‘Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders’ Movie Review: A Superb Nawazuddin Siddiqui Anchors Honey Trehan’s Gripping and Politically Incisive Whodunnit! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Raat Akeli Hai - The Bansal Murders Movie Review: In my review of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man, I admitted to a small, selfish wish - that the director keeps returning to the Knives Out universe for as long as possible (a sentiment that stands in sharp contrast to what I currently want from James Cameron after Avatar: Fire and Ash). Having now watched Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders, I find myself making a similar plea - this time to director Honey Trehan and writer Smita Singh. Can we please have more Raat Akeli Hai films with Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Jatil Yadav at the centre? Netflix, if you are backing Benoit Blanc’s adventures, it would be only fair to extend the same faith to our homegrown noir. Raat Akeli Hai Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte’s Netflix Film Keeps You Guessing Till the End.

The first Raat Akeli Hai, released in 2020, was a tightly mounted, deeply engaging whodunnit noir whose most unexpected triumph lay in its tender love story. The sequel does not just live up to that promise; it improves upon it. I found myself enjoying The Bansal Murders even more than its predecessor, despite the fact that the Nawazuddin Siddiqui–Radhika Apte dynamic is limited to just four scenes this time. Those scenes, however, are so gently charming that they linger far beyond their brief runtime.

'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Movie Review - The Plot

This time around, Jatil Yadav is summoned to the sprawling mansion of the powerful Bansal family in UP, newspaper barons whose influence stretches far and wide. The case initially appears odd rather than alarming - the mysterious killing of crows and the discovery of a blood-soaked pig’s head. Given the family’s clout, Yadav’s boss (Rajat Kapoor) insists that the investigation be handled with utmost seriousness.

The Bansals are surrounded by enemies, including their own estranged relative Rajesh (Sanjay Kapoor), who runs a rival news channel. They are also devout followers of Guru Ma (Deepti Naval), a cult leader whose most ardent disciple is Meera (Chitrangada Singh), a grieving mother still reeling from the loss of her son.

Watch the Trailer of 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders':

Matters escalate brutally when most members of the family are slaughtered the very next night. The survivors - Meera, her young nephew and niece, and a badly injured driver - are left to piece together the horror. The blame is swiftly pinned on a drug-addled Bansal heir, who is conveniently killed the same night. Yadav, however, senses that the truth is far murkier and far more sinister.

'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Movie Review - A Compelling Whodunnit

The film begins as a compelling, atmospheric mystery and steadily descends into darker, more unsettling territory. I settled in expecting a classic whodunnit, and once Yadav identifies a likely culprit, the narrative smartly pivots towards the 'why' and the 'how.' While the investigative mechanics remain sharp and focused, the film finds its warmth in Yadav’s domestic spaces - particularly his interactions with his mother Sarita, played with delightful ease by Ila Arun. Radhika Apte’s presence is reduced to a special appearance, but every shared moment between her and Siddiqui feels like a natural extension of the quiet, lived-in chemistry they established earlier.

Among the supporting characters, Revathy’s sardonic forensic expert Rosie Panicker stands out as an absolute delight. Her exchanges with Yadav, punctuated by her occasional slips into Malayalam, add a welcome layer of humour and texture. The sequence where she tries to recreate the timings and the nature of the killings with her assistant, and pausing for a second to ask her cohort if she has fallen asleep, was too good.

Smita Singh’s screenplay deftly deploys red herrings while drawing unsettling parallels to real-life events such as the Burari deaths, weaving a religious cult into the narrative - a risky choice in the current climate. What becomes evident, though, is that Trehan and Singh are playing a much larger, more daring game.

'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Movie Review - Goes Politically Sharp

With its layered mystery and a gallery of fascinating characters - Akhilendra Mishra’s sycophantic, dismissive senior cop being another sharp sketch - the film initially promises a gripping investigative thriller. Then comes the moment that elevates it from good to genuinely impactful.

As Yadav peels back the layers of the case, he uncovers a far greater crime committed a year earlier. It is here that Honey Trehan sharpens his gaze, turning the film into a pointed critique of a system that crushes the common man to protect the privileged. The result is both heartbreaking and enraging, made even more potent through stark real-life parallels. An overhead shot of anonymous graves instantly recalls an image seared into public memory during the pandemic. References to bulldozer justice and fractured media narratives further ground the film in an uncomfortable present.

One line, not giving the context here, lands with devastating force: despite all their privilege, the children of the rich must breathe the same poisoned air as the poor. Released at a time when large parts of the country are literally choking under smog, the timing of this film could not be more incisive.

All of this builds towards a strongly constructed finale that satisfies both the 'whodunnit' and the 'whydunnit.' The final reveal may not shock, but the path Trehan takes to reach it is what makes it resonate. Crucially, the film also acknowledges the limitations of the system in which its righteous protagonist operates, denying him the comfort of total victory. Still, after Homebound, it is refreshing - and sobering - to see a Hindi film that confronts viewers with their own privilege. ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ Movie Review: Another Darkly Enticing Benoit Blanc Investigation With Terrific Performances From Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor.

'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Movie Review - The Performances

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, unsurprisingly, is excellent here and utilised well. As Jatil Yadav, he is superbly restrained during the investigation, warmly snarky in his personal moments, and effortlessly natural in his romantic beats with Radhika Apte. Even the smallest gestures - a double take at a piece of burnt evidence - feel instinctive rather than performed. One can only hope the industry finally recognises what it has in him and builds more films around this desi, noir-inflected answer to Feluda.

The rest of the ensemble - Revathy, Radhika Apte, Ila Arun, Rajat Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Priyanka Setia, Akhilendra Mishra and Deepti Naval - deliver solid, assured performances. The only slightly weak link is Chitrangada Singh, who remains serviceable but never quite rises above adequacy.

'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders works not just as a finely mounted murder mystery but as a quietly angry commentary on privilege, power and institutional rot. Anchored by a superb Nawazuddin Siddiqui and guided by Honey Trehan’s assured direction, the film makes a strong case for Jatil Yadav to become a recurring figure in Hindi noir. Netflix would do well to let this investigation continue.

Rating:4.0

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 19, 2025 01:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).