Dinesh Kamath's 'Movie Column: Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 1' that was published in Newsband

Movie Column

Best Bollywood Films of recent times – Part 1

By Dinesh Kamath  

Raazi (2018) directed by Meghna Gulzar proved to be one of the best films of recent times.

Raazi (transl. Inclined) is a 2018 Indian spy thriller film directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banners of Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions. It stars Alia Bhatt and features Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, and Jaideep Ahlawat in supporting roles. The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka's 2008 novel Calling Sehmat, a true account of an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who, upon her father's request, is married into a Pakistani family of military officials to relay information to India, prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Principal photography of Raazi began in July 2017 in Mumbai and was completed on 27 October 2017. It was shot across several locations including Patiala, Nabha, Malerkotla and Doodhpathri. The film was released on 11 May 2018. Made on a budget of Rs 35 crore (US$4.9 million)–Rs. 40 crore (US$5.6 million), Raazi earned over Rs. 194 crore (US$27 million) worldwide to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Indian films featuring a female protagonist.

Raazi received 15 nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and won five, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress for Bhatt.

The year is 1971. An Indian intelligence official lays out a scheme to send his daughter - an untrained college-girl - behind enemy lines to Pakistan, smuggling her in to sneak out wartime secrets. His colleague naturally finds the idea rummy, and is expressing objections when the officer's wife insists they have dinner.

Coming from Meghna Gulzar - the director of Talvar, a fantastic film about a true-life murder case that was brave enough to take a stand - this delicacy isn't surprising. Raazi, based on Harinder Sikka's novel Calling Sehmat, is about the daughter of a spy strategically turned into the daughter-in-law of an opposing spy.

The problem lies with the young girl herself. The first time we meet this character, Sehmat, she runs onto the middle of the road to rescue an imperilled squirrel and the film's pitch changes immediately. Her father, normally restrained, starts speaking to her with overt exposition, suddenly parroting manipulative lines like a male Farida Jalal. "You know I work for the intelligence bureau," he tells his daughter, for some reason. The film switches track every time Alia Bhatt, who plays Sehmat, appears on screen. So we have a few solid beats, with officious gents opening files and discussing submarines, and then we have Sehmat, who suffixes every narrow escape with a hyperventilating shudder and moist-eyed shock - an indiscreet reaction that would be sure to raise an eyebrow. Bhatt has cornered the market on histrionics (and, indeed, hysterics) in this film.

The plot in itself is quite compelling, with fine parallels between a daughter-in-law winning over and fitting into her household contrasted with the reasons a spy would have for the same, but Raazi frequently makes itself hard to take seriously. For instance, despite her combat training, Sehmat can't seem to negotiate the climbing of a high stool, and there is also the niggling detail that nobody in this Pakistani family, a family of army-men and decoders of intelligence, ever thinks to suspect the Indian girl in their midst. As a result, the film is competently crafted.

The film informs: spies have feelings, spies get sappy, spies cry. Even Bond films show us that these days. Gulzar does commendably depict how the other side is just like us - there is a rather clever use of the song Ae Watan, a patriotic track sung with equal fervour from both sides.

Raazi does impress, though. The film has some finely phrased Urdu lines, and there is poetry. Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, Asif Zakaria and Ashwath Bhatt are consistently solid with their matter-of-fact portrayals of country-loving men, Vicky Kaushal is believably vulnerable as Sehmat's groom, and it is a treat to see Soni Razdan back on screen, albeit in a tiny role.

The film is centred, however, by the spymaster. As the operative who trains Sehmat, Jaideep Ahlawat is exceptional, creating a character who is steely and unflinching while also one whose heart is never in doubt. A superb, delicately poised performance.

With her innocent face and her round cheeks - that bounce with the recoil of the gun she fires - Bhatt really looks the part of the naive little operative,

The film has Alia Bhatt as Sehmat Khan, Vicky Kaushal as Iqbal Syed, Jaideep Ahlawat as Khalid Mir, Rajit Kapur as Hidayat Khan, Sehmat's father, Shishir Sharma as Brigadier Syed, Soni Razdan as Teji Khan, Amruta Khanvilkar as Munira, Arif Zakaria as Abdul, Ashwath Bhatt as Mehboob Syed, Aman Vasishth as Nikhil Bakshi, Rajesh Jais as Sarwar, Kanwaljit Singh as older Nikhil Bakshi, Sanjay Suri as Samar Syed and Pallavi Batra as Mitali.

Release and reception:

The first poster of Raazi was released on 9 April 2018 through the official Twitter handle of the film while the trailer of the film was launched on 10 April 2018.

Raazi received mostly positive reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 100% rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews with an average rating of 8/10.

Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost termed the film as a heart-stopping, heartbreaking espionage drama and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. The Times of India rated the film 4/5 stars stating that "Raazi rewrites the spy-thriller genre with emotions, instead of explosions." Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times praised Alia Bhatt's performance and gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is a sensibly written and finely performed film that takes a close look at the ordinary lives of extraordinary people. Not to miss." Shalini Langer of The Indian Express praised director Meghna Gulzar for not allowing Raazi to become a "chest-thumping spectacle of jingoism" and gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 saying that, "at a time when hate and anger are the currency of the subcontinent, a film like Raazi needs to be made." Meena Iyer of Daily News and Analysis gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Alia Bhatt-Vicky Kaushal starrer will blow your mind!" Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com appreciated the acting performances of the film, it's music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, cinematography as well as editing and gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is a rarity. It is intense, riveting, clever, dark, sad, lyrical, heartfelt, relevant and understated."

Rajeev Masand of News18 praised the performance of Bhatt, calling her the "beating heart of Raazi" and gave the film a rating of 3.5 saying that, "The film is admirable also because it’s a measured, mostly intelligent thriller that asks us to consider concepts of patriotism and honor without spoon-feeding us with manipulative background music or provocative dialogue." Raja Sen of NDTV gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 saying that, "There is a lot to like in Meghna Gulzar's spy movie, but Alia Bhatt makes it hard to take Raazi seriously." Kennith Rosario of The Hindu reviewed the film saying that, "There’s a lot going for Raazi yet there’s a nagging lack of novelty — whether it is the film’s plot, message or Bhatt’s ability to cry." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll said that, "Alia Bhatt shines in a muddled and improbable spy thriller." Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 saying that, "Raazi is an interesting thriller brilliantly narrated by Meghna Gulzar that makes for mature viewing. It is a film that celebrates nationalism that is devoid of the colors of religion."

Suhani Singh from India Today gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars stating "Alia Bhatt steals the show in Meghna Gulzar's spy thriller".

Box office:

Raazi emerged as the tenth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2018. It became second film, driven by female lead, to gross more than Rs. 100 crore nett in India, after Tanu Weds Manu Returns. The film grossed more than Rs.158 crore in India, emerging as highest-grossing film of Alia Bhatt, surpassing Badrinath Ki Dulhania.