Raazi - Movie Review

In the recent past, Bollywood has seen quite a few movies based on supposed real-life incidents of patriotism, such as Rustom, Airlift or Ghazi Attack. But Meghna Gulzar showcases a realistic story of nationalism, without demonizing the adversary – something we rarely see in the pseudo-patriotic movies of today. Based on a book, ‘Calling Sehmat’ by Harinder Sikka, Raazi starring Alia Bhatt is a riveting tale of an Indian spy married into a Pakistani family, to provide intelligence during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Sehmat Khan (played by Alia Bhatt) is a young Kashmiri girl, who is trained and sent to Pakistan, in the guise of a bride of a Pakistani Army Officer, Major Iqbal Syed (played by Vikky Kaushal). Iqbal’s father is a high ranking officer in the Pakistani Army and so is his brother. In the words of Sehmat’s trainer, Indian Intelligence Officer, Khalid Mir (played by Jaideep Ahlawat), Sehmat is ‘Hindustan ki Aankhein aur Kaan’ in Pakistan. Underneath the doting wife and a dutiful daughter-in-law, Sehmat is a trained spy who passes crucial information to her handlers in India, that led to India’s win in the 1971 war. Though she is equipped with all the skills required as a spy, her innate quality of vulnerability makes her extremely real. Her transition is beautifully showcased by Meghna Gulzar and her co-screenwriter, Bhavani Iyer. From being a girl who flinches at a small cut in her feet, to strengthening her skills at fights and self-defense. From being an innocent girl who would not let even a squirrel die under a car, to becoming a soldier in the line of duty.

One of the best things about Raazi is that it is never pretentious nor does it ever display over-enthusiastic nationalism – there are no chest-thumping sequences, no over-the-top patriotic dialogues and not a single contrived scene, like the ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ scene in Ghazi Attack. Also, Pakistan is not demonized, they are shown as sensible people fighting in their interest. While Meghna Gulzar has already proven her mettle with a brilliantly crafted ‘Talvar’, she repeats similar work that is nearly perfect. The movie is crisp and interesting, despite a slow and gritty pace. I call it near perfect because I found the final 20 minutes towards the climax slightly wavering. Special mention of the Cinematography by Jay Patel and the Art direction for creating the atmosphere in the 1970s.

The movie also boasts of a perfectly cast ensemble. All the actors fit their characters very well and deliver an authentic performance. Vikky Kaushal, as Sehmat’s husband delivers a subdued performance with never being over-dramatic. While the rest of the cast is also top-notch, special mention to Jaideep Ahlawat as Khalid Mir, Sehmat’s trainer, who shows a stern, yet a caring side. As I mentioned in my opening notes, Raazi is an Alia Bhatt show all the way. She is brilliant as the petite, vulnerable and guilt-ridden Sehmat, who puts the interest of her nation before hers. Though she is a trained spy, she is not a cold-blooded soldier – she has her vulnerabilities that make her extremely real. One of the best scenes is the one where she drives a Jonga – she is burdened with guilt and pain, but puts her duty over it. It is praiseworthy how a 25-year old plays such a complex character and never goes off-key even in a single scene. With every movie of hers, she seems to be outdoing herself.

Alia Bhatt and Meghna Gulzar have revalidated their talent and craft with Raazi. I hope it paves the way for more such realistic movies on India, sans the fake nationalism.

My rating: 4/5 (1 of this is exclusively for Alia)