Raid 2

The follow-up to Raid (2018) takes place in the late 1980s and reflects the style of films from that era, where politicians are portrayed as antagonists and the protagonist must outwit them.

Logically, a sequel ought to be bigger and better, a feat rarely achieved. Indeed, ‘Raid 2’ ups the scale on the execution front. But in terms of treatment, as it tries to marry the realistic with the dramatic, it is a tough balancing act. From the ‘No One Killed Jessica’ director Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed the prequel ‘Raid’ too, you do not expect the same old wine in a new bottle. If we lauded ‘Raid’, based on a real-life incident, for fleshing out a full-fledged movie out of an income-tax raid, ‘Raid 2’ can’t possibly be just more of the same. For, how much surprise can you pack in the crevices of where and how the corrupt hide their money?

There is a fundamental but very important difference in how we consume food and films. You go in for the same mutton biryani from the same outlet every time because you like how it tastes. If, one day, the taste differs, you will be sorely disappointed, perhaps even making a note to never order from the same restaurant again. How we react to the cinema we like, however, is just the opposite. If you like a film but are presented with almost the same film in its follow-up/sequel, you will reject it. You can look for the same flavour (and perhaps even some familiarity), but you will not appreciate a CtrlC+CtrlV exercise. Raid 2 suffers from this affliction. It is not only a retread into Raid territory, it also doesn’t serve its audience anything that we hadn’t watched in the first film. Seven years ago, director Rajkumar Gupta gave us Amay Patnaik, a sharp-thinking, quick-on-his-feet income tax officer. Honest to a fault and armed with dry humour, Patnaik’s run-in with powerful politician Tauji (a deliciously evil Saurabh Shukla) in what was billed as ’the longest income-tax raid in history’, made for some immensely watchable moments, besides delivering the kind of subtle social commentary that Gupta is known for.

Seven years after the original ‘Raid’, IRS DCP Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn) returns to create yet another storm in a den of corruption. This time around, he’s in Bhoj, a town ruled by Dada Manohar Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh), whom the locals worship. Dada Bhai, in turn, worships, literally, at the feet of his Amma (Surpriya Pathak): he’s the obedient son, and the clean-as-a-whistle ruler. It’s only Amay, the sharpest card in the income tax department, who suspects that there is something jet black in this very white ‘dal’, and starts stirring the pot vigorously, hoping for the real picture to emerge.

कोई फिल्म आकर दिल-दिमाग में जगह बना ले तो मन करता है कि इस जैसी और कहानियां भी आएं ताकि सिनेमा दर्शकों को न सिर्फ मनोरंजन देता रहे बल्कि उन्हें मसालों में लिपटे पलायनवादी सिनेमा से परे ऐसी कहानियां भी परोसे जो हमें खुद से मिलवाती हैं। सात साल पहले जब राजकुमार गुप्ता के निर्देशन में अजय देवगन वाली ‘रेड’ आई थी तो यही उम्मीद जगी थी कि अपने देश में तो इन्कम टैक्स वालों के हैरतअंगेज़ छापों की ढेरों मिसालें हैं सो बहुत जल्द किसी न किसी रेड की कहानी पर्दे पर आ ही जाएगी। लेकिन ऐसा नहीं हुआ। अब सात साल बाद ‘रेड 2’ आई तो मन में अरमान जगे कि ज़रूर इन लोगों के हाथ फिर कोई ज़बर्दस्त कहानी लगी होगी वरना ये लोग इतनी देर नहीं लगाते। मगर क्या ‘रेड 2’ उन अरमानों को पूरा कर पाती है? आइए जानते हैं कि क्या इस फिल्म में वह बात है जो ‘रेड’ में थी, जिसे देख कर मैंने लिखा था कि ऐसी ‘रेड’ ज़रूर पड़े, बार-बार पड़े।

Same hero, new villain, bigger scale is a formula that often works for a new Bond enterprise or a fresh leap that our Tiger takes. This week, director Raj Kumar Gupta applies the rules of larger-than-life heroes to the new chapter of the unsung Income Tax officer that he created seven years ago. As the honest public servant in slippers took on the might of a feudal lord in the skin of a Member of Parliament, the first film impressed with its compelling premise, watertight screenwriting, and strong performances. Ajay Devgn developed the rugged skin of the intense Amay Patnaik, unperturbed by transfers and threats, but it was Saurabh Shukla who brought the house down with his wicked ways and witty repartees as the relatable villain of the piece.