Raazi Film Review – A Kashmiri Girl Turns Spy

Raazi, a film by Meghna Gulzar, adapted from Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat, is the story of a Kashmiri girl who marries into a family of Pakistani Generals and transmits critical information across the border. Let us take a look at how impactful the film is in the Raazi film review.

Carrying on her family tradition, Sehmat (Alia Bhatt) doesn’t think twice before becoming part of a Pakistani family. She goes across the border and makes the General’s home her own. After winning most of the family members with her fake warm smile, she rigs the General’s house and transmits crucial information to India using Morse code. Does this sound a bit farfetched to you? It is.

If Raazi were a fictional spy thriller, it wouldn’t have piqued the same curiosity. However, being based on a book that charts the travails of an actual person, makes it liable to some scrutiny. Did the incidents play out as in the movie? More pertinently, in reality, did Sehmat carry out her mission in the same relatively effortless fashion as portrayed here?

Meghna Gulzar’s last film, Talvar did not let us down as she deftly went about presenting a real incident from multiple angles. Similarly, Raazi is a smartly-made spy thriller, but it grapples with the inherent problem of the duality of the script. On the one hand is the brave Sehmat who doesn’t think twice before striding into the lion’s den and on the other is a sensitive person who is deeply disturbed by various incidents, most of which are of her own making. A sympathetic Sehmat who feels wretched because of her actions crosses path with someone who doesn’t hesitate to murder in cold blood. This dichotomy jeopardizes the credibility of the story. Although, given the kind of subject matter Meghna Gulzar had at her disposal, it was never going to be an easy task to make both of the personae equally convincing.

Enough with the film’s shortcomings. Alia’s performance as a girl in her early 20s who ends up spying for her country is commendable. She has the potential for playing diverse roles, and Raazi is no exception. While her character is the focal point of the film, a few other notable performances ensure that the film deserves a watch. While Vicky Kaushal who plays Sehmat’s husband, Iqbal Syed just about manages to justify the screen time afforded to him, it is Jaideep Ahlawat portraying her handler Khalid Mir, who stands out.

Another aspect of the film that needs mentioning is its spot-on depiction of the 1970s. And with a background score that doesn’t overwhelm, accompanied by lyrics that compliment the story, Raazi manages to get away with quite a bit and comes off as an engaging onetime watch.

Raazi film review rates Raazi (3.5 / 5)

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