Raees
Director: Rahul Dholakia
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Raees opens with a 1970’s filter of India, antique telephones and in the state of Gujarat where illegal alcohol is sold in wooden crates. Here, Raees Alam (Shah Rukh Khan) a mere lad of ten eventually grows to become the uncrowned king of Fatehpura.
There is nothing you won’t like about Raees and there’s nothing that Raees can’t do. From transporting illegal alcohol, to setting up his own empire of illegal alcohol, to trading in illegal gold, to making unfair deals of trading a chic 1960’s Mercedes for a herd of goats “ Raees does it all and and nobody except the cops care. And that’s because that’s what Raees is made to be: a crooked lad built with a no nonsensical bone in his body that everyone respects. He’s wicked, witty and possesses a hilarious talent of keeping everyone from badass ACP majmudar (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) to the snide CM on their toes. While Raees enjoys his anti-hero status, ACP Majmudar is hardcore and is quipped with dark humor. It’s like Raees and Majmudar are busy playing a game of chess of the dry, dusty streets of Gujarat and we’re almost scared to allow the righteous one to win.
And that’s because Shah Rukh’s Raees is everything his previous lover-boy roles were not. He’s devious, vindictive and on his road to be a patronizing business leader while trying to balance his role as a just king. His beard and kohl rimmed eyes dazzle with stellar frames “ frames, which Raees also decides to use as an amusing death weapon. While Majmudar sticks to the mainstream method of killing with guns and bullets, Raees is definitely twisted as he keeps finding new methods to kill and conquer. Be it Laila’s (Sunny Leone) hair clip, his own glasses, an alcohol bottle or the blood rimed skeleton of a goat“ he will use them all if you mess with him. Mahira Khan plays the leading role in the film and the only remarkable things she says is, “Battery sala”. Of course, Raees isn’t mad at her for saying that and ironically, he’s scared of her. Perhaps after having Laila’s objectifying item girl dance song, the movie needed to have some gender equality eh?
With SRK’s daredevil attitude, Siddiqui’s quirkiness and Dholakia’s smashing screenplay “ this is one movie worth spending 2 hours 41 minutes for.
By Khushboo Shah
