An unremarkable autorickshaw driver named Raghu hides the mind of a cold blooded psychopath behind an ordinary face. He traps a young man, Dhaval, and a woman, Bhumi, in his rickshaw and drives them to an isolated spot where no one can hear them scream. A police officer, Ashok, races to piece the killings together before Raghu strikes again.
Raghu CNG is a rare swing at pure thriller from Gujarati cinema, and its premise has teeth. An unremarkable autorickshaw driver named Raghu turns out to be a cold blooded killer, luring a young man and a woman into his rickshaw and driving them somewhere their screams cannot reach. Director Vishal Vada Vala, working from a script by Jay Parmar and Sanjay Marvaniya, opens with real confidence and a hook that promises a nasty little genre picture.
For a stretch it delivers. The first ten minutes are the strongest, built on tense cinematography, a driving score and a genuinely unsettling introduction to the villain. Reviewers agreed the plot itself was solid and the intent was serious, which is why the film carries a small cult curiosity around it. The problem is what comes after. Critics at Binged and elsewhere flagged a second half that loses its grip and performances that cannot carry the weight the story demands, and the IMDb score of 5.5 reflects that split between a promising idea and a shaky finish.
The film sits closer to a calling card than a finished thriller. You can see a director who understands mood and pacing in bursts, and you can also see the budget and the inexperience showing whenever the tension needs to hold longer than a single scene. Chetan Daiya lends some steadiness as the investigating officer, but the leads are uneven and the back half leans on convenience. For genre fans it is worth a look as proof that Gujarati cinema can attempt the dark stuff, with the honest caveat that ambition here outruns execution. Watch it for the setup and the nerve, not for a tidy payoff.
Verdict
A bold, genuinely dark thriller with a gripping opening that its wobbly second half cannot sustain. Notable more for nerve than finish.
What works
- A genuinely dark, unusual premise
- Strong, tense opening stretch
- Ambition rare for the industry
- Chetan Daiya steadies the police track
What holds it back
- Second half loses its grip
- Uneven lead performances
- Budget shows in the execution
- Payoff feels rushed and convenient
Cast & crew
Writers: Jay Parmar, Sanjay Marvaniya
Cast: Ethan Wade (Raghu), Jagjeetsinh Vadher (Dhaval), Sharvary Joshi (Bhumi), Chetan Daiya (Ashok), Siddharth Gosai
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Vishal Vada Vala
More Crime Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Raghu CNG worth watching?
A bold, genuinely dark thriller with a gripping opening that its wobbly second half cannot sustain. Notable more for nerve than finish. Kevu Che rates it 2.5 out of 5.
What is Raghu CNG about?
An unremarkable autorickshaw driver named Raghu hides the mind of a cold blooded psychopath behind an ordinary face. He traps a young man, Dhaval, and a woman, Bhumi, in his rickshaw and drives them to an isolated spot where no one can hear them scream. A police officer, Ashok, races to piece the killings together before Raghu strikes again.
What is the IMDb rating of Raghu CNG?
Raghu CNG (2019) holds an IMDb rating of 5.5 out of 10.