Ronth

One of the most highly praised Mollywood films of the year so far is finally out on streaming. I learned that Shahi Kabir, the director of this film, was police officer in the past. Checks out, his writing in the previous films have had a very different take on the Kerala Police Force. If you've watched Nayattu and liked it, you're gonna like this film, but in a different way; also, there's a surprise waiting for you in this film.

Most cop dramas out of any of the film industries are over the top action films, but this...slow-burn... is grounded in reality (for the most part) and portrays the 'other side of the life' of the police officers that most films fail to show. The film depicts the events of an overnight patrol and almost every single thing the two cops do during this time, almost drags you along on this tiring journey. You really feel it's dragging along but that's deliberately done to make you feel how they feel on a daily basis. If you choose to not look at it that way, you're gonna feel like the parts of the patrol seem very repetitive and will start questioning why certain things happen the way they did in the film.

Dileesh Pothan and Roshan Matthew were fantastic in their roles, playing cops who've been a part of the force for 22 years (and about to retire soon) and 6 months respectively. You think you can predict where this film is going to go but writing slowly peels away the layers and makes you go "Yeah, I was not ready for that. Life isn't fair." Great acting and writing backed by awesome cinematography (the lush green locales makes you wonder if the shots have been over saturated but you realize it's Kerala and that's probably how the place is) and good sound design.

I initially didn't see the hype, thought this was overrated but the more I think about the film, the more I'm convinced that this was a banger but it'll sadly not be rated as high by the casual watchers. Regardless, if you like slow-burn thrillers, you should definitely watch this.

The movie had potential, though the beginning scene merge was unnecessary and how they ended it was also unnecessary. Could have used the events to tell a commercial style story, something along the lines of Action Hero Biju in the tone of Officer on Duty. A missed opportunity. Because, the on-screen give and take was good. I don't why they chose tragedy, reminded me of films in the early 90's when tragedy was essential across media, let it be novels, serials or films. I don't know if anyone would watch films for engaging in that emotion anymore, especially it would cloud the experience of watching a movie if a hint of the story was given at the beginning. Even if tragedy was the aim, should have just started the film normally without any unnecessary editing gimmick. Otherwise, should have chosen to completely immerse into the slice of life genre.

This move gives a different paradigm to the way we look at Police men. Definitely one of the finest unique Cop movies which looks extremely close to reality. Story revolves around a night patrolling by a senior policeman n a new recruit n the series of random events they go through. The last 30 mins climax brings immense weightage to the movie. It's slow, boring at places but very realistic. Acting of the senior policeman is worth mentioning. Originally a Malayalam movie dubbed in all South Indian languages including Hindi as well. Available in JioHotstar, my ratings 7.5/10!

This move gives a different paradigm to the way we look at Police men. Definitely one of the finest unique Cop movies which looks extremely close to reality. Story revolves around a night patrolling by a senior policeman n a new recruit n the series of random events they go through. The last 30 mins climax brings immense weightage to the movie. It's slow, boring at places but very realistic. Acting of the senior policeman is worth mentioning. Originally a Malayalam movie dubbed in all South Indian languages including Hindi as well. Available in JioHotstar, my ratings 7.5/10!

The name Shahi Kabir is enough to pull you into this interestingly minimal night patrol cop drama. The leads (Dileesh Pothan and Roshan Mathew) are well-written, and both their performances are superbly effective. We, as audiences, get to witness possibly one of the most compelling, challenging nights they go through as Officers on Patrol Duty (pun intended). The North Kerala landscape also adds so much to the proceedings, successfully sending chills down our spine when needed. The cases they deal with are also emotionally hard-hitting and carry life-altering consequences, making each incident either add more baggage or connect to a larger thread of events.

The setup is minimal when you think of it, but the writing and direction are splendid. The dialogues swing between humourously relatable and deeply moving; it's safe to say that both sides of the coin are effective. And when you know it's part of the Shahi Kabir Copverse™ (loved the Nayattu connection), you'd be anticipating that feeling of heaviness in the chest as the film concludes. I'm amazed how the writer-director can tell these realistically grounded stories as a cop himself.

Manesh Madhavan's scintillating cinematography (almost 3/4ths of the film unfolds at night), Anil Johnson's affecting music, and Praveen Mangalath's editing all help the film to a great extent. Certain parts of it could've easily been tagged as "psychological horror," and I would agree. I was instantly reminded of Training Day when I watched the trailer, but Ronth is a greater emotional beast, and it carries a core that's easy to connect to.

Ronth is a unique and intense one-night police procedural that explores the unseen emotional and moral weight of routine patrolling. Dileesh Pothan excels as a seasoned cop, and Roshan Mathew shines as the rookie learning fast on the job. The film captures the chaos and unpredictability of real-life police work-from domestic violence to suicide cases-all in one night.

But the final act is where it stumbles. Roshan's character suddenly makes irrational decisions that feel out of place, and the ending is abrupt, leaving the story feeling unfinished. The film had great buildup, but the conclusion lacked the depth and closure it deserved.

Still, worth watching for the performances and grounded storytelling.