, and the complexities of human relationships in a city undergoing significant change.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Crisscross (2018)

Where can you watch Crisscross? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Crisscross: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Crisscross (2018) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Suzy is a freelance graphic designer who can’t seem to land steady work, and when she does, payment is rarely on time. As a single mother, she fights to put food on the table and ensure her son gets a good education, all while wolves and vultures circle her day and night, testing her resilience at every turn.

Meher is an aspiring actress taking small roles and auditioning for better parts, often facing humiliation in the process. She also carries the heavy responsibilities of a widowed mother and a sickly brother, with money that never seems to arrive when she needs it most, forcing her to juggle dreams with survival.

Miss Sen stands as a successful, independent businesswoman whose ruthless ambition fuels her career—but it also strains her personal life. She has separated from her husband and daughter, and as her business faces a storm, a sequence of wrong moves culminates in a shocking revelation that explains the eerie downturn in her world.

Rupa is a timid middle-class housewife living under the weight of constant abuse from her in-laws. Her mother-in-law’s blame over infertility, her husband’s frequent bickering, and the unwanted advances of a troublesome brother-in-law create a hard, isolating reality. Everything shifts when she learns she has a terminal disease, forcing a reevaluation of her life and future.

Ira is a successful and independent photojournalist who must navigate the pressures of a demanding career while maintaining a caring but priority-heavy relationship with her boyfriend, who wants to marry her, adding urgency and tension to her choices.

The five women’ stories run crisscross through the tapestry of Kolkata, intersecting in ways that ripple across each other’s lives, reshaping what they endure and what they dare to dream.

Last updated: February 18, 2026 at 23:43

Was this helpful?

Plot questions answered

Crisscross Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Crisscross (2018): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

What is the revelation about Miss Sen in Crisscross?

Miss Sen's shocking revelation involves her past business decisions that led to the downturn in her empire. Her ruthless ambition in building her business came at a significant personal cost, and the truth emerges to explain why her professional world began collapsing. This revelation reframes her choices and affects how her colleagues perceive both her crisis and her past actions.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Miss Sen's single-minded pursuit of success even as her personal life crumbled, hinting at the sacrifices she made.

  • miss sen revelation
  • business crisis
  • secret past
Q2

How does Rupa's terminal diagnosis change her decisions?

Learning she has a terminal disease forces Rupa to reassess her entire life. Previously trapped in an abusive household with her in-laws blaming her for infertility, the diagnosis gives her courage to consider drastic steps to protect herself. She contemplates whether to tell her husband and family, and begins to stand up to years of mistreatment she previously endured in silence.

Foreshadowing: Rupa's constant endurance of abuse and her isolation from family support setup her need for a breaking point.

  • rupa terminal disease
  • abuse husband
  • diagnosis change
Q3

How do the five women's stories connect in Crisscross?

The five women, Suzy, Meher, Miss Sen, Rupa, and Ira, lead separate lives in Kolkata but their fates intertwine through a city-wide crisis that brings them to a shared location. This convergence allows them to witness each other's struggles and offer solidarity. Miss Sen's revelation about her past ripples through all their lives, causing each woman to reevaluate her own choices and sacrifices.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that their lives run 'crisscross' through Kolkata, with subtle parallels in their struggles.

  • five women intersection
  • kolkata crisis
  • interwoven stories
Q4

Why does Suzy struggle financially in Crisscross?

Suzy cannot land steady work as a freelance graphic designer, and when she does get assignments, payment rarely arrives on time. As a single mother, she must provide for her son while evading her drug-addicted ex-husband who continues to threaten their stability. The combination of unreliable income and constant personal threats creates her precarious situation.

Foreshadowing: The opening sequence establishes Suzy's fragile daily rhythm and the dangers circling her.

  • suzy single mother
  • financial struggles
  • ex-husband
Q5

Why does Ira refuse marriage in Crisscross?

Ira's boyfriend pressures her to marry him, wanting her to commit to a conventional partnership. However, Ira chooses to assert her independence, questioning whether the life she has built, her demanding career as a photojournalist, can accommodate another person's timeline. She prioritizes her professional autonomy over the security of marriage.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, Ira juggles her high-stakes career with the expectations placed on her personal life.

  • ira marriage refusal
  • photojournalist career
  • independence
Q6

What happens to Meher's acting career in Crisscross?

Meher gets noticed by a talent scout who offers her a larger role that could transform her prospects as an aspiring actress. However, the audition process remains fraught with humiliation and uncertainty, forcing her to weigh chasing her dream against the immediate financial needs of her widowed mother and sickly brother.

Foreshadowing: Meher's daily grind through auditions and bit roles establishes her persistent pursuit of a break.

  • meher actress
  • talent scout
  • breakthrough role
Q7

What causes Miss Sen's business crisis in Crisscross?

Miss Sen faces a market-wide storm threatening her business empire, but the root cause stems from her past decisions. Her ruthless ambition in building her company created vulnerabilities that the market downturn exposes. The shocking revelation about her past explains why her professional world begins collapsing and forces confrontation with the cost of her success.

Foreshadowing: Miss Sen's fractured personal life and single-minded business focus hint at underlying issues.

  • miss sen business
  • market storm
  • company collapse
Q8

Does Rupa leave her abusive husband in Crisscross?

After learning she has a terminal disease, Rupa gains the courage to consider drastic steps to protect herself from further harm. The diagnosis forces her to reevaluate her life and future, contemplating whether to tell her husband and family about her condition while standing up to years of abuse from her in-laws and husband.

Foreshadowing: Rupa's constant endurance of blame for infertility and cruelty from her mother-in-law builds toward her breaking point.

  • rupa abuse husband
  • leave abusive relationship
  • terminal illness courage
Q9

What brings all five women together in Crisscross?

A city-wide crisis forces all five women into a shared space in Kolkata, causing their separate paths to intersect. In this moment of convergence, they witness each other's struggles and offer small acts of solidarity. This crisis becomes the catalyst that reveals how entwined their fates truly are.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Kolkata as a backdrop where all their stories unfold in parallel.

  • city crisis kolkata
  • all women meet
  • solidarity

Movie threads

More Movies Like Crisscross, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Crisscross tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Interwoven City Dramas like Crisscross

Multiple characters navigate separate but connected struggles in a challenging urban landscape. For viewers who appreciated the interconnected narratives of Crisscross, this list features other movies where disparate lives collide in a single city. Explore similar dramas that capture the tapestry of urban life, personal hardship, and the hidden connections that bind us.

  • interconnected
  • gritty
  • urban
  • somber
  • reflective
  • anxious
  • Tone: melancholic, gritty, reflective
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These films typically follow several distinct character arcs that run parallel, slowly revealing points of connection and shared themes. The structure emphasizes how individual choices and hardships ripple through a community, creating a mosaic of human experience rather than a single linear plot.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared narrative architecture of multiple intersecting storylines, their focus on urban realism, and their exploration of how personal dramas are shaped by the city itself.

Emotionally Heavy Dramas like Crisscross

Stories where characters endure a series of devastating challenges and profound struggles. If you were moved by the heavy emotional burden and serious themes in Crisscross, this list compiles similarly impactful dramas. Discover movies that explore difficult subjects like abuse, illness, and financial despair with raw honesty and profound emotional weight.

  • somber
  • desperate
  • oppressive
  • gritty
  • anxious
  • heavy
  • Tone: somber, desperate, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey is defined by a succession of severe challenges faced by the protagonists, testing their spirit and resilience. The plot is less about a clear resolution and more about documenting the profound emotional and psychological impact of enduring relentless hardship.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their serious subject matter, their high emotional intensity, and their aim to provide a sobering, thought-provoking look at the darker aspects of the human experience without offering easy solutions.

Every angle

Crisscross (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Crisscross in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app