Director Rahul Dholakia’s Raees, a movie that seems so oddly
inspired by the TV series on Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar that it is
impossible to analyze it in isolation.
Recall those movies from the 70s, which often had the hero
playing an anti-establishment gangster with a heart of gold, who finally falls
prey to a righteous cop's bullets? Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, which releases
this weekend, is more or less the similar plot all once again.
Raees (SRK) grows up in 70s Gujarat believing that crime
does pay and starts working for a bootlegger, who nurtures him. But, Raees and
his associate Sadiq (Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub) grow too big for their boots and
this brings them in conflict with honest cop Jaideep Majmudar (Nawazuddin
Siddiqui), who makes it his life's mission to bring down Khan's illicit empire.
Shah Rukh Khan, who has been essaying romantic characters
since ages, wears spectacles, kohl-rimmed eyes and a pathani to play a tough
gangster and it is indeed refreshing to see that Shah Rukh Khan has lost none
of his boastfulness despite crossing 50. When it comes to fierce intensity, no
one can beat SRK and the King Khan proves this yet again with Raees.
As an actor, SRK brings to Raees his natural screen
presence. But also something that has shades of his early career: the ability
to play the menacing anti-hero, with a simmering, all-consuming anger.
Dholakia couldn’t have found a stronger support cast. The
cop, Majmudar (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), has the best lines, and is a praiseworthy
screen rival.
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui holds his own despite not having a
substantial role and is humorous and intimidating in equal measures. The fact
that Majmudar wants to destroy Raees despite having a grudging respect for him,
makes his character seem more disturbing. Mahira Khan, who essays SRK's wife
Aasiya doesn't get to do much and neither does Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, who I
believe is one of the best actors we have today.
As for the movie itself, it has a very foreseeable plot, an old
story and stock characters- a gangster with a heart of gold, his helpful
ladylove, a loyal subordinate, an honest cop, wily politicians, an apparently
benevolent mentor et al.
For someone who grew up watching movies like Deewaar and
Scarface, Raees offers nothing new as such. If that was not all, the action
scenes are quite boring and the 'Moharram' action sequence is so poorly
executed that you may end up conjecturing what were the makers thinking of
while filming those scenes.
The makers also make their lead character mouth dialogues
against communalism and 'bhed bhaav' on grounds of 'dharm'. If the trailer of
the movie promised a gritty crime thriller, be prepared to be disappointed for
the film offers nothing much apart from the fiery intensity of the incomparable
Shah Rukh Khan, who carries the entire movie on his capable shoulders.
Overall, Raees is a good film for Shah Rukh Khan’s die-hard
fans to see his stellar performance!
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