Directed by Shahi Kabir, Ronth is a tale of two police officers: one young enough to trust the system and be idealistic in his approach, and the other experienced enough to have no hopes for it. More than a thriller, I felt that it was a strong social commentary on the police culture of India. I don’t deny that, at times, you feel that, apart from resorting to unlawful practices, the policemen do not have much of an option. It reminds me of Sayaji Shinde’s character from the film Kurukshetra, where he complains to his boss that, because of his so-called honesty, he wasn’t able to take bribes and provide for his family. He quite unabashedly says that, with the kind of salary they got, it was not possible to support a family. That said, I do not back the entire corrupt culture, but it gives a context for why the situation is like that. I personally didn’t like the way certain scenes were executed in Ronth, but still, it was an intriguing watch, and it 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 with time.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Dinnath hate Yohannan?
Dinnath didn’t like it at all when he was asked to accompany Yohannan, his senior, on night patrol. Dinnath felt that Yohannan was a corrupt cop; he had anger issues, he didn’t treat people right, and he just wasn’t very supportive; he’d throw anybody under the bus for his own benefit. But guess what? During the night patrol, Dinnath realized that he was totally wrong and that Yohannan was, in fact, a very kind and affectionate man who had his share of struggles. Dinnath saw to what extent Yohannan could go to save the life of an innocent person when he told him about a mentally ill man who was holding his own son captive because he felt that somebody was going to kidnap him. Yohannan broke into the man’s house and saved that child. The way he held the child in his arms proved that there were certain trigger points the man had, because of his past. Similarly, when Yohannan and Dinnath got to know that a woman had committed suicide, they reached the scene to find a little baby crying while sitting right in front of the dead body of his mother. Dinnath was shaken to the core when he witnessed such a frightening scene. Even Yohannan was seemingly disheartened after coming across such an incident, and Dinnath was still not able to understand how that angry, selfish cop felt so impacted by the tragedy. Also, it was a bit surprising for Dinnath to see him lose his temper when he saw a man physically abusing his wife. His actions were enough to prove that he was not who he pretended to be in public.
Also, Yohannan didn’t take any shortcuts. He didn’t laze around like his other colleagues, and the entire night, he patrolled the rural area and went wherever he was told to. Yohannan was a complicated man who knew how to camouflage his real feelings, which was probably why he was often misunderstood. When Dinnath got to know that his child was suffering from a high fever, Yohannan decided to drive him to the hospital. He asked him to stay there and told him that he need not worry about work. Yohannan understood that Dinnath was confused and didn’t know what to think of him. Yohannan opened up to him and told him that he and his wife had lost their first child during pregnancy, and after that, they could never have a baby. He said that his wife developed mental health issues after that tragic incident, and she started suspecting him and asking questions as she felt that he had never told her the truth. Yohannan said that his colleagues made fun of him because he listened to whatever his wife said. They called him names, but that didn’t affect him, because he knew that he needed to look after his wife. He loved her, and he understood what she was going through. The man who was known for his erratic behavior was, in reality, an extremely kind and gentle man. Yohannan was burdened by his own circumstances; he had seen a lot, and he had dealt with much worse. But still, he kept on moving forward, and the best thing about him was that he never pitied himself.
How Did Naveen Die?
There was a girl named Jincy who had run away with her lover, Roshan. A man named Naveen had helped them out, and so the girl’s family believed for the longest time that it was Naveen with whom their girl was in a relationship and ultimately eloped. The girl’s family did not want to report the matter, but due to some misunderstanding, Jincy’s father called the police and told them about it. When Dinnath and Yohannan went to question Naveen’s family, they got to know that he was last seen with his friend Arun, and so their doubts strengthened even more. Yohannan was a man who knew how the system worked, and he often got angry at Dinnath when he acted naively. Yohannan was aware that compromises needed to be made in a corrupt system. It was because of that reason he never went by the book, but that didn’t mean he’d throw an innocent person under the bus. Jincy’s mother called her son and told him to come to the village immediately and handle the matter before the police got to know that his sister had run away. Yohannan and Dinnath bumped into Jincy’s brother, but they realized who he was too late. Jincy’s brother and his friends kidnapped Arun and Naveen, as they felt that it was Naveen who had kidnapped their sister. Meanwhile, Dinnath and Yohannan fortunately found Jincy and Roshan and told them they didn’t need to be scared of the police, as they were there to help them out. Yohannan had a chat with Jincy’s brother and told him that he needed to 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 both of them go, but a petrified Naveen escaped from their captivity. The next morning, Naveen’s dead body was found in the nearby water body, and that’s when the entire game changed and became more complicated. Jincy’s family knew that they would be blamed for the death of Naveen, and so they started making calls and pulling strings in order to get the matter 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 don’t know if that was the case for sure. Maybe he killed him, or maybe Naveen succumbed to his injuries. Whatever the cause might have been, the family knew that they needed to shape the narrative, which was only possible if somebody else got framed for the crime.
How Did Dinnath And Yohannan Get Framed For Murder?
The deputy superintendent of the police was a friend of Jincy’s family, and he had been helping them out since the very beginning. He knew that if he played his cards right, then he might be able to pin the blame for Naveen’s death on Yohannan and Dinnath. Jacob knew that Yohannan had made a call to Jincy’s brother and asked him to come to the police station. Jacob knew that Yohannan’s words could be misconstrued, and the entire blame could be shifted onto him. He leaked the information to the media, and the news of two police officers being involved in the murder of a slum-dweller spread like wildfire. Yohannan knew what it meant, and so he left his wife in the care of the local pastor and got ready to face his superiors head-on. Yohannan was an experienced police officer, and he knew how to tackle such situations. But that was not the case with Dinnath. He was comparatively new to the job, and so he got scared quite easily. Jacob pressured Dinnath to testify against Yohannan if he wanted to save his life. Dinnath didn’t agree at first, but then he was tricked into believing that Yohannan had already testified against him, and that was enough to make him fall into the trap. When Yohannan got to know about it, he couldn’t believe that Dinnath could be so naive and so easily fooled. Dinnath realized that testifying against Yohannan didn’t mean that he would be acquitted of all charges.
Dinnath didn’t know what to do or how to convince his bosses that he had never done anything illegal in his life (except for the drinking part on duty). In that paranoia, he tried to escape from the police station and got hit by a vehicle. Yohannan stood there watching it all in disbelief. I believe he had grown fond of the boy, and he never wanted him to have such a tragic end. Dinnath had his entire life in front of him. His only fault was that he wasn’t familiar with the corrupt culture; he was not thick-skinned, and he let his fears overpower him. Probably Yohannan would have thought at the moment that somebody like Dinnath should never have joined the police force. As harsh as it sounded, Yohannan knew that the system couldn’t be changed overnight. He knew that he couldn’t stand against the entire system, and he just wanted Dinnath to understand that. But instead, he saw a crimson road that very silently bore testament to the injustice that had happened. I believe that Jincy’s family would find a way to get out of prison, and the entire blame would eventually be pinned on Yohannan.
