Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders review - Nawazuddin Siddiqui delivers a nuanced performance in a tighter sequel, even if the whodunit feels secondary

Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) investigates a Bansal family massacre tied to a dark cult. This sequel is a tighter, better-paced thriller exploring greed and secrets in a grounded mystery.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a still from Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders story

In the sequel Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Nawazuddin Siddiqui reprises his role as the perceptive Inspector Jatil Yadav, who is asked to go to Kanpur and look into the terrible mass murder that happened within the affluent and powerful Bansal family. Yadav must unravel a complex web of family feuds, insidious greed, and long-lost secrets as he makes his way through the bloodstained crime scene in their grand mansion. The investigation pushes Jatil to the limits of his emotions and morality. He discovers a sinister plot involving blackmail and magical forces, which compels him to face his own personal development as he seeks the truth in a world where lies and power rule.

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders review

Clocking in at two and a half hours, the 2020 original often felt bloated. Having a palatial home with numerous talented cast under the same roof as the backdrop bites back at the film for being a drag, even though the unfolding of events, although complicated, becomes fruitful by the end. Now, after more than five years, the sequel, Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders directed by Honey Trehan, has arrived. We live in times where the rise of real-world personality cults has become terrifying, and it's like falling into the dark hole without a way of coming out.

In this story, the Bansal family follows Guru Ma (Deepti Naval) and agrees to all her directives. We know how some self-proclaimed spiritual leaders have taken it upon themselves to ruin people's lives in the name of being god-fearing. The wealthy and educated Bansal family, who run a successful newspaper, have devoted their entire lives to their guru and do not reflect on any of their actions.

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In quick succession, we meet the whole Bansal family, only to have them massacred the very next day. The beginning of the film shows that several crows lie dead in the family's garden, which scares them to death. We hear their spiritual leader say that she knows what the future holds. Well, that alone is enough to make her the primary suspect.

Meanwhile, we see that most of the family members are wiped out in one night. Only three people survive, including Meera (Chitrangda Singh), who witnesses one of the murders and believes everything she saw. Indeed, the resemblance to the infamous Burari Deaths is palpable, especially when a journalist confronts the police in the background.

This time, I feel there was some sort of course correction where you are not left in a gloomy world and take the story as it's given. Jatil Yadav, who knows his job perfectly clearly, sees that everything is deceptive, as he was present in the house at the time of murder. Well, this is where the film makes it an intriguing watch, as the cop is already standing at the murder site minutes after the massacre took place. The film cleverly manipulates the viewers' perceptions of the living characters, leading them to understand that there is no escape route available.

What initially appears to be an open-and-shut case turns into a complex situation, as everything related to the fateful night is connected to the past. Jatil observes that the massacre of crows in the garden the previous day hinted at this connection.

Although a whole family vanished overnight, the ensemble cast kept on increasing after that. We have Revathy coming in as the forensic head, Dr. Panicker. Although her character is a no-nonsense person, there's some comic relief she brings to the film. There are so many hilarious moments, especially when she talks in Malayalam in front of the North Indians so that they don't know how she actually feels about them.

Well, of course, in terms of humour, Siddiqui tops it, and Revathy comes a close second. However, when both of them come together in the same frame, it appears that they cannot take a joke, let alone do it.

These make for some lighter moments in the film, and it's an add-on along with having Ila Arun continue her argument with her grown-up son Jatil. Radhika Apte, who played Radha in the first installment, joins them this time.

Well, it's not a comedy film; it's a suspense thriller! I don't know how we reached the third act, because we have got all the villains coming together under the same roof. While that is happening, the film also revisits the theme of the wealthy and their discussions about money, even if it involves framing an innocent victim. Well here, it's a dead victim. Rajat Kapur is actually saying this to save his job, even though he does not mind dismissing his subordinates.

Trehan has returned to direction after five years, and this time, he doesn't go into overly detailed explanations, which keeps the essence maintained and delivers a nuanced and decent outing. To be honest, whodunit becomes secondary because there's a certain moment where you see it coming, and the guesswork doesn't come as a shocker. Moreover, the way the film digs deeper into the past, it's like serving everything on a platter – especially why.

Coming to performances, the newest addition, who takes the central role, apart from Siddiqui, is Chitrangda Singh, who seems to be the brainchild of everything. Even her character keeps up with that mystery, given the fact that there's also a mention of her being the one making everyone follow the cult. But the halo of mystery around her vanishes in a jiffy, with her character just being a mere catalyst.

So does Naval; there's a confrontational scene between Siddiqui and her, which is kind of obliterating and gives a sense of déjà vu from Sacred Games. However, the film remains superficial and fails to explore deeper themes that could have introduced a new subplot, potentially leading it down a different path.

Nevertheless, the suspicious act of the film, which is needed for a suspense thriller, gets lost in translation and does not elevate the film to a "wow" factor. Despite this, the film presents itself as a light-hearted suspense thriller, lacking any mind-bending moments. Probably, that's the intention!

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders verdict

Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders offers a tighter, more "readable" mystery than its predecessor, ensuring the story doesn't "drag" like the original. The film is a more focused and better-paced sequel than the 2020 original. Director Honey Trehan avoids excessive length, delivering a grounded thriller that explores the dark influence of cults and family secrets.

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