Directed by Shahi Kabir, Ronth tells the story of two police officers: one young enough to trust the system and be idealistic in his approach, and the other experienced enough to not hold it against him. More than a thriller, I found it to be a strong social commentary on India's police culture. I don't deny that, at times, it feels like, short of resorting to illegal practices, police officers don't have many options.
It reminds me of Sayaji Shinde's character in the film Kurukshetra, where he complains to his boss that, due to his supposed honesty, he couldn't take bribes or support his family. He openly states that, with the salary they were receiving, it wasn't possible to support a family. That said, I don't endorse the corrupt culture as a whole, but it does provide some context as to why the situation is the way it is. Personally, I didn't like the way certain scenes in Ronth were executed, but even so, it was an intriguing film and leaves you with a lot to think about. So, let's find out what happened in the film and how the relationship between the two police officers changed over time.
Director: Shahi Kabir
Writer: Shahi Kabir
Stars: Arun Cherukavil, Kumaradas TN, Sudhi Koppa
Dinnath wasn't pleased at all when he was asked to accompany Yohannan, his superior, on a night patrol. Dinnath felt Yohannan was a corrupt police officer; he had anger issues, didn't treat people well, and simply wasn't very understanding; he would betray anyone for his own benefit. But you know what? During the night patrol, Dinnath realized he was completely wrong and that Yohannan was, in fact, a very kind and caring man with his own difficulties. Dinnath saw the lengths Yohannan would go to save an innocent person's life when he told him about a mentally challenged man who was holding his own son captive because he felt someone was going to kidnap him. Yohannan broke into the man's house and saved the boy.
The way he held him in his arms showed he had certain trigger points due to his past. Similarly, when Yohannan and Dinnath learned of a woman's suicide, they arrived at the scene and found a crying baby sitting in front of his mother's corpse. Dinnath was deeply shaken by such a terrifying scene. Even Yohannan seemed disheartened after witnessing such an incident, and Dinnath still couldn't understand how the angry and selfish police officer could have been so affected by the tragedy. Furthermore, Dinnath was somewhat shocked to see him lose his temper when he saw a man physically abusing his wife. His actions were enough to prove he wasn't who he pretended to be in public.
Furthermore, Yohannan didn't mince words. He didn't slack off like his other colleagues, and he patrolled the rural area all night and went wherever he was told. Yohannan was a complex man who knew how to camouflage his true feelings, which is probably why he was often misunderstood. When Dinnath learned that his son had a high fever, he decided to take him to the hospital. He asked him to stay there and told him he shouldn't worry about work. Yohannan understood that Dinnath was confused and didn't know what to make of him.
He opened up to him and shared that he and his wife had lost their first child during pregnancy and that, after that, they would never be able to have a baby. He said his wife developed mental health issues after that tragic incident and began to suspect him and ask questions, feeling he had never told her the truth. Yohannan said his colleagues made fun of him because he listened to everything his wife said. They called him names, but it didn't phase him because he knew he had to take care of his wife. He loved her and understood what she was going through. The man known for his erratic behavior was actually an extremely kind and gentle man. Yohannan was burdened by his own circumstances; he had seen a lot and dealt with much worse. But still, he kept going, and the best thing about him was that he never felt sorry for himself.
There was a girl named Jincy who had eloped with her lover, Roshan. A man named Naveen had helped them, so the girl's family believed for a long time that it was Naveen with whom the girl was in a relationship, and she eventually eloped. The girl's family was reluctant to report the matter, but due to a misunderstanding, Jincy's father called the police and told them. When Dinnath and Yohannan went to question Naveen's family, they learned that he had last been seen with his friend Arun, so their doubts intensified even more. Yohannan was a man who knew the system well and often got angry with Dinnath when he acted naively.
Yohannan was aware that compromises had to be made in a corrupt system. That's why he never played by the rules, but that didn't mean he would let an innocent person down. Jincy's mother called her son and told him to go to the village immediately and take care of the matter before the police found out that his sister had run away. Yohannan and Dinnath met Jincy's brother but realized it too late. Jincy's brother and his friends kidnapped Arun and Naveen, believing that Naveen had kidnapped their sister. Meanwhile, Dinnath and Yohannan fortunately found Jincy and Roshan and told them that they shouldn't fear the police, as they were there to help them. Yohannan conversed with Jincy's brother and told him that he should leave Arun and Naveen alone, as their sister was with Roshan and they had nothing to do with her.
Jincy's brother would have let them both go, but a terrified Naveen escaped from his captivity. The next morning, Naveen's dead body was found in the nearby waterbody, and that's when everything changed and got complicated. Jincy's family knew they would be blamed for Naveen's death, so they started making calls and using their influence to get things under control before it was too late. Jincy's brother stated very clearly that he had nothing to do with Naveen's death, but I'm not sure if that was the case. Perhaps he killed him, or perhaps Naveen died from his injuries. Whatever the cause, the family knew they had to shape the narrative, which would only be possible if someone else was incriminated for the crime.
The deputy commissioner of police was a friend of Jincy's family and had been helping them from the beginning. He knew that if he played his cards right, he could blame Yohannan and Dinnath for Naveen's death. Jacob knew that Yohannan had called Jincy's brother and asked him to come to the police station. Jacob knew that Yohannan's words could be misinterpreted and that all the blame would fall on him. He leaked the information to the media, and the news that two police officers were involved in the murder of a slum dweller spread like wildfire. Yohannan knew what this meant, so he left his wife in the care of the local pastor and prepared to confront his superiors.
Yohannan was an experienced police officer and knew how to handle these kinds of situations. But that wasn't the case with Dinnath. He was relatively new on the job, so he scared easily. Jacob pressured Dinnath to testify against Yohannan if he wanted to save his life. Dinnath didn't agree at first, but then they led him to believe that Yohannan had already testified against him, and that was enough to lure him into the trap. When Yohannan found out, he couldn't believe Dinnath could be so naive and so easily deceived. Dinnath realized that testifying against Yohannan didn't mean he would be cleared of all charges. Dinnath didn't know what to do or how to convince his superiors that he had never done anything illegal in his life (except for drinking while on duty).
In his paranoia, he tried to escape from the police station and was run over. Yohannan stood there watching it all in disbelief. I think he had grown fond of the boy and never wanted him to meet such a tragic end. Dinnath had his whole life ahead of him. His only flaw was that he wasn't familiar with the corrupt culture; he wasn't insensitive and let his fear overcome him. Yohannan would probably have thought at the time that someone like Dinnath should never have joined the police force. As harsh as that sounded, Yohannan knew the system couldn't be changed overnight. He knew he couldn't buck the entire system, and he just wanted Dinnath to understand that. But instead, he saw a crimson path that silently bore witness to the injustice. I think Jincy's family would find a way to get out of prison, and that all the blame would ultimately fall on Yohannan.
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