By Dr.Priyaankaa Mathur
Having seen the iconic detectives like Byomkesh Bakshi who was street smart, Indian cinema brings to you Mira Rao (Vidya Balan) in Neeyat,who is this unconventional non classic detective, who is shy yet sharp.Rao is like a placid river who is calm outwardly, but has many things going on in her mind.While,she is constantly observing and absorbing everything around her, as she decodes the human behaviour to solve this murder mystery.
A CBI officer, Mira Rao unexpectedly reaches the Billionaire Ashish Kapoor’s (Ram Kapoor), Birthday bash at a lavish highland Scotish castle, on a cold stormy evening. While, she has been deputed to investigate corruption charges against the Indian entrepreneur, who’s decided to surrender to the Indian Government for his financial scandal. Mira eventually ends up investigating Kapoor’s mysterious murder the same evening, followed by a series of deaths. She uses all her skills to uncover devious motives of the suspects, which include his close family and friends.
The film boasts of a massive ensemble cast of talented actors Rahul Bose, Neeraj Kabi, Amrita Puri, Shahana Goswami, Niki Walia, Dipannita Sharma, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Koli and Danesh Razvi, fabulously enacting their characters, while portraying their hidden motives, as suspects of the murder. Untill another character (Shefali Shah) arrives to unravel the climax,who makes a guest appearance in the film.
The film is a visual masterpiece, with its grandeur and exquisite cinematography from the very first scene shot at a Scottish castle atop a lush hill surrounded by the deep blue sea, which is indeed an ideal secluded location to shoot a murder mystery.The sets, attires and scenes shot at locations remind you of the classic era of Agatha Christie’s mystery tales.
Vidya Balan undoubtedly aces in her performance, leaving no stone unturned to play a skilled investigator, re-establishing herself as a versatile actor capable of delivering any role in any genre.Rahul Bose looks deceptive with his expressions,while Ram Kapoor performs well the Billionaire, who’s a party animal, reminds you of Vijay Malaya with his white beard and flashy lifestyle.
Script and Direction by Anu Menon,tricks the audiences in the second half challenging the neeyat of everyone present in the castle,yet fails to create the thrill due to its slow pace, which one expects from a murder mystery.
Rest is for the audience to go and watch the movie in the theatres,which brings to you a feeling of awe and excitement in the beginning, till it turns slightly puzzling, with the turn of events as the mystery unfolds.
FF Ratings: ***
