Nikita Roy review: A bold and refreshing tale of chills and thrills elevated by restrained performances!

Starring Sonakshi Sinha, Paresh Rawal, and Arjun Rampal, Nikita Roy is an impressive horror thriller that marks Kussh Sinha's directorial debut.

When we speak of horror in Hindi cinema, the first few themes that crop up in our minds are those of a haunted mansion, an ancestral curse, and a ghost looking for redemption. Recent times saw makers smartly integrate mythology or folklore with subtle social messaging, in a way embracing roots and responsibility; however, as a regular cine-goer these formulas and cliches started feeling overused, leaving my soul craving for something new in this genre and Kussh Sinha’s Nikita Roy came as a pleasant surprise!

Featuring Sonakshi Sinha as a rationalist author who debunks myths and superstitious claims, the horror thriller sees her investigating the death of her brother Dr. Sanal Roy (Arjun Rampal), another rationalist determined to expose an all-powerful godman Amar Dev (Paresh Rawal). However, Nikita’s quest for truth starts challenging her rational beliefs and scientific worldview, turning this investigation into a web of mystery, eerie experiences and challenges imposed by the influential spiritual guru. 

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Set in London, the film begins on an intriguing note with Arjun Rampal’s Dr. Roy shivering with terror and dreading something unknown, the viewers do not see any ghosts yet but the hostile atmosphere of his home and the rationalist grappling with an abstract force offer chills without fancy VFX or sound designs giving a promising prelogue to the film. The biggest triumph for screen-writer Pavan Kripalani and director Kussh Sinha lies in the way they have executed horror in the movie. Just like the opening scene, the scares in the story rarely rely on prosthetics or technology and are derived through a layered narration and some brilliant cinematography and production design. There is a looming tension and sense of unease throughout the gradual untangling of mystery that works wonders for the film. The fear here isn’t imposed forcibly, rather, it's slow-cooked which is refreshing to experience. 

Sonakshi Sinha, in the titular role, is solid in her performance as a no-nonsense, reputed rationalist who takes on the might and ‘curse’ of the spiritual guru Amar Dev, courageously. She embodies the sharp wits, conviction, and the vulnerabilities of a level-headed woman thrust into the web of complicated investigation of her brother’s unexpected death and the incomprehensible manipulations and deceptions of Amar Dev. Paresh Rawal as the self-styled godman who weeds out everyone and everything that dares to challenge his empire is impressive as always. His sinister smile, the calm and composed demeanour of a seasoned guru harbouring ill intentions make him super convincing in the role. Suhail Nayyar, Nikita’s former lover and partner in investigation too, plays his part promisingly well, and rarely gets overshadowed by the experienced actors in the frame. His character also injects the film with some much-needed light hearted moments and comedic relief.  

The film’s ability to blend supernatural horror with investigative mystery, while raising questions about faith versus rationality, comes across as a refreshing take on the genre. Horror is a great genre for social commentary, but messaging in film is best when done subtly and that’s where the film languishes as it does so overtly with little creativity and imagination in the scene where the protagonist exposes Amar Dev’s truth. Nonetheless, the film has to be lauded for its bold storytelling, restrained performances, and production values. The Sinha family can be proud of their scion Kussh for he has made a promising debut in a genre that is hard to execute.

Nikita Roy is playing in theatres new you!

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