Rautu Ka Raaz
Introduction
In the opening scene of Rautu Ka Raaz, you see the protagonist being awoken by a phone call wherein he is informed of the death that has transpired at a nearby school. The interesting thing about this little conversation that takes place is that there isn’t enough urgency that you would associate in a drama which is a whodunnit. There is lethargy in the tone, almost a leisurely followup to a serious ‘crime’ that may have been committed. And quite honestly, this was the refreshing USP of the film which did get the meandering mood of the drama just right. Rautu, a small place in Uttarakhand isn’t known for its hustle or bustle, in fact it is a town wherein things transpire at a leisurely pace, something that also reflects in the investigation to begin with. Whodunnits are always interesting if the writing has in it to engage the viewers and allow them to play the guessing game. In that regard, does Rautu Ka Raaz which is now streaming on Zee5 manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Rautu Ka Raaz follows the story behind the investigation that ensues post the death of a warden at a local school. Whether this is a murder or a suicide and if it is a murder then who is the culprit, forms the rest of the story. The story here is definitely interesting and intriguing with its setup and its vibe, that the writers get absolutely spot on. I was pleasantly surprised at the emotional thread that emerges halfway through the film but more importantly, ties the narrative together in a screenplay standing at a shade under 2 hours that is compelling and also touches upon some of the lesser talked about issues of the society with a subtle hint of politics on display. This culminates into an intriguing drama with minor hiccups along the way that accounts for a promising watch.
The drama is always focused on the central plot of the film which is the investigation behind the death of a warden. Ideally I would have liked a little buildup to this structure which began straight away with the murder. Getting acquainted with the characters would probably have aided the guessing game a little more as compared to not quite knowing about the characters and the emotional baggage that they carry. But what the writers get right is the mood of the drama with respect to the setting. A slow brooding narrative unfolding through the gaze of the cops wasn’t such a bad idea afterall, and it definitely keeps the viewers on the same level as the protagonist and his team. And this does help in studying the various characters even as the drama branches out in multiple directions.
One small criticism about the drama for me would be its tone, on whether it wished to be an investigative drama with traces of humour or did it wish to take a more serious turn. This is because the drama begins with the former but quickly discards the tone while transforming into something serious. This subtle shift in the tone could have been avoided while opting for either of the two approaches, although this did not sugnificantly impact the drama in any way. The drama gets even more interesting with the frequent introduction of multiple characters wherein it did seem that everyone was holding onto a secret. And with it begins the floating of multiple theories, and that is when you know that the drama can head in any direction.
I liked how the intensity of the drama is raised slowly but surely even as the investigation gathers speed. The twists and turns are pretty good although I did feel that the guessing game was a little diluted given how the ‘suspects’ weren’t as clearly defined. But to compensate that, there were conspiracy theories that did help the drama to keep afloat resulting in the events of the film being intriguing. The emotional thread with an underlying commentary(will have to keep it under wraps to avoid spoilers) was so well defined, and it glued the narrative together, wonderfully well. The grand revelation at the end was alright but it added up rather well to end up being a satisfactory final act in a screenplay that is well written and manages to impress.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues begin with being a little leisurely and playful to something more substantial even while the conversations between the characters flow like water. The lines are effective although understated, and they account for a solid watch. The BGM is decent and does its bit in enhancing the drama at a few places. The cinematography is adequate in capturing the vibe of the landscapes of Rautu in a rather effective manner. The shots aren’t memorable but definitely make a good case to be effective in communicating the intended ambience of the drama. The editing is decent although I did feel that certain portions in the latter half of the drama seemed to be patchy. Director Anand Surapur does a good job in constructing a drama through the lens of the protagonist, something that helped you get acquainted with the characters amidst the underlying layer of politics in the drama. The director never drops guard and instead raises the intensity of the investigation along with provided a searing commentary thst has a strong emotional appeal. The director minutely falters with the staging of the final act but overall, it was a job done pretty well.
Performances
The performances are pretty impressive by the ensemble cast. Nitasha Sharma has a goid screen presence and manages to shine here despite a limited screen time. Vicky Dutt has an underlying sense of humour to his character, and he tapped into it in a subtle yet effective manner. Narayani Shastri as Warden Sangeeta is excellent and definitely leaves a lasting impact, particularly in the final act. Atul Tiwari as Tanuj is excellent in a character which is mysterious, and you don’t know which way will he sway. Riya Sisodiya has a radiating presence onscreen in what was a swell job done by her. Preeti Sood as Hema is impressive and does a wonderful job once again despite a limited screen time. Samridhi Chandola as Lata has her subtle comic timing on point even as she shines with a near perfect dialogue delivery. It is hard not to notice her when she is onscreen. I am the happiest for Rajesh Kumar who is slowly but surely shifting away from his image of the iconic character of ‘Rosesh’. The character of Nagesh Dimri was such a meaty roll in which he had different shades to play with, including being a goofball to begin with while slowly getting in the serious space. I thought he was brilliant here, making use of his inherent sense of comic timing and putting it to good use, even while slowly changing shades as the drama progressed. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Deepak Negi delivers another brilliantly effective performance in a character that has multiple shades. While there is a hint of lethargy in his character(no, not his performance), he slowly transitions into a mode which is more assertive while continuing to be very well restrained. His slight angle of PTSD was a little half baked, but Nawaz did not drop a single beat with his performance in what was yet another subtly effective act that accounted for a solid watch.
Conclusion
Despite a few hiccups, Rautu Ka Raaz is an intriguing whodunnit that features a strong emotional thread, and with superb performances, it accounts for a pretty decent watch. Available on Zee5.
