Quite like Big B’s Vijay (in Kala Patthar 1979), Raees is an anti establishment, an outlaw and also a Robinhood figure; a vigilante who is the voice of the voice less. Several tropes from the Vijay films are replicated here- the precocious childhood ,the early initiation into the world of crime, the abiding influence of the Mother figure, the bonding within the community of crooks, to loyalty for the mentor and the eventual breaking away and establishment of one’s own power centre. Isn’t it predictable just by watching the trailers of the movie?
Raees is the Vijay of Gujarat; a bootlegger who shows his transition from a young boy to beat his living himself during Ashura to a muscular adult whipping himself with knives. Such scene in the movie is more than an enough reason to watch the movie, not much into it. And for the lady fans, watching his body physique of six pack abs during the procession of Muharram is the reason why the movie is hitting the cinema halls.
The character based on the life of criminal Abdul Latif, walks on the razor’s edge. The film begins with a person who puts business above religion and doesn’t intend to harm others. But the film gets stuck, between the two stools of restraint and full blown tamasha: the IN and AS Srk is as familiar as he has ever been, despite the trimmings added on to induce freshness- the kohl eyes, gold rimmed glasses, spraying blood. And this makes Raees a mish-mash of things which we have plotted lot many times in many movies before, doesn’t make a sense to watch it again by and large.
Yet Raees is not a superman, he’s a man who uses the system as much as he is used, who kills yet cries at his failure to provide housing to his community. Raees’s adversary, a cop Jaideep (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), gets equal play. It’s a cat and mouse game between the equals. In fact, with his poker faced jokes, sharp lines and Michael Jackson entry, Siddiqui gets to play to the gallery more than SRK himself and remains one up on him throughout.
Also, Rahul Dholakia had hyped SRK’s romantic interest, Mahira Khan which is not as fresh as she could have been, the coyness is old Bollywood and in a film which should have embraced its masala roots much more firmly, it just sinks. So, does item girl Sunny Leone who shakes it but rises to zero.
My verdict: If it is Gujarat can Gandhi be far behind. Early Raees steals the Gandhi’s spectacles from his statue because he couldn’t afford one, a doctor gives him another pair of spectacles, a pair that eventually stand for entirely the opposite of Gandhi’s vision of non- violence. A messiah lost to the people, the state and nation.
– Viany Gupta
Film Maker and Producer, Vinr Films
Vinay Gupta Producer, VinR Films is a third-generation entrepreneur, with rich and varied experience in a wide range of business domains. Vinay is a software engineer from Amity, NOIDA. and has completed his MBA from the IT division of Symbiosis International University. He is also the Founder Director of Dynamic Technosoft (Software Company) and a Director in Vinsam Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. (Investments & Wealth Management Company). In his professional career Vinay has diverse experience in the fields of information technology, software projects, infrastructure development, financial wealth management, film making etc.
