Raat Akeli Hai (2020)



Raat Akeli Hai. (2020)
Director: Honey Trehan.

The patriarch of a rich Uttar Pradesh family, Raghuveer Singh is found murdered in his bedroom on the night of his second marriage. In comes Inspector Jatil Yadav, a no nonsense cop, to investigate what turns out to be a layered whodunit. It becomes clear in the very beginning that every member of the family is a suspect. Although all fingers point towards Singh's mistress and now second wife, Radha, played by Radhika Apte, who the family loathes, Jatil is in no hurry to declare her the killer. Even in the face of pressure from political leaders and seniors from the department, Jatil says with gusto, I'll dig out the truth from anywhere.

A lot of reviews seem to be comparing Raat Akeli Hai with Rian Johnson's Knives Out. The only similarity between these two movies is that they're both closed room mysteries. In Knives Out, detective Benoit Blanc suspects the entire family and Jatil does the same here.

As the film progresses, it seems that every member of the family had motives to kill the old man. You may guess who is the murderer, but you're likely to be wrong.

Armed with a strong background score, tight writing and cinematography, and an ensemble of strong actors who bring their roles to life, Raat Akeli Hai is a must watch for all fans of murder mysteries and whodunits. The only complaint I have with the film is the subplot of Jatil and Radha's romance. 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Jatil Yadav is brilliant. He plays Jatil almost with a clinical precision. This is a man who is set in his ways. And he is devoted to finding the truth.

Raat Akeli Hai is streaming on Netflix.

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