IN mirroring the contradictions
in our country, Ritesh Sidhwani compromises his senses and intelligence as he
obsesses over them in his film called Raees. I guess even I was not in my
senses when I chose to watch this film. Shah Rukh Khan should stick to romantic
hero roles, as he is somewhat bearable there. The role of a business urchin
turning into a big time politician god father and savior of the oppressed is
not at all convincing. Though he expands his chest and shoulders to look broad
and big in the film and though the camera tries hard to make him look so, his
short height and small frame make him look tiny in front of his fellow goons.
Especially, as this film tries hard to capitalize on Shah Rukh’s equity, he
could’ve taken advise from friend Aamir and bulked up in few weeks. Or maybe he
tried and that’s the best he could do.
The film confuses and bores you
for it has no agenda. A failed attempt to make another bhai film who rises up
from the poor gallis of remote India to make it big as a savior of the needy.
He creates an illegal business, thulps
goons in a city of his choice, kills at will and helps the same people whom he
is slowly killing. He acts God during difficult times, but has no problems
creating a small country of sorts of his own people harming the others who he
doesn’t know. Of course there is the idealist cop with superman instincts and
drive to save the day, Nawazuddin did his job but it didn’t help because the
story and direction were of no consequence. The camera loves Mahira Khan but
she is an extended version of Khairat from popular tv series Who Humsafar Tha
with similar language and dialogue delivery. Following the formula of a Hindi
film, songs play abruptly, there is lot of dhishum dhishum and people are shot
randomly. This entire film rests on Shah Rukh Khan and one line which the
writer is very proud of.
Rating – 0.5 / 5
