Raazi Movie Review: The year's best (thus far)!

RaaziUA Drama History ThrillerDirector Meghna GulzarCast Alia Bhatt Vicky KaushalRatingI guess if youve ever done something fishy whether illegal or unethical that youd be petrified of getting caught for God knows to some degree weve all been in such a position the extreme fearnervousness only hits you when you try it for the first time The successful completion of which leads to subsequently higher levels of confidence bordering on callousness eventuallyAs it seems with the brazenness with which the lead character Alia Bhatt what a consistently dazzling talent in this film goes about her work as an Indian spy living as a housewife operating right inside the Rawalpindi official residence of her fatherinlaw a Pakistani topbrass military officer deep within a cantonment while being married to a young bloke Vicky Kaushal who like his brother is a Pak Army man himselfBut you care so much for the girl or perennially hope that she stays out of harms way that for the most part I ended up watching this film with my hand on the forehead often veering towards closing my eyes Its the textured use of sound and some superb textbook camerawork that experience wise it almost feels like youre going through David Finchers stellar mysterythriller Zodiac 2007 no less This is director Meghna Gulzars first outing after Talvar 2015 proving without doubt she is at the top of her gameFor a film so packed with plot twists the gentle calmness in the air even if slightly claustrophobic given that its mostly set inside a palatial home surprises you while holding your attention all throughAnd despite a subject that essentially deals with jingoism or patriotism if you may all characters Indian or Pakistani on the screen appear human rather than tragedies alone Whether that be the Pak husband whos basically brought home a fakewife or his father a fullon gentleman who as Brigadier loyally lords over a lot of decisionmaking process in the welloiled military machinery the only Pak institution that hasnt failed or perhaps the reason the other institutions haveOf course none of this collective connect would be possible if it werent for solid detailing and some of the finest actors doing what they do bestIn fact it doesnt surprise me that Bhatt along with others performs the spys character so brilliantly For if there is any profession where you can aptly apply great acting skills outside of acting itself it would be as a spy isnt it Thats the other place youre necessarily supposed to be someone elseRaazi meaning in this context I guess a keeper of raaz secrets is a fictionalised version of an actual story about an undercover Kashmiri girl in 1971 Its based on exnavy officer Harinder Sikkas novel Calling Sehmat Im tempted to read the book since the reallife Sehmat Im told passed away recently She wouldve been the most fascinating person to meetThe information young Sehmat managed to unearth as an Intelligence Bureau operative perhaps formed the basis of precious info on a massive submarine attack planned by Pakistan on Indias first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant If you want to know what really happened thereafter you only have to watch Sankalp Reddys splendid warfilm The Ghazi Attack 2017Watch the Raazi trailerThis is a meditative version of a war film subtly weighing in on human loss and ruthlessness even as it seldom wavers from checking off all the crackling elements of an espionage thriller Honestly I felt a little numb in the head as Sehmat feels the same for her soul Whether or not youre sehmat agree with Sehmat I suggest you should totally be raazi willing to catch her scintillating untold story for sure Eh Told ya feeling numb in the headAlso read Meghna Gulzar Misconceptions around Raazis stand will be cleared after screeningCatch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates