Ronth - Long Night and the Hard Truth

Ronth ( Patrol)

Malayalam - Crime / Drama
121 min
JioHotstar

Shahi Kabir, the writer and director of Ronth (Patrol), was previously a police officer. This explains the authenticity and sharp eye for police procedures in his previous work—Joseph, Nayattu and Officer on Duty. The movies reflect that lived-in understanding and have all been well reviewed and received.

The first five minutes of Ronth seem fairly routine. A policeman walks into the station, into a senior officer’s chamber. He is pleading with the supervisor to let him off the hook for something. He looks sheepish; the plea feels familiar - this is not his first time. He is then escorted back to the police jeep, presumably under suspension. As the jeep rolls down a slope to the main road, we are startled: A man is  pouring buckets of water to wash bloodstains off the road. The background score kicks in and just like that, you are strapped in. This is Cinema.

Ronth is a “one long night” story, following two cops, SI Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan) and CPO Dinanath (Roshan Mathew). Dinanath is assigned the driver duty for the dusk-to-dawn patrol with Yohannan. Dinanath is younger, newer to the force, patient and idealistic. Yohannan is older, seasoned, cocky, fully aware of how the game is played. As expected, there is plenty of friction. Yohannan constantly gives his junior that "you are the driver" jab. while taking the lead in responding to the calls.

As evening sets in, what begins as a routine patrol - checking the town bus stand, cracking down on drunk drivers—soon spirals into a long, dark night. One after another, a series of seemingly unconnected incidents begin to unravel: a case of domestic violence, a rescue call, as police escort to a vehicle, a suicide, a road accident “settlement,” a kidnapping, a personal crisis even.

As the duo reacts to each, we slowly get a layered view of their personalities, insecurities, troubled pasts, and the difficult present. They try to survive the night, inching their way through crisis after crisis, emerging from the shadows as dawn approaches. Everything seems to end well… or does it?

The film is beautifully paced—tense and taut. As i watched, it was well past midnight when the second hour kicked in and I was eagerly waiting for their next wireless call. Characters come and go in the dark of the night, but Dileesh Pothan and Roshan Mathew’s absolutely riveting performances, paired with a gripping screenplay, kept me hooked. There is  a lingering foreboding, you know there is no happy ending and are waiting for it to land. And when it does, it is an absolute gut punch.

It is hard to pick who is better. Roshan Mathew, fresh off the striking Kankhajura, proves once again what a chameleon he is. Dileesh Pothan, throws in the full kitchen sink his emotional range. 

One particular moment stands out: when his younger colleague wants to investigate what he suspects might be a shop break-in, Yohannan lets him, knowing full well what it actually is. The smile on his face and the reaction that follows, is pure class.  We do not see the actor. We see a foxy, world-weary policeman navigating his beat.

Given that most of the film takes place in the dark and in the rain, Manesh Madhavan’s cinematography captures the mood and texture splendidly. The background score by Anil Johnson complements well. The editing is sharp—no scene or character feels unnecessary, the pacing never lags.

I usually stay away from making direct recommendations in my reviews. But for Ronth, I make an exception: Go for it.