Rahul Desai
Niece of Salman Khan and daughter of Atul Agnihotri – as a board-topping genius who gets lured into a cheating racket at an elite private school. The stakes are familiar for this teenaged protagonist, Niyati
On one hand, she has been selected for an Oxford University scholarship; her future is bright and limitless. On the other hand, Niyati wants – needs – money to expand the orphanage she lives in; her past is unwavering.
Niyati can’t wait years to be a success story, so the burning desire to earn cash is stoked by her rich friends at Winston International. The scheming becomes scamming.
Once the stage is set, Farrey comes into its own. The cheating parts in the classrooms are constructed with the right mix of suspense and narrative tension. Niyati is smart, but she’s also nervous and guilty by association.
She is playing someone whose academic brilliance is at odds with her emotional intelligence. To the actress’ credit, Niyati never comes across as sorted and confident. There are times when she isn’t even sure of her own motives.
The second template is that of an eat-the-rich thriller. The upper-class brats tend to be demonized so that their downfall is satisfying. They’re either Mean Girls or Rude Boys. But the performances here (by Bisht as Chhavi, in particular) make it difficult to judge these kids.