Vidya Balan’s Neeyat is a decently entertaining whodunnit, strongly reminiscent of Knives Out 2. Vidya returns back to the big screen with a solid mystery role!
Read Full Neeyat Movie Review:
Rating: 3/5
Director: Anu Menon
Cast: Vidya Balan, Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Dipannita Sharma, Shashank Arora, Shahana Goswami, Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, Prajakta Koli, Niki Aneja Walia and Danesh Razvi
Runtime: 2h 14m
Storyline:
The story of Neeyat revolves around one fateful night… business tycoon Ashish Kapoor (Ram) has absconded to Scotland after committing massive financial fraud worth 2000 crores.
Ashish hosts his birthday party with close friends and family – and it sure is an eclectic mix. There’s the smartass employee Tanveer (Danesh) who seems to be up to no good. In attendance is also Ashish’s gay brother-in-law Jimmy (Rahul), his ex-flame Noor (Dipannita) and her husband Sanjay (Neeraj), and his current girlfriend Lisa (Shahana).
Ashish’s bratty son Ryan (Shashank) arrives, all coked up, tagging along his girlfriend Gigi (Prajakta) who appears to be on familiar terms with the shady Tanveer. Ashish’s tarot-card reading close friend Zara (Niki) seems to sense that something ominous is in the air. Meanwhile, Kay (Amrita) – Ashish’s loyal and efficient, executive assistant is doing her best to ensure there are no hiccups at the party.
Once everyone gathers around, Ashish confesses to the room about his intention to surrender to the authorities. CBI officer Mira Rao (Vidya) has been sent from India for the extradition of Kapoor, who welcomes her into the party as a special guest.
As the day progresses, it seems Ashish has inexplicably committed suicide but Mira Rao isn’t buying that – she believes it’s a case of murder. Everyone in the room has the motive to murder him – will Mira be able to nail the right suspect before morning comes?
Watch Neeyat to unravel the mystery of this whodunnit!
What Do We Think:
Neeyat marks Vidya Balan’s return to the big screen after 4 years. It is strongly reminiscent of the 2nd Knives Out film – Glass Onion.
This Anu Menon directorial is a decently engaging mystery thriller. It feels a tad bit convenient and contrived in some places and would have benefited from a crisper screenplay. Nevertheless, there are a few quite credibly thrilling moments – especially in the forest and cliff scenes. And the climax is very satisfying (with an exciting cameo at the end!)
The musical track Farebi is beautiful and perfectly complements the mood of the film. The haunting cliffs, forests and caves of Scotland are well-utilized in elevating the thrilling moments of Neeyat in the 2nd half.
Talking about the performances, Vidya is stellar as always and plays Mira Rao well. Don’t think the stoicism of her character is monotonous …. because it has a concrete, narrative purpose. Ram Kapoor nails the role of the idiot tycoon Ashish Kapoor. From the suspects’ list – Rahul Bose as the gay, broke brother-in-law stands out and also provides some chuckle-worthy moments.
Dipannita Sharma, Niki Aneja Walia, Shahana Goswami, Prajakta Koli, Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, and Shashank Arora ace their parts too. Danesh Razvi is a pleasant surprise and deserved more screentime.
Hit Or Miss:
Decently entertaining for a one-time watch. You’ll like this one if you’re a Glass Onion: A Knives Out fan. Catch it in the theatres near you –
