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Timeline

Nishabdham (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 126 mins · Telugu
Echo score 40
Directed by
Hemant Madhukar
Starring
Michael Madsen, Subbaraju, Chris Ihlenfeldt, Srinivas Avasarala, R. Madhavan, Anushka Shetty

Seattle PD is investigating the murder of a man and Sakshi, a deaf and mute artist, and her husband Antony, a renowned cello player, are related to it.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Nishabdham
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Nishabdham (2020)

Where can you watch Nishabdham? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Nishabdham Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Nishabdham (2020) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Massacre at the villa

    On Christmas night 1972, a couple is murdered at a villa near Seattle, and the male victim is crucified. The villa's haunted reputation leads King County to seize it, and it remains unsold for decades as investigators try to unravel what happened.

    When
    Christmas night, 1972
    Where
    Villa near Seattle
  2. Sakshi and fiancé arrive to search for a painting

    Sakshi, a deaf-mute artist, travels with her fiancé to the villa to search for a painting linked to the previous owner. As they explore, she exits blood-stained and flees; soon after, she is struck by a car.

    When
    Late 1972
    Where
    Villa
  3. Investigation opens

    Detective Maha and Captain Dawkins are assigned to the case and begin assembling the facts. They identify the male victim as Anthony Gonsalves, a famous cellist, and the murder case triggers heavy public scrutiny.

    When
    Early 1972
    Where
    King County / Seattle
  4. Sakshi’s hospital interrogation

    In a hospital interview, Maha learns that Sakshi found the fiancé's body crucified in the basement and could not see who attacked him. The revelation deepens the mystery surrounding the attack.

    When
    During the initial investigation
    Where
    Hospital
  5. Sakshi’s backstory and connections

    Sakshi recounts her past: she grew up in an orphanage in Sequim and befriended Sonali. After receiving an invitation to a Seattle gallery, she meets Vivek and Anthony, who donates to the orphanage and invites her to his concert. She and Anthony soon fall in love and become engaged.

    When
    Pre-1972
    Where
    Sequim / Seattle
  6. Sonali’s disappearance and villa search

    Following Sonali's disappearance after the engagement, Sakshi goes to the villa for a week to search for the painting. The trip is framed by the broader mystery surrounding the murders.

    When
    1972
    Where
    Villa
  7. Maha investigates Sonali’s disappearance

    Maha investigates Sonali's disappearance and learns that Sonali's only friend is Sakshi. Sonali is arrested for stabbing someone who pursued her, and a drawing of a crucifixion is found in Sonali's room.

    When
    1972
    Where
    Orphanage / Sakshi’s home
  8. Hooded figure and key theft

    A hooded figure appears at Sakshi's house and escapes after Maha shoots. Tom later finds a key in the basement; Richard kills Tom and pockets the key.

    When
    1972
    Where
    Sakshi’s house / Villa basement
  9. Richard under suspicion

    Maha suspects Richard, breaks into his office to obtain the key, and trails him to a farmhouse owned by Anthony. Richard searches for CCTV footage but leaves empty-handed.

    When
    1972
    Where
    Richard’s office; Anthony’s farmhouse
  10. Vivek’s reveal and a Space Needle flashback

    The hooded man turns out to be Vivek. He and Sakshi meet at the Space Needle, triggering a flashback that reveals Sakshi and Vivek living with Sonali, Sonali's jealousy, and the barista incident that led to Sonali's arrest.

    When
    Flashback, pre-1972
    Where
    Space Needle
  11. Past jealousy and the farmhouse tragedy

    The memory shows Sonali’s jealousy as Anthony courts Sakshi. The couple visit the farmhouse; Sonali and Anthony become intimate, and Anthony later kills Sonali, with Richard helping cover up.

    When
    Flashback sequence around the engagement era
    Where
    Farmhouse
  12. Present plan to expose Richard

    In the present, Sakshi and Vivek plan to expose Richard to the FBI using the footage. Richard kidnaps Vivek, but Maha places a tracker on Richard's car and ultimately kills him, saving them.

    When
    Present
    Where
    On the road / investigative scene
  13. Anthony’s crimes proven, murder remains unsolved

    With Richard dead, Anthony's crimes are proven, though his murder remains officially unsolved. The case closes with the truth coming to light but justice blurred.

    When
    Present
    Where
    King County
  14. Final tribute to Sonali

    The film ends with Sakshi and Vivek paying respects to Sonali at her grave. It closes on a somber note, emphasizing the cost of obsession and secrets.

    When
    Present
    Where
    Sonali’s grave

Last updated: October 14, 2025 at 04:07

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Timeline questions answered

Nishabdham Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Nishabdham (2020): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

What happened to Sakshi's fiancé at the villa?

Sakshi's fiancé was found murdered at the villa, with his body crucified in the basement. Sakshi, who is deaf and mute, witnessed the horrifying scene but could not identify who attacked him since she couldn't hear the perpetrator.

  • sakshi
  • fiance
  • villa
  • murder
  • crucified
  • basement
Q2

Why did Anthony kill Sonali?

Anthony killed Sonali because she threatened to expose his secret. Sonali had become intimate with Anthony during a visit to his farmhouse, and when she realized he was marrying Sakshi, she threatened to reveal his dark past, forcing him to silence her.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Sonali's jealousy over Anthony's growing affection for Sakshi foreshadows her destructive path.

  • anthony
  • sonali
  • killed
  • murder
  • farmhouse
  • threat
Q3

What was Captain Richard's involvement in the crimes?

Captain Richard Dawkins was secretly assisting Anthony cover up his crimes. He killed Tom (a staff member who found a key in the villa basement), helped dispose of evidence, and obstructed the investigation. Richard had originally come to investigate his own wife's infidelity, which Anthony had committed, giving Anthony leverage over him.

