Vidya Balan returns to the theatres with detective thriller, Neeyat

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Vidya Balan returns to theatres after four years in what promises to be a thrilling murder-mystery, Neeyat. The murder mystery features an ensemble cast with Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Neeraj Kabi, Shahana Goswami, Amrita Puri, Dipannita Sharma, Niki Walia, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Koli and Danesh Razvi.

To release on July 7 in cinemas, and set in the breathtakingly beautiful highlands of Scotland, the trailer takes the viewer into the glamorous world of billionaire Ashish Kapoor (Ram Kapoor) and his close circle of family and friends, where everyone is tangled in their own web of secrets. When Ashish Kapoor ends up being murdered at his own party, it is up to detective Mira Rao (Vidya Balan) of the CBI to uncover the hidden motives and mysteries.

Edge-of-the-seat, captivating entertainment in the best tradition of Agatha Christie thrillers with Vidya Balan in a never-seen-before avatar promises to be the leitmotif of this film.

Speaking about her experience of working on Neeyat and returning to the big screen, Vidya said, “What I enjoy most about being an actor is the opportunity to live the life of a different person with every character I play. In Neeyat, detective Mira Rao is not your everyday, classic detective, which is what made it great fun for me. Also, not only did I get a chance to sink my teeth into an unusual and quirky character, but I also got to work with a powerful set of co-actors. This film is my second outing with director Anu Menon after Shakuntala Devi and my fourth collaboration with Vikram, Abundantia Entertainment and Prime Video and I can only say that I have had the most amazing time working with them to make this film. Last but not the least, I am supremely delighted to be back in theatres with and am waiting with bated breath for audience reactions.”

Neeyat marks Vidya Balan’s return to theatres after her successful digital stint with the biopic, Shakuntala Devi (2020), the critically-hailed Sherni (2021) and the impactful thriller, Jalsa (2022). Vidya has been the recipient of multiple Best Actress awards for all these films at prestigious forums. Her last theatrical outing was the super-hit, Mission Mangal, in 2019.

Anu Menon’s recent directing credits also include multiple episodes of the internationally-acclaimed series, Killing Eve. Neeyat has been written by Anu Menon, Priya Venkataraman, Advaita Kala and Girvani Dhyani with dialogues by Kausar Munir. It is produced by the Vikram Malhotra-led Abundantia Entertainment (who also produced the three films above) and co-produced by Prime Video.

Speaking about her film, director Anu Menon added, “I love murder mysteries and it’s my go-to genre whenever I need a pick-me-up! It was fun and equally challenging putting the pieces of the puzzle together – the twisty plot, the large ensemble cast, the stunning but difficult locations and a very unpredictable British weather! It was lovely to reunite with Vidya and get to direct all the other amazingly talented actors in the film. The film promises to be an entertaining ride and hope we have delivered the murder mystery of the year in Neeyat!”