Movie Review: “Raazi”

“Raazi” is a spy thriller, which stays true to the genre yet defying some of its basic tropes. Unlike other spy movies which portray the characters in a larger than life fashion (a-la the James Bond franchise and many Bollywood movies); the focus here is on actual espionage, and the treatment is understated and grounded in reality – which benefits the movie immensely. Which is essential given that the movie is based on true events. That being said, “Raazi” is more focused on the emotions of it all. While most spy movies have hardened, cynical leads who should not get emotionally invested, the protagonist of “Raazi” is emotional and vulnerable, and the movie is more focused on the emotional turmoil in her journey of espionage.

“Raazi” follows Sehmat, a young Kashmiri girl who is married off into a Pakistani military family to get information and pass it on to the Indian army, during the time leading up to the India-Pakistan war of 1971. The journey of Sehmat, as she adjusts to her new family, gains their trust and falls in love with her husband; while at the same time relaying information to the Indian side at the risk of getting caught, forms the crux of the story.

“Raazi” is directed by Meghna Gulzar, who last directed “Talvar”, which was a police procedural based on the Aarushi Talwar murder case. She is able to deftly handle both the thrill elements and the emotional moments of the movie. Though I personally felt the tension could have been more heightened and there are moments where things seem to fall into place very conveniently, the movie is more about the emotions involved and the director has done justice to the script. It’s great that the script doesn’t resort to creating situations just for the sake of raising the stakes or coming up with suspenseful moments. It is also extremely commendable that the movie does not resort to jingoistic scenes or Pakistan bashing to create a sense of patriotism and takes a very mature and even responsible look at the meaning of patriotism and love for one’s country.

The movie benefits from a solid cast, led by an amazing performance from Alia Bhatt. Her recent filmography has given her ample opportunities to showcase her acting chops, and “Raazi” is definitely one of her finest performances. She seems to be choosing her roles vey well, and I’m excited to see what she does in the years ahead. Vicky Kaushal is also very good as her military officer husband – he delivers a nuanced performance showing a lot of vulnerability. I must also mention Shishir Sharma, who plays Sehmat’s father in law, and Jaideep Ahlawat as Khalid Mir, who trains Sehmat – both of them have given great performances and I hope they get the praise they deserve. It’s also good that smaller roles have good performances, including Rajit Kapur as Sehmat’s father and Amruta Khanvilkar as her sister in law.

I would definitely recommend that you catch “Raazi” – it is a finely crafted spy thriller that deserves to be seen. In a world where sensible Bollywood movies are finding more and more takers, “Raazi” makes a case to keep the trend going.