  • richard
  • dawkins
  • captain
  • crimes
  • cover-up
  • anthony
Q4

What happened to Anthony's first wife?

Anthony murdered his first wife and her lover at a motel to hide his infidelity. This was the original crime that started his pattern of killing unfaithful women and led to his ongoing arrangement with Richard to cover up subsequent murders.

  • anthony
  • first wife
  • suicide
  • motel
  • infidelity
  • killed
Q5

Why did Sakshi kill Anthony?

Sakshi killed Anthony after discovering the truth about his crimes. She learned that he had murdered his first wife, killed Sonali, and was responsible for the string of murders connected to the villa. In a moment of rage, she confronted and killed him.

Foreshadowing: Sakshi's growing suspicion throughout the investigation builds toward this violent confrontation.

  • sakshi
  • kill
  • anthony
  • motive
  • confrontation
  • truth
Q6

What happened to Sonali?

Sonali was killed by Anthony at his farmhouse. After Anthony started dating Sakshi, Sonali became intensely jealous. During a visit to the farmhouse, Sonali and Anthony became intimate, and when she threatened to expose his secrets, he murdered her. Richard helped cover up the murder.

Foreshadowing: Sonali's possessive behavior toward Sakshi and her jealousy over Anthony were early warning signs of her fate.

  • sonali
  • disappearance
  • fate
  • killed
  • anthony
  • farmhouse
Q7

Why did the villa have a haunted reputation?

The villa gained a haunted reputation after the 1972 Christmas night murder of a couple, with the male victim crucified. King County seized the property, and it remained unsold for decades as rumors of ghosts kept buyers away. In reality, the 'haunting' was connected to Anthony's criminal activities.

Foreshadowing: The villa's dark reputation attracts Sakshi to search for the painting, setting the investigation in motion.

  • villa
  • haunted
  • 1972
  • murder
  • crucified
  • christmas
Q8

How did Maha catch Richard after he kidnapped Vivek?

Maha had secretly placed a tracking device on Richard's car. When Richard kidnapped Vivek to prevent him and Sakshi from exposing his crimes, Maha used the tracker to locate them. She arrived just in time and killed Richard, saving Vivek and exposing his crimes.

  • maha
  • richard
  • kidnap
  • vivek
  • tracker
  • killed
Q9

What was the relationship between Sakshi, Vivek, and Sonali?

Sakshi, Vivek, and Sonali were close friends who lived together. Sonali was fiercely possessive of Sakshi and became jealous when Vivek and Sakshi grew closer. Sonali's jealousy led to her arrest after a confrontation at a café where she attacked a customer who tried to pursue Sakshi.

Foreshadowing: The trio's complicated dynamics and Sonali's possessiveness are revealed through flashbacks at the Space Needle.

  • sakshi
  • vivek
  • sonali
  • relationship
  • friendship
  • jealousy
Q10

Why was Sakshi searching for the painting at the villa?

Sakshi traveled to the villa to find a painting tied to a former owner. The painting was connected to the villa's dark history and the belief that a ghost of a previous owner had claimed the murdered couple. Her search led her to discover the truth behind the villa's haunted reputation.

  • painting
  • villa
  • sakshi
  • search
  • former owner
  • ghost
Q11

Why does Anthony's murder remain officially unsolved?

While Richard's crimes were exposed and he was killed, Anthony's own murder was never officially solved. With both main culprits dead, there was no one left to definitively prove who killed Anthony, leaving his murder case unresolved despite all other truths coming to light.

  • anthony
  • murder
  • unsolved
  • official
  • unresolved
  • ending

Movie threads

More Movies Like Nishabdham, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Nishabdham tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Atmospheric Whodunits with Heavy Melancholy like Nishabdham

Moody investigations where the emotional toll is as significant as the crime. If you liked the somber, tense atmosphere of Nishabdham, explore more movies like it. This list features similar suspenseful crime thrillers and intriguing murder mysteries where the emotional weight of grief, loss, and secrets is central to the narrative, offering a deeply melancholic yet gripping experience.

  • suspenseful
  • melancholic
  • oppressive
  • gloomy
  • anxious
  • dark
  • Tone: tense, melancholic, dark
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically revolves around a central, often violent, crime that forces characters to confront painful secrets from the past. The plot unfolds methodically, revealing layers of deception and personal tragedy, where the resolution of the mystery often brings a bittersweet or bleak acknowledgment of loss rather than simple closure.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared mood-first approach to crime stories. They prioritize a tense, oppressive, and melancholic atmosphere where the psychological impact on the characters is as important as the plot itself, making them distinct from more action-driven or purely cerebral thrillers.

Thrillers with Bittersweet Endings like Nishabdham

Stories where uncovering the truth brings profound sadness alongside resolution. For viewers who appreciated the complex, unresolved feelings at the end of Nishabdham, this collection highlights similar movies with bittersweet endings. Discover tense, suspenseful stories where justice or truth comes at a great personal cost, creating a powerful and thought-provoking conclusion.

  • bittersweet
  • tense
  • thought-provoking
  • somber
  • gripping
  • emotional
  • Tone: tense, bittersweet, dark
  • Pacing: steady build
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative builds towards a revelation that solves the central conflict but simultaneously exposes deep personal tragedies, betrayals, or sacrifices. The ending acknowledges that some wounds cannot be fully healed, and the characters are left to grapple with the aftermath, resulting in an emotionally resonant and mature conclusion.

Why they belong together: They are united by a specific emotional arc that prioritizes realism and psychological depth over neat resolutions. The bittersweet ending is a key unifying element, indicating a shared focus on the lasting impact of trauma and the complexity of closure.

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Every angle

Nishabdham (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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