#raeestrailer

Shahrukh Khan comes with yet another movie and his first film of 2017. The movie starring him with Mahirah Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and many others is a good film to watch. Shahrukh Khan’s presence in the film is in itself a charming part for his fans like me. The trailer became simply a rage followed by its songs and Shahrukh’s look. But to be honest about this movie, it is the 70’s story. We see a lot of Amitabh Bachchan in Shahrukh Khan or a ‘Vijay’ in ‘Raees Alam’.

The story is that of a small boy who works with a liquor baron in a dry state like Gujarat and then aspires to become the one. As he grows up he succeeds in being a king of his profession and ‘mohalla’ (area). His partner in crime is his friend since childhood Sadiq played by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. The story has a rise and a fall of the character, enemies, a heroine and action. But the most significant character is that one who makes Raees Alam the intense gangster, Raees; the cop, Majmudar played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Nawaz steals the show. The absolute cat and mouse race between the two is a piece to watch. Nawazuddin’s epic style of throwing his dialogues and timings of reacting to the situations is the talent that all don’t have. Not even the Khans. And I mean it. At times you may even feel Shahrukh Khan is over acting. But Nawazuddin, is as natural and effective as he can be. Mahirah Khan has left no scope for discussion. I have just one thing to say about her. She has snatched a good role from any Top Indian actress, or a struggling actress or wanting to become an actress. She does not make you feel that she is a heroine to the king of romance as her scenes with SRK are supposedly romantic. She nowhere makes you feel the emotion of Raees’s girlfriend, wife or wife of depressed Raees etc. It’s disappointing. Atul Kulkarni has his own unique style of carrying his characters and he does his job well.

The movie gives nostalgia of the era when the dons were chased by the men in uniform and how they were witty enough to fool the police. It’s the old formula of ‘gareebon ka maseeha par apne galat dhande ka raja’ (Raees is a Godfather of his people but is the king of his profession). You see a lot of times Shahrukh Khan speaking and reacting like Amitabh Bachchan. By the way we see a small scene of Big B in the movie too. But what is interesting to witness is the tricks and twists the character and the story line uses to keep its audience glued to their seats. We experience a touch of that old bollywood music during the suspense scenes and the new age background score while action or romance.

The movie very smartly fits in the dance number that is remade using the old song ‘Laila Main Laila’. Songs have already become chart busters and fortunately are short and situational. Unlike any other Shahrukh Khan’s recent movies this is away from all the experiments. SRK’s look of kohl eyed gangster wearing a Pathani suit is quite appealing. Dialogues are path breaking. They have already made their way in our heads. What I noticed in the movie is, even if it is set against the backdrop of Gujarat there is no one who is trying to adapt that Gujarati dialect. All are speaking purely Hindi and there is no pretending of we stay in Gujarat, which is is appreciating.