A rare Bollywood film which offers no chest-thumping, no jingoism, and more so, no sight of an Indian flag being hoisted anywhere. And yet a film which portrays patriotism in its true sense.
RAAZI then,is a sensitive and a gripping tale about love, sacrifice, loyalty- all for a cause and eventually the futility of it all.
Early into the film, the protagonist Sehmat (played by a brilliant Alia Bhatt) voices,“ The country is us, We are our country”.
Quite an appealing statement, and yet an obvious one. And therein, a valid point to comprehend as to how our deeds and actions would invariably pave the way for a Nation we aspire to build and safeguard.
The film,on the other hand slowly and steadily gathers steam as Sehmat works her way into gathering intel. Surely, the ease at which she is able to infiltrate and gain access feels convenient and contrived, yet the ‘building-up to something’ narrative keeps us invested.
The tension feels palpable and the scenes where her cover would blow up anytime are thoroughly engaging.
To the filmmaker’s credit, she deliberately steers away from any unnecessary sub-plots, slapstick humour and spoon-fed explanations. She stays true to the gripping narrative infusing and expressing just the right sensitivities on both the sides. This is no ‘My Nation is holier than thou’ film. There are no villains here. Just ordinary people in a situation where everyone would stand to lose.
“When its War, nothing else matters, not you or me, nor anyone, just the War”, remarks an Officer in the end.
War and its preparations consumes one and all. And if anything remains,are just the casualties.
Go watch it.
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