Rautu Ki Beli—a tiny village in Dhanaulti tehsil of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand—has lent its name to a 135-minute Bollywood film 'Rautu Ka Raaz' starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. To be sure, Bollywood has previously exalted many an interesting Indian location in the public consciousness. From Ratlam ki galiyaan in 'Jab We Met' to the streets of Bareilly in 'Bareilly ki Barfi' and 'Udaan' set in Adityapur near Jamshedpur, Hindi films have often found inspiration in small towns and villages and returned the favour by pulling them out of oblivion or showcasing their natural beauty.
A crime thriller, 'Rautu Ka Raaz' promises to do just this. The film premiered at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa in 2023, and it is now set to release direct-to-digital on ZEE5 on June 28.
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui alluded to the charm of Rautu Ki Beli when he said in a press release: "I am someone who enjoys watching crime dramas... What really sets 'Rautu Ka Raaz' apart are the quirky characters and the lazy but breathtaking backdrop of Uttarakhand."
In an exclusive to Moneycontrol, Siddiqui added that "Rautu Ki Beli itself serves as a character in the film".
Here's what you need to know about the intriguingly named Rautu Ki Beli and its connection with the upcoming crime thriller movie on OTT.
Where is Rautu ki Beli
Also known as Paneer Village because so many villagers are engaged in making and selling cottage cheese here, Rautu ki Beli is located some 40 km from Dehra Dun in the Tehri region of Uttarakhand. Think panoramic views of the Himalayas, greenery as far as the eye can see and the Bhagirathi river flowing through Tehri.
As per Census 2011, Rautu Ki Beli is home to just over 1,100 people and has fewer than 200 homes!
'Rautu Ka Raaz' director Anand Surapur ('The Fakir of Venice', Phat Phish Productions), said in a press release: "Rautu Ka Raaz is a small-town film that transports viewers to the breathtaking landscapes of Uttarakhand and its surrounding areas.
The premise of the film that required it be set in a place where the crime rate is believably low. In the film, there's a murder in the Rautu Ki Beli - the first in around 15 years. Inspector Deepak Negi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) leads an investigation that is obfuscated at every turn by social stigma, small-town laziness and "locals in denial".
Siddiqui told Moneycontrol that while the film is "a murder mystery, it maintains a subtle and slow pace, unlike the fast-paced narratives typically seen in such genres and this is what I feel makes the film stand out."
Rautu Ka Raaz movie trailer
The trailer of upcoming OTT release 'Rautu Ka Raaz' offers a glimpse into life in Uttarakhand village Rautu Ki Beli. The trailer also gives a glimpse into what to expect: as one character points out, Inspector Deepak Negi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is smart but weird, just like everything else in Rautu Ki Beli is ajeeb (strange). See the trailer here:
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