'Rautu Ka Raaz' On Zee5 Movie Review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Anchors A Mediocre Murder Mystery Filled With Predictability

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Story

Set in the picturesque Rautu Ki Beli in Uttarakhand, the story unfolds when the warden of Sevadham School – Sangeeta (played by Narayani Shashtri) - is found dead in her room in the morning. The principal’s assistant calls the police control booth and informs them about the death. This jolts SHO Deepak Negi (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Sub Inspector Naresh Dimri (played by Rajesh Kumar) out of their slumber and forces them to investigate the murder in a quiet town where a murder hasn’t taken place in over a decade and a half.

As Negi’s team tries to solve the case, they slowly unravel the mysteries of Sevadham School which teaches blind kids. The team tries to solve the case, but they are constantly thwarted by the school’s trustee – Manoj Keshri (played by Atul Tiwari). They believe sinister forces are at play as they try to get to the murderer. The story revolves around how Negi tries to solve a murder case in a lazy town and how he ends up finding himself in the process.

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Performances

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ stands entirely on Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character. As Deepak Negi, he is the heart and soul of the film. Rather than reducing his character to a caricature, Siddiqui has taken the pain to get into the skin of his character. He has picked up the Pahadi accent quite well. As Negi, he is endearing and jovial. For example, when he cracks a sexist joke, he makes an effort to apologize to the female constable in his team. Siddiqui is a treat to watch as Deepak Negi.

Siddiqui is perfectly complimented by Rajesh Kumar. Whenever I see Kumar on the screen, I cannot forget him as the pampered Roshesh Sarabhai from ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.’ But here, he gives a solid performance and stands his ground. He supports Negi and their camaraderie unfolds in a heartwarming way on the screen. Even he has picked up the Pahadi accent well and has done his homework to understand his character. His screen presence is charming and his effort shines through.

Atul Tiwari as the menacing school trustee – Manoj Keshri – is effortless in his gray role. He is just like any money-minded trustee in a quiet hill station who only runs after development and cash. His character tries to be conniving and tries to pull all the strings. As Manoj Keshri, Atul Tiwari packs an earnest performance. However, the script does not give him much to let his evil traits come out through and through.

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

From the looks of it, the plot of the movie is as predictable as it can get. Simply because a murder mystery like this has been done before. It is only in the last 10-15 minutes that the movie takes a sharp turn and jolts you awake. But before this turn, the film has been unnecessarily laden with useless elements. For example, what was the purpose of introducing the music teacher, or what was the purpose of showing flashbacks to Negi’s life when you just aren’t going to solve them or delve into them in detail, or what purpose do the two uncles who constantly talk about Negi serve?

Additionally, the film has a lot of sub-plots that serve no real purpose. They could have been trimmed down and the movie could still have been wrapped up in a better way. Similarly, some shots are too long, and they need to be chopped down. The movie needed a crisper editing and that would have salvaged it to some extent.

Despite this, the movie is visually breathtaking to look at. The camera work is smooth, and the cinematography is great. Some shots have the quality to linger on your mind for long. Additionally, the musical compositions are fresh; they don’t stay with you after the credits have rolled but they serve their purpose well of supporting the plot.

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Cast & Crew

Director: Anand Surapur

Writer: Anand Surapur, Shariq Patel

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajesh Kumar, Narayani Shashtri, Vicky Dutt, Samriddhi Chandola, Atul Tiwari, Anoop Trivedi, Riya Sisodia, Pratham Rathod

Available On: Zee5

Duration: 1 hour 53 minutes

Languages: Hindi

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’: Can Kids Watch It?

Yes, with parental guidance.

Outlook’s Verdict

‘Rautu Ka Raaz’ is a film that is as predictable as it can get. The movie starts strong but as it gets to the climax, you cannot help but be bored to your bones. It is only in the last 10 minutes that the movie picks up pace. But because it is in this limited frame that the movie starts propelling forward, multiple questions are left unanswered. Similarly, the moral conundrum that comes up when the murderer is revealed sits uncomfortably in your chest. The movie expects the shock value of the climax to win the audience, but frankly speaking, it is not enough. I am going with 2 stars.