Often we have complained about the dearth of gripping, edge of the seat movies in Bollywood, which unfortunately indulges more in mind numbing entertainers than rock solid, content oriented movies. Though not ignorant of the espionage genre, there isn’t one movie in Bollywood, apart from Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’, which Bollywood could proudly claim as a genuine, edge of the seat spy thriller, until Meghna Gulzar came up with Raazi.
Based on ex Indian Navy commander Harinder Sikka’s novel ‘Calling Sehmat’, starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role, Raazi, is an ode to the unsung heroes of espionage, is centered around the turmoil of the 1971 Indo Pak War. It is a gripping tale of how a 21 year old docile Kashmiri student, Sehmat, who is so sensitive and caring that she cannot see a squirrel being mowed down, makes up her mind and fulfills her dying father Hidayat’s [Rajit Kapur] last wish to join the world of espionage and become the ‘eyes and ears of India in Pakistan’.To this purpose, Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) is betrothed to Major Iqbal Syed [Vicky Kaushal], who hails from an illustrious, high ranking officers’ family. How she averts India’s annihilation at the hands of Pakistan in the 1971 war despite not being a born professional in espionage forms the crux of this brilliant thriller.
When it comes to nationalism, Bollywood does tend to go a bit overboard, but in Raazi, despite having a strong nationalist approach, the narrative hits just the right notes required for a compelling drama on an issue as sensitive as the Indo Pak War of 1971.
What’s Good:-
To start with, Raazi is without doubt one of the very few films in Bollywood which manage to keep one gripped till the very end. Tight script, negligible meandering, no usual latka jhatkas that Bollywood is notorious for, that’s what sums up the base of an effective movie, and Raazi hits all the right notes in that respect.
Meghana Gulzar, who has returned to the director’s chair 3 years after her surprise hit ‘Talvar’, has went a notch ahead with her current flick. A crisp narrative, with gripping visuals of the movie background, from Delhi to Kashmir and beyond, is something you can only expect a filmmaker like Meghna Gulzar to deliver the best at.
Given that the topic was quite sensitive, just like the profession of Sehmat in the movie, where a single error could jeopardize the entire project, one must appreciate the director for not allowing the movie to meander beyond a permissible limit. Had it been otherwise, Raazi wouldn’t have been any different from films like ‘Madras Café’, which couldn’t impress the audience despite being projected with a noble intention. Meghana Gulzar did a fantastic job with the skilful interpretation of such a sensitive topic.
What’s Awesome:-
Everybody in Raazi, from the lead, to the supporting cast, have left a deep impression. The list would be close to infinite, but Alia Bhatt was close to perfect as the vulnerable, but a lethal genius, who doesn’t take much time in switching gears as a professional spy.
Equally able is Rajit Kapur, who as Sehmat’s (Alia Bhatt) father, plays the role of an old, but shrewd double agent, who has strong ethics for his profession, as well as his nation. Though reluctant to push his daughter into the tumultuous, testing world of espionage, he doesn’t want his country to be put in jeopardy because of his own failing health.
A special mention needs to be made for Jaideep Ahlawat, who is brilliant as the tough taskmaster Khalid Mir, the head of operations at India’s overseas intelligence wing, RAW. The non nonsense attitude, coupled with a softer side for Sehmat’s dedication, does make Jaideep’s performance a treat to watch.
Vicky Kaushal, who was a treat to watch as the trigger happy, menacing cop in ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, surprises us yet again with his brilliant, though understated role of Major Iqbal Syed, who is as devoted to his nation as Sehmat is to India. Even actors like Amruta Khanwilkar, Arif Zakaria, Soni Razdan and Sanjay Suri, despite their limited screen timing, has let their facial expressions and their acting do the talking.
What’s Bad:-
Well, when there is something too good to be true, it isn’t. That goes the same for Raazi ,which has few flaws, however minor they might be.
The mixed heritage of Sehmat’s (Alia Bhatt) family, as evident from Soni Razdan’s getup in the movie, clearly not synonymous with a Kashmiri Muslim, is not given much attention to. Also, the ending could’ve been a little crisper, as for once; the outburst of Sehmat could have converted into the moral rhetoric against war which we are too tired to hear now. Thankfully, Meghna’s superb direction didn’t let the plot move that way; otherwise the movie could have lost some sheen in the end.
On a funny note, it would be interesting to see how no liberal critic or intellectual, who would normally go ‘Sparta!’ at the mere mention of nationalism in Indian movies, has not uttered a word against this movie .This proves that with this film, Meghna has also indirectly hit two birds with a stone.
Not only has she created a movie, which none can afford to miss, but she has also avoided the hilarious criticism often associated with nationalist movies with ease
Had it not been for its minor, but noticeable flaws, I’d given it a 4.5/5, but for now, I’d go with 4/5.
