RAID ---- BO & Review THREAD + Ajay Devgan ROCKS !!! - Page 14

Raid Review - Warrants' a Watch

• Yatharth Chauhan

  Rated

  3.5

  Desimartini | Updated - March 16, 2018 2:22 AM IST

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  3.2DM (7 ratings)

  Verdict - It's unadvisable to miss Devgn locking horns with Shukla in a movie where both are in absolute top form.

  Watch trailerRelease date : March 16, 2018

  Any cinematic viewing centered around a specific event has to exhaust you by the time it ends, so you could grasp its absorbance. Rajkumar Gupta's Raid does that (In a good way)! Based on the longest IT raid that ever got witnessed in the history of this country, the film does make you tensed, anxious, exasperated & at times jaded. But Raid is a constantly watchable thriller that makes a lot of subtle commentaries on the 80's political scenario, corruption & One-Upmanship.

  
  

  What Rajkumar Gupta, the filmmaker tries to do here is engage us viewers in a single dimensional event introducing us to something we haven't seen before. The small and sadly the only bit of victories Raid accomplishes come through those confrontational elements that keep finding way throughout the narrative. Even though Raid is set on the grounds of a true event, the filmmaker doesn't however choose to adapt an entirely real setting. Laced with a tested formulaic treatment to make it a more audience friendly' viewing, the film does bear the cost it could have done away with.

  
  

  To walk you through what Raid narrates through its story would be futile for it's merely an extended version of the trailer we were served. But those sorts of movies do have a way to find a grip and Raid does. From unclothing the bureaucratic diplomacy playing a cover up to an honest officer being threatened of his life, Gupta tries to keep audiences engaged through its gripping progression.

  
  

  Of course the film largely rests on the shoulders of its two leads who give their all to soak us in the game we are made a part of. It's just extremely gratifying when you find Ajay Devgn fitting into the league he easily belongs to. You almost see him enjoying his craft even when the craft needs him to be subdued. With his novelty in justifying the role he essays, Ajay is once again in top form. He brings the nerves with him and also instills confidence by delivering a solid performance.

  
  

  Saurabh Shukla holding the other end is a step ahead. He doesn't take the easy method of turning himself into a villain who could easily be hated. He lets the tension grow on him and you almost feel his frustration coming out at regular intervals. Ileana D'Cruz in a role that quite honestly is simply a token of existence has done well but she only makes the screenplay dip its pace at crucial junctures. The ensemble of support cast is pretty apt and the casting does compliment the flavor of the movie.

  
  

  Raid suffers mostly where movies of this category struggle. In its attempt to be a more inclusive viewing it forces itself into a league where it doesn't belong. The timing of most songs in the backdrop is an example of how easily a bump free ride can be made uncomfortable. The background score isn't too bad though.

  
  

  With its writing tautness and gripping execution, Raid does make for an easy watch that warrants your attention. It's anyway unadvisable to not watch Ajay locking horns with the likes of Shukla in a movie where both of them are fighting to get the better of each other. It has its share of flaws but it's important we give this one a chance. Make sure you pay the entertainment tax.