Vidya Balan gives us the Indian Nancy Drew we all wanted to be growing up

If scientists selected a motley crew of women to see how easily we make friends, here are a few subjects that would guarantee successful bonding. Pockets with dresses. Travel, whether solo or with your whole khandan in tow. And murder mysteries.

Whether it’s forgoing sleep to binge-watch a true crime documentary or locking ourselves in the bathroom so we can finish the latest thriller on our overflowing bookshelf, studies show that women overwhelmingly gravitate towards murder mysteries to be entertained.

So when we heard that there’s a delicious new movie, Neeyat, with our Tweak favourite Vidya Balan in the lead, our spidey senses went into overdrive. The trailer is styled like the Hollywood adaptations of Agatha Christie’s legendary novels or, more recently, the popular Knives Out series. Except instead of a moustachioed Hercule Poirot, we have a parka-sporting Mira Rao, repping the CBI. This is the Indian Nancy Drew we all dreamt of being, and we couldn’t root for her more.

Neeyat opens with a billionaire’s birthday in Scotland, where family and frenemies have gathered to party on someone else’s dime. The lavish celebrations quickly take a turn for the macabre when the billionaire, played by Ram Kapoor, makes like a martini and ends up on the rocks.

Rao suspects foul play and engages in a cat-and-mouse game with the remaining guests. From the vengeful ex to the much younger girlfriend and snivelling stepson to Rahul Bose’s character, who seems clicker than an oil spill, there are many suspects to choose from. We’d recommend organising a group watch with your friends and placing bets on the killer’s real identity.

If you need more convincing, here are our top 3 reasons to catch Neeyat when it releases on July 7.

• Vidya Balans return to form, playing a detective of few words but many talents. Given how pop culture is packed with portrayals of swashbuckling male detectives, from Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes to Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, we’re excited to see what Balan’s understated energy brings to this mystery.
• Neeyat’s all-star cast of suspects — Shahana Goswami, Neeraj Kabi, Prajakta Koli and Niki Walia will scratch your detective itch. Is it too early to put our money on Kabi?
• The film is helmed by the multitalented Anu Menon, who also directed Shakuntala Devi and Four More Shots Please! as well as multi-episodes of the globally acclaimed series Killing Eve. Strong women in the lead and in the director’s chair? More of this, please.

Watch the Neeyat trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsU9qsXMofM