Raazi movie review

 

Raazi is a spy thriller movie in Bollywood directed by Meghna Gulzer and produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under Junglee Picture and Dharma Productions.

Raazi was released on 11 May 2018. It starred Alia Bhatt who was a protagonist and Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma ND Jaideep Ahlawat played the supporting roles in the film.

This movie plot was inspired from Hkarinder Sikkas’s novel 'Calling Sehmat', based on a true event of an Indian Research and Analysis wing(RAW) agent. This book was published in April, 2008 by Konark publishers.

The movie started shooting in July, 2017 and completed in on 27^th October, 2017 Mumbai. This film was filming several locations in the country including Patiala, Nabha, Malerkotla and Doodhpathri.

Raazi’s maiden budget was 350 million rupees and its grossed income was 2.07 billion rupees worldwide. This film received 15 nominations on several categories in the 64^th Filmfare Awards and won five Awards, including The Best Film, Best Director for Maghna Gulzar and Best Actress for Alia Bhatt.          

The music was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and lyrics was written by Gulzar. And film’s songs were sung by Arijit Singh, Harshdeep Kaur, Vibha Saraf, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Out of four songs, one of the special patriotic song "Ae Watan” contains the lyrics of Allama Iqbal's dua poem "Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua" which brings a strong patriotic inspiring emotion in the audience’s heart.

The song lyric was written in such a way that it doesn’t bound in any border. Every person has sung it who loves his/her country. it was wonderfully sung by Sunichi Chauhn and a very promising Satyajeet Jena. The soundtrack was officially released on 18 April 2018 on the Zee Music Company banner.

Vipin Nair of The Hindu gave the soundtrack 4/5 stating that “it's "a gem of a soundtrack" and "wish the soundtrack were longer".

The Times of India's Debarati Sen, in a review said the album is "definitely one to be heard on the loop". She further added that it is a "must for music lovers and Gulzar fans".

Raazi is based on a true event of preceding the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Hidayat Khan (Rajit Kapur) is an Indian freedom fighter and an agent for the Indian government against Pakistani government.

His daughter Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) is 20 years’ old Muslim Kashmiri girl who studied in Delhi University. For fulfilling her father’s last request before dining in Lounge cancer, she is willing to join as an undercover agent of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

After joining as an agent of India government, she is trained by senior Raw officer Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawa) and a young promising officer Bakshi (Aman Vasishth). 

Sehmat Khan father has a good friendship with Brigadier Parvez Syed (Shishir Sharma) of the Pakistan Army. He uses this relationship and arranged Sehmat’s marriage with Syed’s younger son, Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) who is another military officer in Pakistan. After marriage Sehmat settled down in Pakistan her in laws house. Adjusting in a new environment, new country as well as tried to woin their trust.

At present moment, her father in law Brigadier Syed is promoted to Major Genaral. For this reason, many important confidential document brings in his house and several members of the defense forces are coming and meeting his house. Sehmat collects crucial information’s and start to passing back those relaying information’s in India through her channels. In the meantime, she also starts to realized that she falls in love with her husband Iqbal.

Sehmat passes so many crucial planning information against Indian looming war. But unfortunately one of her in laws house servants Abdul, discovers her truth. Sehmat has no way to unexposed her. She runs him down by a car. This incident affects her emotional stats heavily.

At that time, Pakistan planned to attack on Indian aircraft station INS VIikrant which was placed in Bay of Bengal. Sehmat passes this information.

Iqbal’s elder brother Mehboob Syed also discovered her true intention. After initial hesitation, then she kills him. Because she doesn’t find other way to save herself. Day after day, Iqbal also discovered her as a spy, this finding broken his heart totally. He decided to confronts her but before he died in a grenade attacks. Sehmat is alive from this attacks. But Sehmat was shocked for her husband death as well as knowing the fact Mir’s intention to kill her.

She realized the war effects of humanity and relationships, how insignificant all are!  

Then, she returns to India. That time, she is pregnant with Iqbal’s child. She keeps her child alive.

At the end moment, Sehmat’s son Samar Syed became an Indian officer. At present, Sehmet is old, medal of her house she sitting on a chair and looking outside of the window in her house.  

As a female lead film, Raazi emerged as one of the Highest-grossing Indian Films which grossed collection was more than 100 crore rupees after ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. It was also the tenth Highest-grossing film in 2018. After release, it got huge positive responses from audiences. Maghna Gulzer’s direction and Alia Batt’s performances received wide recognition. It was also a critically and commercially successful movie.

Here are some critics review’s about Raazi, -

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.”

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."

In a negative review, Kennith Rosario of The Hindu commented, "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."

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."