Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky
Kaushal, Shishir Sharma, Soni Razdan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rajit Kapur, Arif
Zakaria, Ashwath Bhatt, Amruta Khanvilkar
Music Lyricist: Gulzar with S-E-L (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy)
Director: Meghna Gulzar
Produced
by: Vineet Jain, Karan Johar,
Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta (under the banners of Dharma Productions and Junglee Pictures.)
Based on Harinder Sikka’s novel, Calling Sehmat, Raazi is also about a Kashmiri girl (Sehmat) who is married to a Pakistani soldier (Iqbal Syed) in order to extract information for the Indian Intelligence Bureau during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan tension period.
Redefining
what patriotism is all about, this film has got elements of love, betrayal and
patriotism in it and takes us back to the two-nation theory, which has been
existent for decades, and gone through many ramifications than time can ever
imagine.
Although
they have shared a common history for over 60 years, they yet remain sworn
enemies but Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi gives us a very taut espionage thriller –
that doesn't take sides.
Having
released on 11th of May 2018 I finally got a chance to watch it on
the 10th of June. There was so much ‘hype’ around this film I was
already excited to watch it –it didn't matter which row (yes I sat on the 2nd
row in Sterling! -all theatres were packed!)
Unlike
other movies that I have seen, this movie really captivated me and I felt
transported in time and you could feel the same vibrancy in the entire theatre
as everyone had their eyes glued to the screen and not for a moment did you see
anyone move to get up, until the very end.
Surprisingly
this has been the first film of Meghna’s that I have seen and she has already received
many positive reviews from Indian film critics and crossed the 100 Crore-mark
at the box office. In addition to this, Raazi has got many accolades and
praises from different celebs that have turned to twitter to express their
views of the movie.
Meghna
has been one of the most underrated directors that we have in the industry, but
each one of her films has turned a new leaf in the industry; and now with the
phenomenal amount of success that she has garnered for this movie, expectations
are only going to get higher!
What Makes Raazi Different from other Bollywood Movies
Raazi
has certainly brought with it a ‘women centric’ cinema in Bollywood. Featuring
a female protagonist, the story has Sehmat (Alia) in every single screen, which
keeps her presence constantly in your mind. As Meghna (Raazi director) believes that you
firmly need to internalise the character.
Actress Soni Razdan and Alia Bhatt work together for the first time in
this spy thriller as mother-daughter, and there are some extremely touching
moments in the movie.
Alia’s Role
Unlike
other movies, Alia Bhatt’s role as a spy is a dramatic shift in her previous
roles that she had played, in films such as Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Dear Zindagi, Ae
Dil Hai Mushkil, Udta Punjab and Student of the Year.
There
is tremendous growth in her as an actress. It is more than just ‘looking good
and convincing on screen with dance skills’. Alia had to really learn the
technique of how to fight and skillfully disarm men in real life and ascertain
how the Morse code works. At the age of just 25, she didn't even know how to
drive a Jonga (a kind of jeep used by the armed forces), but she learned it
for the role!
Sehmat Khan (Alia Bhatt) who is born to a
Kashmiri Muslim father, Hidayat Khan (Rajit Kapoor) and a Hindu mother (Soni
Razdan) has done a brilliant job at convincing us of how she was able to
transform from a clumsy, naïve and innocent college-going girl to a competent
and confident an informant she can be, who has nothing but her duty for her
nation and her father’s wishes above everything else.
What
was really interesting, from the perspective of the movie was that Alia Bhatt
even sung the song Dilbaro, a soothing melody played during the wedding. It
symbolised a universal emotional of a father giving away his daughter, or a
daughter going away from her father.
Even
when you hear the song, you can automatically tell that it is like a Kashmiri
folk; an element, which adds more weightage to Sehmat. This song tugs you at
the heartstrings and gives rise to countless emotions that go unexpressed
between a father and a daughter on the latter’s wedding. Other tracks from the
movie include Ae Watan by Arijit Singh, Raazi by Arijit Singh and Ae Watan by
Sunidhi Chauan. The scenes shown from
this part of the movie are so realistic.
Another
scene from the movie that can be credited is when Sehmat can be seen teaching Pakistani
children the song ‘Aye Watan, Watan Mere Aabad Rahe Tu’ and can be seen
singing it for their country. A soulful soul, it evokes a sense of patriotism
when you hear it and is beautifully sung by Alia. Sehmat who is loyal to her
country is singing this song for her country as the children sing this song for
their country.
Rajit
Kapur’s Role
Her
father, Hidayat Khan (Rajit Kapur) is a double agent and
passes just enough Intel to Brigadier
Syed (Shishir Sharma)
of the Pakistani army to collect more information for the head of the Indian
Secret Service Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat).
He
uses his contacts in Pakistan to spy for the Indian government and is depicted
as a patriotic and exemplary Kashmiri who is willing to risk his kin and life
for his country. However, fate gets the better of him when he discovers that he
is diagnosed with a life-threatening ailment – Cancer.
So,
he instructs his 20-year-old daughter Sehmat to carry out his mission and take
up his place. Although she is hesitant
at first, Sehmat undertakes this mission before her and prepares for her
training as a spy. Hidayat offers Sehmat’s body as bait and marries her off to
the son of a Pakistani Army Officer (General) who trusts Hidayat. It is a
cross-cultural arranged marriage laced with deception at its foundation.
Although
she takes up the mission, she remains questioned by the RAW agent, mentor –
Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat).
She
claims it is the very same kind sacrificing patriotism that has been running
deep in her family; something that her father and grandfather stood for and is
much of an inheritance than a choice.
However,
even though she tries her best to adapt to her married life, her in-laws are
depicted as ‘real’ and less of the cruel, stereotype. The Syeds - Shishir Sharma’s
Parvez Syed or Amruta Khanvilkar’s Munira are seen as
extremely generous and gracious people.
Here, she
learns all the contact numbers to be used in the future and to contact in
Pakistan; and also to convert text information into Morse code –which she has
to do while transferring information to India. In every scene of the movie, you
are so convinced of her ability and she has really outdone herself in executing
skills.
As
we are taken on the journey of how Sehmat transmits information to the intelligence
bureau (handlers back in India), she also finds out critical information about
a possible attack on the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant then deployed in
the Bay of Bengal.
The
movie is an unconventional, sharp yet cerebral spy thriller, which is bound to
keep you at the edge of your seats.
It is a noteworthy approach to film reviews. short reviews do not do justice to an elaborate art form like a feature film.
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