Raj Kumar Gupta’s Drama Makes for an Interesting Watch, but becomes Repetitive after a point – Raid Review
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: Far Out, Man!
Ajay Devgn has been beating the crap out of people (in movies) since his partnership with Rohit Shetty took off (Singham, Action Jackson, Singham Returns etc). Barring Drishyam, there have been few movies where he allowed himself to use his intellect instead of his muscles to bring down the bad guys.
In that regard, Raid sets a fresh change of pace for Ajay Devgn who finally gets to do a serious movie where he can explore and demonstrate his acting chops which he has perfected over the decades.
The Story – Raid Review
Synopsis:
Set in the ’80s, Raid focuses on the newly transferred IRS officer Amay Patnaik to Lucknow as Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax. On starting work, he starts to receive anonymous tips about black money hoarded by MP Rameshwar Singh. The movie ensues his pursuit of discovering the stash of gold and cash all the while keeping his officers, his family and theirs safe.
And, of course, win or lose, there’s a transfer waiting for Amay Patnaik!
Though many comparisons have been made between Ajay Devgn’s Raid and Akshay Kumar’s Special 26, both films are different in nature. Before watching the movie, the viewer needs to understand that while Kumar’s Special 26 was a heist movie involving income tax raid, Devgn’s Raid is more about the hardships that the family of an income tax officer faces due to his honesty.
Acting wise, there’s not much to be said, really. Ajay Devgn gives a standout performance as the silent, brooding and serious income tax officer Amay Patnaik and pulls off the no-nonsense demeanour without too much effort, displaying righteousness and sincerity with equal ease. His antagonist in the movie, Rameshwar “Rajaji” Singh a.k.a “Tauji”, played by Saurabh Shukla also does a fine job and gives a sincere performance. Ileana D’Cruz as Malini Patnaik, Devgn’s concerned and courageous wife, has little to add to the movie, but this is to be expected from the Indian Film Industry; Bollywood hardly creates good roles for female actors, the males are the alpha dogs and enjoy the best roles.
The supporting actors who fill the rest of the cast do surprisingly well, especially Shukla’s on-screen mother who steals the show along with our hearts with her portrayal of an old set-in-her-ways woman suffering from diabetes.
Why Watch It – Raid Review
Raid is kinda like Singham; Ajay Devgn plays an honest government official who tries to do his job but is hindered by the blatant corruption in the country. The overall feel of the movie is gripping and entertaining, though it starts to lose steam and tries to hold on to dear life. The scenes where Devgn and Shukla’s characters face off are competently executed; both actors play off each other’s lines in the best way possible.
Director Raj Kumar Gupta (No One Killed Jessica, Aamir) adds several plot twists which are unexpected with an abundance of thrills, and hence, holds the interest of the viewer. He also ensures the plot details of the film are right considering Raid is based on real-life tax raids that happened in the ’80s.
Knowing Bollywood’s dependency on incompetency, the fact that Raid is realistically made (for the most part) is a point in its favour. Another would be that none of the actors goes over the top in portraying their characters. Thank heavens!
Why Not – Raid Review
You know how they say “too large an amount of a beneficial or useful thing or activity can be harmful or excessive”? Yeah, Ajay Devgn’s constant sermons, though bang on, become tedious after a point. Though it is a dialogue-heavy movie and the message against corruption is strong, after a point, the viewer is left feeling like, “I get it, corruption is bad and is ruining our country… But, dude, would you get to the point already!”
Ileana’s presence in the movie is basically superfluous; though she is the rock behind her husband Amay, she hardly has any part to play at all. Her presence doesn’t add much to the narrative and repeated scenes between the two become boring and intentionally tepid. As HT said in its review, “With a tighter editing, slightly less focus on the wannabe love story and a lesser dose of melodrama, this Ajay Devgn-starrer could have been a gripping thriller.”
And, I still don’t get why Bollywood is addicted to obstructing the narrative flow of the plot with needless songs.
Raid Review – The Idiot Speaks
I’m not gonna say too much about the movie. I liked it. It’s well done, and considering the general standard of movies in Bollywood, it sits way above the over-the-top films we are tired of seeing. Of course, it’s not perfect. But, it’s better than the mindless entertainers that Bollywood generally force-feeds us.
Give it a try. Raid may not have the power to amaze and astound you too much, but it won’t make you suicidal either!
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: Far Out, Man!
The Idiot’s Rating System:
4.0 – 5.0: The Dude Abides!
3.0 – 4.0: Far Out, Man!
2.0 – 3.0: Take It Easy, Dude!
1.0 – 2.0: You’re Out Of Your Element!
0.0 – 1.0: The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
The Idiot's Corner 