Stars: 3.5 Stars

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'Cruz, Saurabh Shukla

Direction: Raj Kumar Gupta

Producer: Abhishek Pathak, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar

Writer: Ritesh Shah

Genre: Drama / Thriller

Duration: 119 Mins

Ajay Devgn is known, of late for picking roles that have something to do with being a loyal hardcore police officer and so on. Usually his movies consist of gravity defying stunts and over the top action sequences or slapstick comedy. But this film has none of that. This movie is both a masala crowd pleaser and a really well executed thrill ride. Raj Kumar Gupta has delivered a movie with high octane performances from the protagonist and the antagonist. The sheer back and forth between Ajay and Saurabh Shukla is worth the price of admission alone. It hits almost all the right marks. Who said a content driven film can’t be entertaining!

This search and seize film revolves around a tax deputy commissioner played by the strong willed Devgn and pits him against acting maestro Saurabh Shukla who plays a notorious politician/ goon in Uttar Pradesh. The film is set in Lucknow, in the early 80’s where corruption is as rampant as current times. When Patnaik (Devgn) takes it upon himself to raid the house of Tauji (Shukla), things get really intense. The dialogues and scenes between the two elevate the film to a nail biting experience. Moreover, almost the whole movie takes place in one house and there no over the top fight scenes or dialogues that seem out of place. Illeana D’cruz plays Devgn’s wife in the film. Her character is ahead of her time, in the sense she is a tough, strong willed and sometimes stubborn woman who’s actually the backbone of her husband. Devgn’s character acknowledges it in the film and it’s not your typical masala movie heroine (Thank God). Tauji’s mother (Pushpa Joshi) is 85 years old and she was the comedic relief in the movie proving that talent has literally no age.

Raid, is based on few true stories. This could have easily been a masala movie but the director manages to stray away from usual troupes. It’s a smart and relevant movie for our times. Black money is still a big problem in India let alone 4 decades ago. The movie asks the question- Why do honest men and women still pay the price for doing their jobs and the criminals get away? In an attempt to thwart the raid, Tauji climbs the political ladder, from the Finance Minister to the Prime Minister. This movie is a reminder that our country is a victim to the atrocities of the rich and powerful, in 1981 and even in 2018. The people who fight this injustice like income tax officers are often condemned and murdered brutally by influencers just like Tauji. It’s great to see a filmmaking team step up and do a film that is unconventional and quite risky.

Overall the film is gripping and the performances by each character were good. Tauji’s mother was a blast! The film brings to light issues that our country still has to overcome while giving a strong statement on patriotism and honesty in work. Bollywood might just realize that content driven scripts can make movies more interesting than a flipping car. A timeless story for relevant time, is what we probably need.