Rating : Good (3.85/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2018
Running time : 2 hours 8 minutes
Director : Rajkumar Gupta
Cast : Ajay Devgn, Saurabh Shukla, Ileana D’Cruz
Kid rating : PG
Long time no see! That’s what I wanted to say when hero Ajay Devgan appeared dramatically on screen; director Gupta (Ghanchakkar, No One Killed Jessica) milked it, first his back, then the back of the head, then ever so slowly the familiar face. Devgan has the screen presence of an introverted powerhouse; someone who speaks little but does much. So this role is perfect for him, just as those others, where he played the honest cop (Gangajal, Singham) were, because here he is Amay Patnaik, an upright Income Tax Officer.
Newly transferred, Amay is settling into his posting when he is sent evidence of income tax fraud. The offender is the local well-connected, political bigwig, Rameshwar Singh (Shukla) aka “Tauji”. When Amay broaches the subject of a tax raid with his superiors, he is warned against the dangers of making an enemy out of Tauji, but he proceeds nevertheless. In Tauji however, Amay might have met his match.
While Raid is not unalike the many “good cop-against-corruption” films that we have seen, it is still a very satisfying watch. We know who the good guy is. We also know who the bad guy is. When the two tussle we know who will win. To watch this preordained end come to fruition, is still fun and engaging, primarily because of the two strong leads – Devgan and Shukla. Ajay has an almost surly, no-nonsense face and he puts it to good use in portraying the honest, polite-but-firm Amay. Shukla is a pleasure to watch. As the squat, lungi-kurta clad Tauji, sprawling leisurely on divans, he brings home the relaxed demeanor of the fearlessly corrupt man who is sure he is above the law. Raid is a clash of titans!
Part of the reason why this film succeeds is the depiction of nobility, because what else is altruism, but the highest form of nobility? A hero such as Amay (almost without flaws), an upright officer, a loving husband, and a kind and considerate human being is hard not to root for. Lately we had quite a few films (like Newton) which portray an altruistic, patriotic, dutiful hero well, and they all inspire in us with the same emotion: awe.
Raid’s ending is a bit of a damp squib, but that doesn’t derail this engrossing, well-paced film. Ileana seems wasted in her short role of dutiful wife delivering lunch dabbas to hubby dearest. The music was humdrum.
On the whole, while Raid is not your finesse-filled shiny work of art, it is a great watch, and well worth the time and money.
