And the most anticipated movie since a couple of years is out. Just as it was marketed, it is a highly commercial movie specially for the masses. It has a tinge of romance, few comic punches, death-defying action scenes, seetimaar dialoguebaazi and SHAHRUKH KHAN. But the problem is that most of it, you’ve already seen and the movie has nothing new to offer.
Set in the late 80s, the film by Rahul Dholakia ( Parzania & Lamhaa fame) follows the story of Raees Alam, a Shia Muslim bootlegger-turned-gangster who wants to make it big in the business-minded but alcohol-prohibited state of Gujarat. He is a man of principles, highly secular and builds up his illegal business on the foundations of morality; it has all the required ingredients to make an anti-hero lovable. But as law sees no empathy, an IPS officer, Majmudar ( Nawaz) is on the trail of the biggest liquor baron in Gujarat, slapping the sections of Prohibition Act on his way.
The film is heavily supported by SRK’s killer performance and a few dramatic dialogues that are used to strike many emotions within you. He plays the role with a lot of conviction and sincerity. He balances the brutality of the character and golden side of his personality with sheer ease.
But the winner in this movie is Nawazuddin. He has constantly proved that he is perhaps the best in the industry, and proves it this time too. He is not a very serious and no-nonsense cop. He is a bit naughtier and mouths a few dialogues which give out a chuckle.
Mahira Khan, who plays Khan’s wife, is wasted in the film. She is just brought in to give the movie a softer touch of romance and has no significant part to play.
The plot involving a lot of cat-and-mouse chase is highly clichéd and resembles many gangster works. The narrative is linear and the pace is constantly rapid in this film which does not give many moments to yawn. The songs are just rushed in the screenplay. But thanks to the crisp editing, the parts which slow down the film do not take up much screen time.
Zeeshan Ayyub as Khan’s right hand is very effortless and affable; you do want to keep him seeing for more & more time. The other supporting actors have also done a fine job. The detailing of the period of 1980s is brilliantly done.
The biggest flaws of the films are its loose plot and its over-the-top chor-police concept; a concept which was popular in the era of Bachchan but gradually died as cinema became more mature.
Overall, Raees is a good film to cater to the masses who seek out entertainment against their hard-earned money. For mature and sophisticated audiences, who want much of a storyline and a stylishly made film, Raees is a strict NO.
MY RATING : 3 stars out of 5
P.S. – Please do not make any comparisons between Raees and Kaabil on the basis of critic reviews. I also request you to accept others’ opinions & not try to argue over which movie is better. Watch movies for entertainment, not for proving superiority on the basis of quality and collection.