Raat Akeli Hai: A classic whodunnit

While watching Raat Akeli Hai, I was reminded of a dialogue from Netflix’s Bulbbul: Bade haveli mai bade raaz hote hai (Large manors have large secrets). Raat Akeli Hai is one such film where the secrets of a haveli are being explored.

Immediately after his second marriage, Thakur Raghubeer Singh – the owner of the haveli – is found with a bullet in his chest. Police inspector Jatil Yadav, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is sent to the haveli to investigate the crime. What follows is a classic whodunnit.

Along with Jatil Yadav, we are also introduced to the family members. Like Jatil Yadav, it is hard for the audience as well to guess who would have committed the murder. We’re given just about enough information on every character. This makes the characters and the tale ambiguous. And, we the audience, try to keep guessing the murderer.

This is a flawed family. The men in the family do not respect the women. The family members also know that Raghubeer Singh was involved in child trafficking. From time to time he would get children to the haveli and later sell them. When the doorbell rings, a pregnant woman is sent to open the door even though all the family members were in the same room.

Usually, in Indian mainstream cinema, when stories deal with the idea of morality, we are given a flawless and righteous lead character who upholds morality. This is even more evident if the lead is a cop. In such stories, the protagonist remains unchanged throughout the film. The protagonist’s purpose is to change the world around him. However, Raat Akeli Hai does not fall into that trap. While we are reminded of Ajay Devgan in a scene, Jatil is no Singham. Jatil Yadav, like everyone else, is also a flawed man. He is someone who wants a decent looking, well-mannered woman as his wife. When his mother asks a girl at a wedding whether she wants to marry Jatil, the girl looks at the photo and tells that he’s a bit dark. And when Jatil notices his mom speaking to the girl, he later tells his mom that he wouldn’t have married that girl because of the kind of dress she was wearing. Towards the end of the film, we get to see a transformed Jatil.

In its two and a half hours run time, the film kept me hooked to the screen for the most part of it. The few songs towards the end felt more like a distraction. It would have been better if the songs were avoided. This also happened when they tried to form a bond between Jatil and Radha. Except for that, the film never moves away from the crime. The film is also shot brilliantly by Pankaj Kumar. The dark nights (no pun intended), the dim lighting and deep shadows add to the sense of suspense and ambiguity.

And, at this point, I don’t think I have to speak about Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s and Radhika Apte’s performance. Nawaz who’s present in almost every frame of the film is a sincere cop who’s very stubborn about solving the case. He effortlessly carries the entire film on his shoulders. It was good to look at him playing the cop this time. And Radhika Apte as Radha was great too. None of the supporting characters disappoint as well.

Honey Trehan, in his directorial debut, has done a good job. With the right approach and a great cast, the film keeps us engrossed in its story. As the film progresses, we’re also shown misogyny, corruption and class-based discrimination. But it never makes a hard statement towards any of those issues, only committing itself to the murder mystery.

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