 Raj Kumar Gupta's semi-biographical thriller No One Killed Jessica with Rani Mukerji was Vidya's first release of 2011. The film, based on the Jessica Lal murder case, saw her portray the real-life character of Sabrina Lal, Jessica's reticent sister. While preparing for the role, Vidya did not meet Lal on the insistence of Gupta as "the Sabrina [...] today is different from the Sabrina a decade ago, [when] the story begins". No One Killed Jessica met with contrasting reviews from critics, but Vidya's performance was particularly praised. The Hindu remarked on Vidya's ability to be "in sublime control over her emotions" and Savera Someshwar of Rediff.com added that "her hesitant body language, her faith, her helplessness, her rage, her sorrow and her gratitude all come across beautifully". The film had earnings of ₹ 490 million (US $ 7.3 million) and was noted for being a commercial success despite the absence of a male lead. Vidya earned another Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category for the film. In March 2011, a retrospective of Vidya's films was held in Australia, as part of the film festival Bollywood & Beyond. That same year, Vidya featured in a guest appearance in Santosh Sivan's Malayalam language fantasy film Urumi.
