3.5/5 stars A struggling city policeman falls for the prime suspect in a high-profile murder investigation in Raat Akeli Hai , an engrossing noirish whodunnit from first-time director Honey Trehan, now streaming on Netflix . Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte play the star-crossed lovers, who become embroiled in the duplicitous shenanigans of a wealthy high-caste family with strong political ties, after their ageing patriarch is murdered on his wedding night. Filmed in and around Lucknow, Raat Akeli Hai , literally translated as Lonely is the Night , is immediately reminiscent of Knives Out , Rian Johnson’s similarly plotted, Agatha Christie -influenced comedy from last year. Trehan and screenwriter Smita Singh play things straight, leaning into the ubiquitous caste divisions that separate Inspector Yadav (Siddiqui) from the Singh family, all of whom are potential suspects. With their inheritance in jeopardy, the family is quick to finger new bride Radha (Apte), whose questionable background and low status make her a desirable scapegoat. Yadav is instantly smitten by Radha, and instinctively suspicious of the arrogant Singh family. He decides to dig deeper into the case, despite the protestations of his superiors and, soon enough, events lead back to the mysterious death of the first Mrs Singh five years earlier. Probably best known internationally for his role opposite Irrfan Khan in The Lunchbox , Siddiqui brings a vulnerable, world-weariness to Yadav. Still single and living with his overbearing mother (Ila Arun), he resists her persistent matchmaking efforts. Yadav yearns for a simple, traditional woman, rather than the superficial, status-obsessed city girls thrust upon him. In Radha, he sees all these qualities, despite the chequered past and questionable innocence of this potential femme fatale. Trehan uses visual motifs and locations to emphasise the starkly different lifestyles of the Singhs and all those around them. Their home is a palatial, multistorey mansion that exists apart from the squalor of the city slums. Yadav’s home is infinitely more modest, while the stark functionality of the municipal police offices illustrate how far above the reach of the law this family is. Raat Akeli Hai occasionally feels the need to overexplain itself, particularly in the final act, when numerous revelations are peeled away to reveal the convoluted truth, but former casting director Trehan proves himself to be an accomplished storyteller. His directorial debut is a compelling murder mystery with a strong social conscience that will keep audiences guessing until the final frame. Raat Akeli Hai is streaming on Netflix. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook