Last Updated: July 07, 2023, 10:18 AM IST
Neeyat revolves around exiled billionaire Ashish Kapoor, who invites a few odd group of frenemies- his brother-in-law Jimmy Mistry (Rahul Bose), his son Ryan (Shashank Arora) and Ryan’s girlfriend Gigi (Prajakta Kohli), his best friends and couple Sanjay and Noor Suri (played by Neeraj Kabi and Dipannita Sharma), his current love Lisa (Shahana Goswami) and niece Sasha (Ishika Mehra) along with tarot card reader Zara (Nika Walia) his personal assistant Kay (Amrita Puri) and the event manager for the night Tanveer (Danesh Rizvi) who gather at a Scottish castle on a stormy night for fun, which apart from the usual things, includes revealing something by Kapoor to the guests about a decision he is about to make.
Each has a bone to pick with Kapoor and thus a motive to kill him. Who’s the killer? Among these we also have CBI officer Mira Rao (Vidya Balan) who has also been summoned by Kapoor for that big decision. Director Anu Menon tries to serve you a perfect whodunit with fun twists and sharp satire but it falters in its execution.
In a location-based murder-mystery where it takes 30 minutes to establish the proceedings and an hour before the first death, this does feel a teensy bit narratively extravagant. Even if you want to overlook, you can’t find uncanny resemblance to many Agatha Christie novels and the film does feel like a tamer version of the spectacularly crafted Glass Onion Knives Out (2022) barring aside the final twist, which of course is the crux of the film.
Neeyat is a flawless and unpredictable whodunit in which the question of “who did it” is more intriguing than the questions of “how and why.” With a methodical build-up and a slow burn, the movie never veers off course from its subject. The movie’s climax, which is perhaps its most intriguing part, feels a little hurried and convenient. There isn’t enough depth in the characters for you to care about them or their secret goals. This movie would have been much more captivating with a stronger character development and carefully written storyline. The core of murder mysteries is your desire to learn the truth. Although you want to catch the criminal in this case, you are not kept on the edge of your seat by the series of events that make up the investigation.
In the performance department, Vidya Balan should pat herself on her back for a superlative act; there is no doubt that she is a powerhouse, flawless from frame one to 10. She plays the role of CBI officer in a way where her apprehensive tone reverberates the authority of experience that differentiate a 6 from a 9. It is this ‘ahead of the curve yet keeping it mysterious’ quality to her portrayal that keeps Neeyat ticking which is otherwise very boring.
Ram Kapoor’s act as a billionaire comes across as a parody of Vijay Mallya. His one-tone acting is something that he needs to seriously consider. Ditto for Shashank Arora who needs to come out of his serious boy image. Neeraj Kabi and Rahul Bose try to play their parts well. Shahana Goswami’s over the top acting feels a bit unnecessary while the rest of the cast are also passable with their performances.
Neeyat has its moments and is a sincere attempt but it isn’t engaging enough for you to feel the joy of solving a murderous puzzle or detective riddles.