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Is Raazi’s Sweeping Success taking over the Nation?





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 JainKaran Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta (under the banners of Dharma Productions and Junglee Pictures.)

--> Shooting Locations: Doodhpathri, Patiali, Malerkotla and Nabha 

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.

 However, before the marriage takes place, she gets trained by members of the RAW –India’s external intelligence agency in various skills to become a spy.  Her mentor is Khalid Mir -a Research & Analysis Wing agent,  who trains  Sehmat to spy on the Pakistani family into which she is married. 

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.

Comments

  1. 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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