It has been long since I’ve enjoyed a spy thriller in Bollywood. So, you can imagine how excited I was to watch Raazi ever since its trailer came out. It made the film look promising and the fact that it was based on a true story piqued my interest even further.
In the film, Alia Bhatt plays the role of a 20 year old named, Sehmat who is trained to be an undercover agent and sent to spy on the Pakistani family that she is married into. I have to be honest though when I watched the trailer I instantly felt that the film would only bring out Alia’s acting skills, which it obviously, a hundred percent does. She proves her mettle once again and all I can do is be awestruck. But unlike my snap judgement, the story gives you so much more. Every character is backed by a strong portrayal and adds so much more to the narrative of the film. Meghna Gulzar‘s direction pulls all of it together, making the screenplay more powerful.
What I usually like about espionage thrillers is the absence of a heavy emotional angle but having one works wonders in Raazi‘s favour. It makes you see beyond the accomplished missions, the well-calculated risks and the absolute fearlessness of a spy. The film brings out the fears, the struggles and the grave sacrifices a spy makes to serve his/her nation.
I think, the only thing I’d like to have seen more of was the training bit. It felt like a crash course instead of an intense spy-training and was grazed over pretty quickly to move onto to the next thing. But it doesn’t affect the film’s storyline in any way. In its entirety, the film sticks to the gripping plot and manages to keep you at the edge of the seat. I swear, everytime it felt like Sehmat was in trouble I couldn’t help but hold my breath too. The chemistry between Alia and Vicky Kaushal, who plays her husband is also palpable and makes me want to see more of him on the silver screen.
Sehmat‘s arrival into a Pakistani family uproots her life, changes the course of history but most of all, it changes her. Raazi and all of its characters stay with you long after the film is over. I am going with 4 stars for the film and I strongly recommend you cancel your Sunday plans and watch Raazi.
Kudos to the entire team for making something so remarkable!