There are films on patriotism, and there is a film like #Raazi. Shot in the thriller format, this is an edge-of-the-seat entertainer with a heart. And what raises it's level many notches higher than the ordinary patriotism-spouting Hindi film, is the deft and sensitive direction and acting.
The most important takeaway from the film is the view that most people are essentially good; their motivations may come from wrong purposes or bad politics.
#Raazi depicts the life of an Indian girl - Sehmat, who is married to a Pakistani army major, with the specific purpose of spying on them and supplying vital information for the Indian government during the 1971 pre-war stage. But nowhere does the film accuse or point fingers at any one. Characters from both sides of the border are shown as credible human beings, no matter what their nationality is. In fact, the ending makes us veer more towards the devastated major, who had come to genuinely love and respect Sehmat. The fact that Sehmat breaks the trust and warmth of her Pakistani in-laws while making her mission successful, rankles throughout the film.
But the beauty of the #Raazi is that we can't accuse anyone, neither can we take sides. Yes, we are rooting for our young Indian protagonist, who has to go through baptism by fire, but our heart also goes out to her sensitive husband, who is wronged for no fault of his.
Throughout #Raazi, the director has our hearts in our mouths with edge-of-the seat thrills, and unexpected twists and turns. In true suspense-film format, the audience can guess the outcome, but can't help being moved and jolted by what happens. The transformation of a young naive girl -devoted to her father and her country, to a skilled, ruthless agent, who uses unbelievable smartness and technique to supply authentic information to her motherland, yet who can't let go of her guilt and regret in betraying her wedded family, is heart-wrenching.
And what can be said about lead actress Alia, who has made it a habit to surprise us with every new film of hers. At this young age, she has done what many veteran actresses have not been able to achieve in a lifetime. Watch her expressive face and eyes, portraying nervousness, alternating with love, affection and genuine remorse, and you can't help your tears welling up. How she effortlessly gets into the skin of Sehmat is to be seen to be believed, the mannerisms, the body language all bang-on.
Meghna scores it out of the park with this gem of a film. Her sensitive handling of the topic is something all jingoistic directors can learn from. All her characters are well etched and believable. She shows us the human side of an agent, and reminds us that casualties in war are often those who have to live through its horrors and mercilessness.
A standing ovation for all departments of #Raazi, including script, dialogues, lyrics, music, action, cinematography, which compare to the best in the world. It is really heartening to see the Hindi film industry giving us one masterpiece after another in recent times. Queen, Neerja, Dear Zindagi, Hichki, Mom, Tumhari Sulu, Qarib Qarib Singgle, and now Raazi!
Wow....KEEP IT UP!! It won't be long before Hollywood films look like comics before our stuff.
The most important takeaway from the film is the view that most people are essentially good; their motivations may come from wrong purposes or bad politics.
#Raazi depicts the life of an Indian girl - Sehmat, who is married to a Pakistani army major, with the specific purpose of spying on them and supplying vital information for the Indian government during the 1971 pre-war stage. But nowhere does the film accuse or point fingers at any one. Characters from both sides of the border are shown as credible human beings, no matter what their nationality is. In fact, the ending makes us veer more towards the devastated major, who had come to genuinely love and respect Sehmat. The fact that Sehmat breaks the trust and warmth of her Pakistani in-laws while making her mission successful, rankles throughout the film.
But the beauty of the #Raazi is that we can't accuse anyone, neither can we take sides. Yes, we are rooting for our young Indian protagonist, who has to go through baptism by fire, but our heart also goes out to her sensitive husband, who is wronged for no fault of his.
Throughout #Raazi, the director has our hearts in our mouths with edge-of-the seat thrills, and unexpected twists and turns. In true suspense-film format, the audience can guess the outcome, but can't help being moved and jolted by what happens. The transformation of a young naive girl -devoted to her father and her country, to a skilled, ruthless agent, who uses unbelievable smartness and technique to supply authentic information to her motherland, yet who can't let go of her guilt and regret in betraying her wedded family, is heart-wrenching.
And what can be said about lead actress Alia, who has made it a habit to surprise us with every new film of hers. At this young age, she has done what many veteran actresses have not been able to achieve in a lifetime. Watch her expressive face and eyes, portraying nervousness, alternating with love, affection and genuine remorse, and you can't help your tears welling up. How she effortlessly gets into the skin of Sehmat is to be seen to be believed, the mannerisms, the body language all bang-on.
Meghna scores it out of the park with this gem of a film. Her sensitive handling of the topic is something all jingoistic directors can learn from. All her characters are well etched and believable. She shows us the human side of an agent, and reminds us that casualties in war are often those who have to live through its horrors and mercilessness.
A standing ovation for all departments of #Raazi, including script, dialogues, lyrics, music, action, cinematography, which compare to the best in the world. It is really heartening to see the Hindi film industry giving us one masterpiece after another in recent times. Queen, Neerja, Dear Zindagi, Hichki, Mom, Tumhari Sulu, Qarib Qarib Singgle, and now Raazi!
Wow....KEEP IT UP!! It won't be long before Hollywood films look like comics before our stuff.
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