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| Sutanuka Chatterjee |
Raazi recreates
emotions on Silver Screens
Story Line:Raazi, a 2018 period-thriller flick, is set against the backdrop of 1971
Indo-Pak war. Director Meghna Gulzar, being a pro, beautifully portrays the
fate of an Indian girl married to a Pakistani Army officer.
‘Raazi’
is inspired from the real life story of a naïve Muslim girl named, Sehmat,
(Alia Bhat) whose father, Hidayat Khan, seals her destiny as an Indian Spy. Mr.
Khan, being an Indian Intelligence Official, lays out a scheme of smuggling her
daughter to sneak out wartime secrets. Her adolescence sees a radical change as
she endures rigorous training under Khalid Mir, an Indian Intelligence Agent. Twists
in her life strengthen when she is married off to Iqbal Syed, a Pakistani Army
Officer. Proficiently hiding her unfeigned motives, Sehmat gradually blends
into Iqbal’s family to unravel the vital information for our nation.
Alia’s
character unfolds with a little girl running onto the mid of a road for
rescuing an imperiled squirrel. The film’s pitch amplifies right after as she
utters “War? Phir Se?” in her most realistic tone to her father who has been
speaking till the time with overt exposition. The essence in the screen changes
every moment with indiscreet reactions, moist-eyed shocks and hyperventilating
shudders that is certain to raise your eyebrows with each scene change.
Vicky
Kaushal as Iqbal presents a charming sincerity on screen with his nuances. Vicky’s
attempt of balancing emotions for his country and his natural appeal towards
Sehmat gives a rich turnover to the cinema. In spite of his good-to-be-honest
acting, he looks vulnerable as Alia’s husband.
Though
the movie is meant to be realistic thriller, it is only for the Udta Punjab
actress that the audience gets to spiral towards a melodramatic aspect. For
some people, Alia appears to be ‘Most Acting’ over ‘Best Acting’ whereas for
others she is remarkably authentic in her part. To be honest with my readers, a
constant sense of self-consciousness makes Bhatt looks like a girl playacting
as a spy instead of an actual one. She could have pulled it to a little higher
standard with her astounding acting morale.
Apart
from the protagonists, the spymaster deserves a mention over here. Jaideep
Ahlawat creates an exceptional magic in the movie with his delicately poised
performance. Once you watch the film, you happen to respect this steely
unflinching man whose heart is never in doubt. Needless to mention, Soni
Razdan’s comeback on screen albeit in a tiny role is definitely a treat for
every movie buff.
The
overall plot is fairly compelling with parallels between an Indian spy fitting
into a Pakistani household and winning over as a daughter-in-law but, this
concept itself also makes Raazi far away from believing. This movie may not let
down the bollywood movie lovers but, dullness sets in critic’s mind by the time
shrill climax comes around.
Directorial Credit: Meghna Gulzar
Writing Credits:
Novelist Harinder S. Sikka (Based on his book ‘Calling Sehmat’), Meghna Gulzar
and Bhavani Iyer (Sccreenplay), Meghna Gulzar (Dialogue)
Produced By:
Dharma Productions (Chief producer), Somen Mishra (Associate producer), Somesh
Shivraj (Line producer)
Music By:
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Tubby
Cinematography:
Jay I. Patel
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