Rating – **** (4/5)
‘Voh hai na apna Deepak Negi, voh solve kar dega; bahut tej hai voh’
‘par ajeeb bhi hai’
‘Ha, ajeeb toh hai’
Our adorable/not-so-adorable mohalle ke uncles usually don’t have much to do. Sit on a bench and share/force their opinions ranging from world peace to politics to cricket and so on. We have two uncles here in the Nawazuddin Siddiqui led Rautu Ka Raaz on Zee5 as well but they aren’t as lethal with their gossip as they talk about the little village they reside in, Rautu Ki Beli. I shouldn’t have been but was laughing out loud as this setting became a running joke throughout the film.
But Rautu Ka Raaz is ambitiously yet subtly more than that. It is also so refreshing to see that Indian cops here are portrayed as….well….cops. The cops we know in our daily lives – a bit lazy, a bit lethargic but still competent and determined. A whodunit usually struggles to keep the boat afloat with the big reveal and this one has a rather unique one.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Rajesh Kumar – An Unlikely But Fantastic Duo
As one would expect, Siddiqui is fabulous as SHO Dev Negi, a man who is still struggling with his inner demons of the past and the case he is assigned with – becomes personal to him. But the man who deserves more applause for Rautu Ka Raaz is actor Rajesh Kumar, who plays Dimri.
A friend-yet-junior inspector to Negi, a senior to three other officers, he is the anchor and chain of inter personal relationships while also being a good police officer. The unspoken respect and brotherhood Dimri and Negi share while never forgetting that one is still a junior and the other is a senior – is fabulously portrayed by the camaraderie that Siddiqui and Kumar share.
Keeping it Simple Yet Intriguing
What makes Rautu Ka Raaz truly engaging is that owing to being in a setting that is so small, it never loses sight of the primary motive. With whodunits, the easiest thing to do is veer around with parallel plots and lose the plot; that doesn’t happen with Rautu Ka Raaz.
Who killed the warden? Seems like the simplest of questions that might have a tumultuous and intertwined answer – but no. Keeping it simple yet intriguing, the film solves the mystery in the end but in a way that leaves you – the viewer, morally questioning yourself.
There isn’t a cacophonous background score when a clue is solved, there isn’t over-the-top treatment with character developments; there are umpteen moments throughout the film where you would anticipate Siddiqui’s Negi reacting to the way we are used to seeing in films when thise big reveals happen – but that’s the brilliance of Siddiqui that he doesn’t. His eyes do the job and provide a gateway into his mind just enough to leave you wondering.
The Humor
Another tool that is so effectively used is the humor. The film, in all parts is extremely funny but never laugh-out-loud and that’s just the right balance you need to enjoy with the intended impact. The timing that Siddiqui and Kumar are able to exhibit is impeccable just accentuating their performance even more.
Rautu Ka Raaz does struggle with the big reveal where the intended message, while carrying a certain piousness with it, leaves you with questions which whodunits usually do, when there are some gaps that are left unfilled.
Rautu Ka Raaz ultimately manages to entertain, engage and leave you with a satisfying viewing experience.