The trailer for the murder mystery ‘Niyat’ starring Vidya Balan as a detective was released on Thursday. Directed by Anu Menon, this classic crime syndicate looks straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. And in recent memory, it reminds me of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” (2019). (Read also: First Look at Niyat: Vidya Balan Plays Detective in First Theatrical Release in Four Years)
A rich man invites his whole family to his birthday dinner in an old, isolated mansion. By the end of the night, however, he is found dead. Detectives investigating the case claim it was a murder, not a suicide. She discovers that her entire family are suspects with good motives. But who is the real killer?
Knives Out, so much?
It replaces Daniel Craig with Vidya Balan, the late Christopher Plummer with Ram Kapoor, and the Knives Out ensemble with the rest of the cast. There are also latecomers like Chris Evans in Knives Out. At least in the trailer, the only person missing a key character from Knives Out is the janitor, played by Ana de Armas. And unlike “Knives Out,” the patriarch is said to have been thrown off a cliff near the mansion, rather than found dead in the house.
It’s not the first time for her to play a detective role.
Neiyat is not the first time Vidya has appeared as a detective. She played a detective Desi in the Hyderabad-set Bobby Jassus (2014), which was a box office failure. But with Sujoy Ghosh’s 2012 cult flick Kahani, Liv Dasgupta’s Te3n (2014), and most recently Amit V. Masrkar’s 2021 forest thriller Sherni, Vidya has made a name for itself. I’ve often seen him on screen doing investigations with different avatars.
Vidya’s First Theatrical Release After Pandemic
‘Niyat’ marks Vidya Balan’s long-awaited return to cinema after four years. Her last theatrical release was the sci-fi ensemble Mission Mangal, directed by Jagan Shakti, in 2019. But her last solo theatrical appearance was in Suresh Triveni’s 2017 blockbuster Tumhali Sulu.
Since 2019, Vidya has premiered directly at Prime Video India such as Anu Menon’s Shakuntala Devi (2020), Sherni and most recently Suresh Triveni’s Jalsa last year. I have only appeared in films that have been released. She will soon be starring in the romantic comedy Lovers, which also stars Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
About Niyat
This murder mystery will be directed by Anu Menon, who worked with Vidya on the mathematics icon’s biopic Shakuntala Devi. Niyat also stars Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Neeraj Kabi, Shahana Goswami, Amrita Puri, Dipanita Sharma, Niki Walia, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Kori and Danesh Razvi. Co-authored by Anu, Priya Venkataraman, Advaita Kala and Jirvani Diani, with dialogue by Kausar Mounir. Produced by Abundantia Entertainment led by Vikram Malhotra.
