‘Ronth’ movie review: An engrossing cop drama that does not miss a beat

Ronth review: Director Shahi Kabir continues to tap into his experiences in the police department, mining uncommon stories which paint an unflattering picture of the force

One day might not be enough to get to know a person inside out, but Shahi Kabir’s Ronth almost achieves the impossible of giving us a peek into the deepest recesses of the hearts and minds of not one, but two people over the course of a single night. The writer-director pulls this off not through grand scenarios, but the crucial little details, which are sprinkled throughout the film. These are the kind of details that can be absorbed only by those who have actually lived through similar scenarios, which Kabir has, as a former police officer.

Like, the scene where a senior policeman accepts a bribe to let off an inebriated priest involved in a road accident. In most films, such a scene, meant as part of character delineation without much connection to the larger narrative, would end there. Instead, here, it spills over into the next scene in the police jeep, where the policeman explains to his junior that the money is not meant for him, but to pay for the repairs of the jeep, since the reimbursements from the department take a long time to come. The scene thus gently transforms into a commentary on the system, just like the rest of the film.

Ronth, as the name suggests, revolves around the night patrol duty of two policemen: Dinanath (Roshan Mathew), a rookie cop, and Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan), a senior officer, hardened by years in the service. Kabir is not going for a conventional police procedural here, but chooses a narrative with an episodic structure, like Abrid Shine’s Action Hero Biju. But unlike the latter film, the episodes here are mostly grim. Over the course of the night, we see the duo criss-crossing the small town, intervening in a series of relatively small issues. These short episodes give us fascinating insights into the nature of the duty, while at the same time providing us a peek into the inner lives of these two men.

Much thought has gone into writing the character of Yohannan, who continues to disprove Dinanath’s as well as the viewer’s impressions of him as the narrative progresses. It is an engrossing character study in an age when we form quick opinions about people or issues based on viral reels that are hardly a minute long. With both the characters and their evolving dynamic taking up much of the screen time, the actors are required to tap into a whole gamut of emotions, which they do admirably well. Dileesh Pothan pulls off the “been there, done that” demeanour of the experienced cop, while Roshan Mathew excels in portraying the inherent circumspection and naivety of a newbie.

After Joseph, Nayattu, Ela Veezha Poonchira and Officer on Duty, Shahi Kabir continues to tap into his experiences in the police department, mining uncommon stories which paint an unflattering picture of the force. Even though the narrative unfurls through these short, seemingly disconnected episodes, the taut screenplay ensures that the film remains engaging throughout. The one misstep, perhaps, is in the climactic sequence, when it seemed the writer, faced with a tricky situation, chose the easy way out. But then, it could have been a choice dictated by a scenario from which tragedy was the only way out.

Ronth is currently playing in theatres