RAAZI? YES!!!

 

Image Source - IMDb

I can sit through a Horror film, glued to my seat but when it comes to thrillers, I am one of those you wouldn’t want to sit next to in a theatre. I squirm; I fidget, let out sharp exhales and need my neighbour’s shoulder to hide behind, during cliff-hanger scenes.

Raazi had the entire audience completely enraptured in Alia’s exploits onscreen and then there were Archie and I holding each others’ hands, shaking in anticipation, trying not to hyperventilate, Hastings and Watson on a quest trying to predict the outcome of each scene and getting them all wrong whilst Shugu rightly predicted them! *eyeroll*

Raazi is an adaptation of Calling Sehmat authored by Harinder Sikka and is inspired by true events.

I will not get into detailed story telling this time as I might leak out spoilers and I do not want to do that.

Raazi is a spy, thriller film. The story is set in 1971 when both countries, India and Pakistan are on the verge of war and each side is desperately attempting to infiltrate information from across the border. Hidayat Khan (Rajit Kapoor) is a staunch patriot from Srinagar who has befriended Brigadier Syed (Shishir Sharma) from Pakistan by feeding Syed false and useless information, hoping to get valuable information in return. Hidayat however realises that in order to get the information they need, he needs to situate an aide with Syed who can spy on him and this is when his daughter, Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) is introduced, as a naive and innocent college going girl, who feels queasy at the very sight of blood. Hidayat decides to marry off Sehmat to Syed’s younger son, Iqbal (Vicky Kaushal). Sehmat undergoes rigorous training under Khalid Mir (Jaideep Ahlawat), an Intelligence Agent to become a spy.

Sehmat is now in Pakistan and “happily” settling into her new household under the watchful gaze of Abdul (Arif Zakaria), the caretaker of the household who has his suspicions on account of her being an Indian.

Sehmat artfully manages to pass on information to her Indian counterparts, with the assistance from a few locals enlisted to help her, each time narrowly missing being discovered. But it’s not all smooth sailing and when things take a turn for the worse, Sehmat has to “fix the leaking roof” and “ends up kicking two cats out of the house”.

Amidst all of this, there is also romance brewing between Iqbal and Sehmat and what had started as a marriage of convenience between two strangers evolves into a bond of love based on respect for each other.

Will Sehmat finally get caught or does she manage to escape to India?  Will there be a ‘happily ever after’ for Sehmat and Iqbal? Will their love for each other overpower their love for their country?

After an onslaught of James Bond-ish spy movies with larger than life stunt sequences and over the top romance, Raazi is a welcome and refreshing change. The set and the characters are kept simple. There are no back-flipping, bullets-flying action scenes nor are there songs with Alia and Vicky dancing with the locals, breaking into synchronised steps.  It is the story telling and the script that is gripping and has one (and in my case, literally) on the edge of the seat. From the very start, the movie is peppered with twists and turns that will leave you with your eyes wide open- some predictable and some misleading.  Subtle reactions that may initially appear inconsequential are later explained through flashback. 

The actors have done full justice to the roles portrayed.

Alia is the inexperienced yet determined spy, maintaining the facade of a dutiful daughter in law. She slowly learns that things come at a price and that all her actions have consequences for which she alone is responsible.  

Vicky is the obedient son and dutiful military officer who despite his loyalty to his country is respectful towards the fact that his wife is from India.

Jaideep Ahlawat as the exacting training officer with his deadpan expression who goes to extreme lengths to help Alia out but at the same time doesn’t hesitate to choose his country over her.

This isn’t a classic tale of enmity between India vs Pakistan. While one definitely roots for the safety of Sehmat, one can’t help but feel sorry for those affected by her actions. A war has its causalities and people are sacrificed for the greater good. This is the harsh reality and that is portrayed through this film.   

And between all this espionage is Iqbal’s love for Sehmat that lasts till the very end when he extends his arms to protect her from the bomb. (I thought it apt to end the review with a cliff-hanger ;) )