Routu Ka Raaz, a Nawazuddin Siddique movie, streaming on Zee5, attracted my attention primarily because it is supposed to be a crime thriller. However, it had something different in store.
Routo Ki Belli is a dreamy valley in Mussoorie where time seems to have stood still. Nothing seems to happen in this sleepy village till one fine morning, a sudden phone call to SI Dimri(Rajesh Kumar) jolts Routo out of its sedentary pace.
Noone knows who made the call about the warden’s death summoning the police to the blind school run by a rich businessman who is apparently very fond of the students. On the face of it, the death seems to be due to natural cause but Inspector Negi(Nawazuddin Siddiqui) thinks otherwise and keeps probing into the matter to the chagrin of many influential people who have vested interest in the valley. From the Home Minister to the Builder. Roshan Seth, have any eye on the land on which the school is built.
The cops feel that Inspector Negi is unnecessarily digging into the matter which is nothing very extraordinary. Negi’s superiors also feel he should let sleeping dogs lie. But Negi is unstoppable.
Why is Negi hell bent on finding the truth? Is there some personal reason motivating him to probe further? Will he be successful in the long run?
There is nothing much to write home about this movie. The scenic beauty of Routu is well captured in so far as cinematograpy is concerned. As a thriller the narrative falls flat as there is nothing thrilling about the story. The premises are oft used and unremarkable. The lapses in the investigation are glaring. There is no explanation for the gaps in the story telling. The viewers can only guess that being a sleepy village the resident cops are inexperienced and illequipped to deal with murder investigation. The characters are halfheartedly sketched including the pivotal ones - Inspector Negi and SI Dimri. Negi’s past is as misty as the mist in the valley. His personal motivation to go on with the investigation is not very clear either. Moreover, Negi’s attempt to bring the investigation to the closure is doubtable and leaves scope for debate.
Nawazudding Siddiqui tries his level best to pull the film forward on his shoulders. Rajesh Kumar gives ample support. Those who are Nawazuddin fans can watch it once.
I too did the same though it was hard to sit through till the end which was rather predictable.