Raazi live updates: Alia Bhatt plays a Kashmiri undercover agent in Raazi.
Alia Bhatt starrer Raazi directed by Meghna Gulzar released on May 11. The film is based on Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat. It is based on the true story of a Kashmiri girl who spies on Pakistan ahead of the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. Alia plays the lead in the movie and has gone an extra mile to get into the skin of her character. Soni Razdan and Rajit Kapur essay the role of Alia’s parents and Vicky Kaushal is a Pakistani army officer whom Alia marries to get the confidential information from the enemies.
The film has received a thumbs up from the Hindi film fraternity. Alia’s father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has praised the film and has written about it on Twitter, “She has empathy, generosity and the audacity to sing her song which comes straight from her heart. More power to her. Simply love her for making this gem called Raazi ! It’s a film that heals. A deadly duo ! #raazi is simply brilliant.”
Highlights
After Raazi got positive reviews from film critics and audience alike, Karan Johar took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "Grateful for the abundant love !!! A special story made by a supremely special team!!!!! So much love to you @meghnagulzar ....and thank you for being such wonderful partners @JungleePictures..#raazi."
Indian Express' music critic Suanshu Khurana writes, "It’s always difficult to create patriotic songs, as they can sound too soppy, or too lofty, or too stoic. For the soundtrack of the film, the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy strikes a wonderful balance between something rousing, sticking to the zone of thematic tribute, and juxtaposes it with soft, moving notes and Gulzar’s thought-provoking lyrics, thus creating a mix that hits the brief to the tee for a film such as this."
Also read | Music Review: Raazi
Describing her shoot days of Raazi as a nice and emotional experience, Soni Razdaan said, “I am very proud to be associated with the film because it is a very good story that the world should experience. I shot in Kashmir and during those days, I had some intense scenes to shoot. I was much focussed. Though it sounds like a mother-daughter having a great time together, it was actually not the same. But yes, after the shooting got over, we had a great time of food and quality time. We spent it well.”
Meghna paces the film well, fleshing out the characters who make up the Sayed family, into which Sehmat is married, and then gradually turning up the tension as the bride’s cover wears thin. While the ease with which Sehmat sends messages across the border, duping so many people at so many levels, in one of the most high-security houses in the country, is a little dubious, the film is at least professional and thorough about it. It covers most details economically, and doesn’t spare Sehmat the dirt.
Ekta Kapoor, on Friday, tweeted that she has plans of watching Alia Bhatt starrer Raazi on Sunday. In her tweet, she also praised Karan Johar. Plan for Sunday is watching #RAAZI heard faaab stuff! U stun always @karanjohar," read the tweet. Sharing Ekta's tweet, KJo wrote, "Please please watch!!!!❤️❤️❤️"
In an earlier interview with PTI, actor Vicky Kaushal talked about his latest release Raazi and said, "It (Raazi) is not a hero-villain story. It is not about my country is good and yours is evil. Both countries are doing their jobs. They (the men in uniform) know they belong to this country or another one. They are supposed to perform their duty – that is how they are trained. I wasn’t worried that I am playing a Pakistani, so it should be shown in a certain light. I think the story does the work. People will realise it is not an India-Pakistan war film.”
Talking about her journey of filming Raazi and her major takeaway from the film, Alia Bhatt told indianexpress.com, "I learnt a lot. What we think is being patriotic is quite opposite to what true patriotism is. We think we are patriotic because we believe in our country and that we love our country. But that is not enough. There has to be action resonating our feelings. We have to add value. We have to participate in activities that are not only beneficial to us. This is what I learnt from this journey of playing Sehmat in Raazi."
Also read | Raazi actor Alia Bhatt: Contentment is very boring
In an interview with indianexpress.com, Raazi director Meghna Gulzar said, 'The attempt should always be to take the written word forward, which is what I did with my approach to the film. Now how this film happened is another story altogether. The strange thing is that the book and the story came to me from two different places. The talks between Harinder Sikka and the production house were not coming through. While I was developing my own scripts, the script came my way again. Somehow something connected that there is a reason that the story is coming to me and I should take it up. I met Harinder Sikka and we had a conversation. He said, ‘Look, I don’t know who will produce the film, but I am very sure that I want only you to direct it.’ And I told him that if he trusts me so much with the material then he should let me develop it and colour a cinematic story out of the book and take it to the studio. So I did that and took it to Junglee Pictures and Priti Sahani, as she was the first one to tell me about this book. So taking the script to her was morally the right thing to do.
'When you read the book, the most powerful thread in the book is the journey of this girl, Sehmat. Where a decision is made for her, by her parents and that she is married off into a Pakistani military family and sent across the border where she becomes the eyes and ears of India. Apart from that, there is her backstory, her parents’ backstory and whatever happened after that like an epilogue. But when you have to make a film, you have two and a half hours and to tell your story in the best way, you have to focus on the most important part of the story to be able to do justice to it and tell it in the best way possible. That was my only guiding principle in pulling out this main thread from the book,' added Meghna.
Masaan director Neeraj Ghaywan posted on Twitter: "#RAAZI is an absolute must watch! @meghnagulzar's nuanced & sensitive direction--with superior production design & editing (@nitin_baid)--truly evokes a sense of a bygone time & place, of moral battles and, of love. Kudos to @karanjohar, @JungleePictures, @NotSoSnob! #RAAZI stands tall on its towering performances. @aliaa08 is simply outstanding! An amazing combination of grace & craft! @vickykaushal09 is terrific in his understated and heartfelt portrayal! @Jaiahlawat is brilliant as Mir. Lovely to see @Soni_Razdan after a long time!"
Comedian Kaneez Surka tweeted, "Just watched the movie @RaaziHoon. What exceptional performances by everyone. Great story, beautifully directed. @vickykaushal09 and @aliaa08 you guys were outstanding. Don't miss this one - for reel ( hey hey see what I did there...no but seriously don't)"
Alia Bhatt
With Raazi, Alia Bhatt is exploring a new genre - thriller. In the movie, she plays the role of a Kashmiri spy who on her father’s persuasion marries a Pakistani army officer to spy on the neighbouring county. To get into the skin of her character Sehmat, Alia has trained herself in hand-to-hand combat, driving and learned how the Morse code works.
Meghna Gulzar
Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar got recognition after her film Talvar based on a real-life double murder case was appreciated by the audience for its gritty and crisp narrative. In an interview, Alia said this about Meghna, “In my honest opinion, her attention to detail is very specific, and she takes it very seriously. And, because of that the world she creates, feels very real.”
starrer
Film trade analyst Girish Johar said that Raazi is expected to open at somewhere around Rs 5 crore at the Indian box office. But he is quick to add that if Raazi gets good reviews from critics as well as the audience, its graph could change drastically. A 30 to 40 percent hike can be expected in case Raazi experiences a successful word-of-mouth promotion.
Indian Express film critic Shalini Langer writes, "Where Raazi fails is in rousing any kind of emotions about its many likeable actors, who are all reasonably good, especially Ahlawat as Sehmat’s trainer and handler. The sense of what is at stake is lost in the minutiae of Sehmat’s operations, and the minutiae of her life in a family she is about to destroy are lost in staging the bigger plan — though the film has some nice moments as strangers Sehmat and Iqbal inch towards each other. Alia strains to convey the range expected of her, and there is just one too many scene of her wailing loudly at every emotional crisis."