Vidya Balan reunites with director Anu Menon for an intriguing murder mystery set to hit theatres on July 7. In a stunning revelation, Vidya also unveiled her look as a detective with a twist in Menon’s upcoming film, “Neeyat.”
Sporting bangs and dressed in a green shirt, maroon sweater, and a brown overcoat, Vidya stands beside a mirror that reflects the suspects—a suspicious-looking family of four. The elements in “Neeyat” exude the charm of a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, from the layered clothing, reminiscent of Christie’s signature style, to the wooden shelves lined with books in Vidya’s background, adding to the vintage vibe.
Directed by Anu Menon, known for her collaboration with Vidya in the biopic “Shakuntala Devi,” “Neeyat” features an ensemble cast including Ram Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Neeraj Kabi, Shahana Goswami, Amrita Puri, Dipannita Sharma, Niki Walia, Shashank Arora, Prajakta Koli, and Danesh Razvi. The film, co-written by Anu Menon, Priya Venkataraman, Advaita Kala, and Girvani Dhyani, with dialogues by Kausar Munir, is produced by Vikram Malhotra’s Abundantia Entertainment.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
While this isn’t her first foray into the detective genre, having played a desi detective in “Bobby Jasoos” (2014), “Neeyat” promises a fresh take on the role. Vidya has demonstrated her investigative prowess in various avatars, including Sujoy Ghosh’s cult film “Kahaani” (2012), Ribhu Dasgupta’s “Te3n” (2014), and Amit V Masurkar’s forest thriller “Sherni” (2021).
Neeyat marks Balan’s highly anticipated return to the silver screen after a four-year hiatus. Her last theatrical release was the sci-fi ensemble “Mission Mangal” (2019). However, her last solo theatrical venture was the blockbuster “Tumhari Sulu” (2017) directed by Suresh Triveni.
Since 2019, she has primarily appeared in films that premiered directly on Prime Video India, including Anu Menon’s “Shakuntala Devi” (2020), “Sherni,” and Suresh Triveni’s “Jalsa” last year. Additionally, Vidya will soon grace the screen in “Lovers,” a romantic comedy starring Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
