The film brings you the version 2.0 of the psychopath Raman Raghav – the serial killer infamous for committing 41 gruesome murders during 1960’s.
The film reflects the notoriety of Raman Raghav of 1960’s, and draws a parallel to the Raman Raghav(s) of the current generation.
Story: Ramanna(Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is inspired by Raman Raghav’s story narrated by his father. He believes that his existence is for a reason and his victims were meant to be killed by him. So honest is his belief and the purpose of his existence that he stands in front of the Police Station wanting to surrender but is let off due to his moronic behavior. Having found the confidence and renewed zeal, he commits more murders without any remorse. While this is not enough, he also believes that Ramanna cannot be complete unless he meets Raghav. He sets his eyes on Raghav(Vicky Kaushal) who he considers as his soulmate. Raghav is a cop but also a drug addict. Morality and Ethics are alien to him.
He is in a live-in relationship with Smrutika Naidoo(Sobhita Dhulipala) who has had 3 abortions. Though deeply in love with Raghav and wanting to settle down, she is always at the receiving end of his fits and rage even with a remote reference to ‘marriage’. The lives of Ramanna and Raghav run in parallel with Ramanna keeping a close eye on Raghav and his activities considering himself as the CCTV of God. The events that follow are that of the people attached to the lives of Ramanna and Raghav in some way or the other, who eventually fall victims. You will have to watch the film to find out how Raghav complements Ramanna and whey their relationship is vital for each other’s survival and future.
Cast: The casting is apt and performance of cast across the board is excellent. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Raman steals the show, nevertheless, his counterpart played by Vicky Kaushal(of ‘Masaan’ fame) was equally brilliant. The third key character played by the debutant Sobhita Dhulipala was praiseworthy and she looked attractive.
Direction: This film is an excellent display of teamwork that exploits the skills of all involved in filmmaking. The credit goes to the awesome direction of Anurag Kashyap who is also the co-producer and co-writer. With brilliant camerawork the screenplay generated great impact. Each of the scenes displayed great talent at work and proved that the subject was thoroughly studied in detail.
Pros: Excellent – Cast, Direction, Performance, Script, Screenplay, Cinematography and Editing. The film successfully highlighted onscreen the lives of psychopaths who could be your unsuspecting neighbor or the calm person sitting next to you in a public transport. The characters were greatly detailed and one could understand the build-up of the acts that eventually led to murders.
Cons: The display of killings was gory and brutal. There is no attempt by the Director to punish the guilty who are seen committing the gruesome crime while it continues. This could be an attempt to show that these psychopaths are still active in the world, but a weak hearted viewer will be left terrified. While most viewers are sensible, there are nuts in this world who may view murder as a justified ‘crime’ which could be a result of one’s upbringing, violent & abusive relationship or the effect of harsh surrounding. Ramanna’s knowledge on every minute act of Raghav is too much of an exaggeration, .
Conclusion: Raman Raghav 2.0 reminded me of the film ‘Mid-night Meat Train’ that had a man killing passengers on the last train past mid-night, in collusion with several key sick characters involving cop, motorman and others. Cannot recollect much of that movie but the ending and the feeling that one gets is similar. If the Director wanted to showcase the Raghav Raman’s of today through this film, then he was greatly successful. This film is not for the weak-hearted and has all the ingredients to keep you rooted to your seat, provide you thrills & chills, and hence is definitely a must watch.