The man with the golden heart

After Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar reliving yesteryear don roles like Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim on-screen, King Khan too steps in to recreate the image of a seamy bootlegger, Abdul Latif of Gujarat (officially denied by the producers) and his powerful aura with his long-awaited ‘Raees’.

This is the first major release of 2017 along with Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Kaabil’. Helmed by Rahul Dholakia, a relatively unknown name in the commercial genre with his earlier films not having done greatly at the BO, the 143-minute movie ultimately turns out to be an eminently watchable one.

A biopic of sorts, the flick takes off from the childhood days of the protagonist when he gets to understand from his mother that no business is small, if it does not harm anyone. Classy filmi logic of course, yet, this forms the basis of SRK’s persona all through the film as he grows from a lackey to the lord of all that he surveys in the trade, which survives on the tacit support of both the lawmaker and the law enforcer.

Distinguished by powerful performances from all the main characters, beginning with Atul Kulkarni, the mentor of the liquor selling hero, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, Shah Rukh’s childhood pal and partner-in-crime and a host of others who excel in the screen time that is given to them, the first half rises and takes a break at a point where crime begins dominating the hooch business, encircling everyone in its wake.

Into this impregnable fortress ruled by Raees, comes in Nawazuddin Siddiqui, playing the daredevil cop, an IPS officer who makes it a point to enforce prohibition and get the better of the hero. It is this role that adds and elevates the leading man’s profile, which, true to its origin, is a mix of ruthlessness and selective benevolence to his favourites.

If SRK brings alive the late ‘80s and early ‘90s films in which Muslim characters were shown as fanatically devout and sacrificing, Siddiqui, as Jaideep Mazmudar, matches him frame to frame with his cool, understated performance. A real on-screen challenger to any leading name of the industry today, for sure!

Mahira Khan, the Pakistani import heroine, has nothing much to do, but manages to rustle up a tolerable chemistry with her beau who is constantly on the move, plotting his next step. The director gives her enough footage to register her presence in the second half as she mounts a challenge to protect her husband and take on the political enemies of his.

Shah Rukh, as expected, towers over all with his catty and cool demeanour his character shown invoking the right support from the celestial powers and surviving intense pressures from the powers-to-be all around him. A mellowed, yet engrossing performance heightens the impact of his acting, with the spotlight steadily on him till the last scene. Fans of his would have every reason to feel delirious, seeing him in a high-voltage action film like this after a break.

Film Name : Raees

Cast : Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira Khan, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Direction : Rahul Dholakia
Genre : Drama-action
Likes : Tight, gripping screenplay
Dislikes : Hardly any