Review of ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Film Strikes the Perfect Balance of Thrills

Some films run on good storylines. Some, on star power. But when you see Nawazuddin Siddiqui headlining a project, and that too, a cop thriller, you can’t help but take note. That’s where Zee5’s latest offering, ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ comes in. Set in the small, picturesque village of Rautu Ki Beli, the film is about a lazy murder investigation with sharp twists and even sharper turns. Let’s decode if the film is worth your time.Rautu, a small town in Uttarakhand, has witnessed no murders in the last 15 years. As a result, policemen in the village are extremely laid-back. One fine morning, a sleepy Nawazuddin Siddiqui (SHO Deepak Negi) gets a call from Rajesh Kumar (sub-inspector Dimri) about the murder of a warden at a boarding school for the visually impaired. What they initially took for a natural death, turned out to be a never-ending rabbit hole with suspects, murders, disturbing incidents, politics and power.Nawazuddin Siddiqui leads the ship by playing the rowdy SHO Deepak Negi. By rowdy, we don’t mean the typical Bollywood masala film rowdy. He is intelligent, witty, knows when to say no, can get things done, disobeys seniors by standing firm on his grit and is unabashedly himself. He surely takes the bigger piece of the cake. Nawazuddin’s comic timing, dialogue delivery, and demeanour have always taken him places. Thankfully, that continues in ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ too.The film shines, thanks to its stellar star cast. Everyone is perfect in their respective parts. There’s Rajesh Kumar as sub-inspector Dimri, carrying on the film’s weight with his acting prowess and remarkable bro-code with Nawazuddin’s character. This duo will make you believe in good cops.Other supporting actors such as Atul Tiwari and Narayani Shastri (warden) do a decent job with their limited screen presence.‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ has nothing that you have never seen. However, it is real. And it gets more wholesome as you near the second half. The film introduced real-life visually impaired characters, who make blink-and-miss appearances, maintaining credibility.The film has every essential element that a thriller needs. However, not for a moment would you feel there’s an overdose. If you are dealing with serious subjects such as child abuse and murder, incorporating comic elements to make it less morbid and yet maintaining sensitivity is quite the task. Rest assured, ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’, will not disappoint.One of the few drawbacks of ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ is its cliched sad cop story. How many times have we seen the same story of a police officer, bolder by the day, with that ‘nothing to lose anymore’ attitude after losing a loved one? Nawazuddin’s character develops as he deals with the loss of his partner. But it’s time the makers let go of the age-old concept. Cops can turn bold even without a tragic past and that is the need of the hour.Fillers in the form of two elderly men talking about what’s happening in their village were used in the film. Though it might have been added to break the monotony and directly address the audience to reflect on their afterthoughts, it seemed quite unnecessary.Director Anand Surapur, after working his way through ads and short films, delivers a rather impressive broth. Barring a few hits and misses, the film is a job done right. The best part about it was the director’s vision to stick to the roots and maintain realism. The makers played on uplifting the local traditions and beliefs to give it an old-school touch which resonates with the masses. For instance, when SHO Deepak Negi starts investigating the murder by joining the dots (quite literally), there is no scientific equipment that magically appears to make their job easy. Small police stations have to make do with available resources and that’s what’s shown in the film. And that works too, largely.All in all, ‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ is a decent watch for those who love everything about hill station thrillers, cop mysteries, and, of course, Nawaz. The film has a lot to offer and goes beyond its stellar star cast. You won’t regret it if you add it to your weekend binge-list.