There's plenty to like about Raat Akeli Hai - the incredibly detailed screenplay, the solid performances from the ensemble (led by a superb Nawazuddin Siddiqui), the cinematography (by Pankaj Kumar, of Tumbbad fame), the statement it makes on inherent patriarchy that runs in a wealthy-but-dysfunctional family, and the way everything neatly ties up in the end. Nawaz is in top form here, and as Jatil Yadav (a desi incarnation of Detective Hercule Poirot), he impresses.
The film starts off with two murders that take place five years apart. The plot moves forward at its own sweet pace, giving insights into the general uneasiness at Raghubeer Singh's household, the elaborate mansion and its secretive inhabitants. Jatil and his mother often have offhand conversational arguments about his impending marriage and how he has given up on finding a life partner. When someone rejects him for his dark complexion, he immediately gets defensive about it and question's the girl's attire.
With her sharp writing, Smita proves that Jatil is cut from the same patriarchal cloth as most other men in the film. Just because he's the protagonist, it doesn't mean that he can't be flawed. But his outlook towards strong, opinionated women changes as the story progresses. In fact, he falls for one too. Enter the conventional damsel-in-distress Radha (the slain Raghubeer's mistress-turned-wife; played by Radhika Apte) who, we get to know, has history with Jatil. Smita Singh's screenplay doesn't overlook the little details around the crime scene. In short, it never takes you for granted - that's one quality I appreciate in my whodunnits.
Raat Akeli Hai remains a whodunnit from beginning to end but diverges into a few subplots in the latter half. The grip starts to loosen with what seems to be a case of "too many suspects" and "too many connections to the crime". Thankfully, the final half-hour is where all the dots connect quite convincingly. And it takes a much-needed dig at toxic masculinity while at it.
The film starts off with two murders that take place five years apart. The plot moves forward at its own sweet pace, giving insights into the general uneasiness at Raghubeer Singh's household, the elaborate mansion and its secretive inhabitants. Jatil and his mother often have offhand conversational arguments about his impending marriage and how he has given up on finding a life partner. When someone rejects him for his dark complexion, he immediately gets defensive about it and question's the girl's attire.
With her sharp writing, Smita proves that Jatil is cut from the same patriarchal cloth as most other men in the film. Just because he's the protagonist, it doesn't mean that he can't be flawed. But his outlook towards strong, opinionated women changes as the story progresses. In fact, he falls for one too. Enter the conventional damsel-in-distress Radha (the slain Raghubeer's mistress-turned-wife; played by Radhika Apte) who, we get to know, has history with Jatil. Smita Singh's screenplay doesn't overlook the little details around the crime scene. In short, it never takes you for granted - that's one quality I appreciate in my whodunnits.
Raat Akeli Hai remains a whodunnit from beginning to end but diverges into a few subplots in the latter half. The grip starts to loosen with what seems to be a case of "too many suspects" and "too many connections to the crime". Thankfully, the final half-hour is where all the dots connect quite convincingly. And it takes a much-needed dig at toxic masculinity while at it.