Raid 2: Amay Patnaik vs Dada Bhai - Ajay Devgn returns to battle it out in the sequel of Raid
Movie Assessment for "Raid 2": Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh's confrontation showcases commendable performances, yet the underwhelming villain hinders the overall film.
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor, Director: Raj Kumar Gupta Star Rating: ★★★
Remember when Ross said, "They don't know that we know they know"? So true! That's exactly what Ajay Devgn's character, Amay Patnaik, seems to know in the latest sequel to his own 2018 film - Raid 2.
The Storyline of Raid 2
The story revolves around Amay, an upright income tax officer, who's been falsely accused of taking a bribe and transferred to Bhoj. There, Dada Bhai, a local politician, reigns supreme. Amay suspects foul play and launches a series of raids on Dada Bhai's houses and offices. And lo and behold, the drama unfolds!
Eye-opening Start, but…
Raid 2 starts promisingly, with a surprise at almost every turn in the first half, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Director Raj Kumar Gupta maintains a firm grip on events, but the biggest challenge the film faces is its overreliance on conveniences. Amay seems to walk straight into enemies' lairs and come out alive with smoking guns in his hands. This undermines the complexity of Riteish Deshmukh's character arc as Dada Bhai. His imposing presence, despite Riteish's remarkable acting, feels diluted by Amay's easy victories, slowly draining the tension.
Raid 2: Performances
Ajay returns with his signature swagger, very much like his role in Shaitaan. The face-off between Amay and Riteish's Dada Bhai is intense, but it's Riteish's passive anger that steals the show. Amit Sial, playing the corrupt officer Lallan, delivers some laughs, though they're a bit over-the-top. Saurabh Shukla's return as Tauji feels odd and lacks a strong connection to Dada Bhai. Supriya Pathak shines as Riteish's mother, though her character disappears and reappears in the plot without much explanation. Yashpal Sharma adds depth to his role as Devinder Gehlot. Vaani Kapoor seems confused in her role as Amay's wife, Malini. Her presence feels disconnected and unnecessary at times.
The music isn't much to write home about, but Amit Trivedi's background score, reused from the original film, keeps the tempo going strong.
Final Verdict
While Raid 2 has its strengths in the cat-and-mouse game between Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh, the film falls flat due to an underdeveloped second half, meandering subplots, and a lack of focus on Riteish's character. The sequel could have benefited from a tighter narrative and more nuanced character development to truly make the most of its talented cast. And yes, couldn't help but notice that Vaani Kapoor seems lost in the mix, just like Melody only knowing how chocolatey she is!
- In the sequel of Raid, Amay Patnaik, the protagonist, seems to know more than what others know, just like Ross from Friends said, "They don't know that we know they know."
- Despite Amay Patnaik's reliability on conveniences in the film Raid 2, Riteish Deshmukh's character arc as Dada Bhai is significant, with an imposing presence that, despite Deshmukh's remarkable acting, is diluted by Amay's easy victories.
- Nostalgia hits as Ajay Devgn in Raid 2 resembles his role in Shaitaan, but the face-off between Amay Patnaik and Dada Bhai falls short in comparison to Riteish Deshmukh's passive anger that steals the show.
- The movie entertainment landscape of Bollywood, much like the storyline of Raid 2, often faces criticism for its underdeveloped narratives, meandering subplots, and lack of focus on key characters, leading to a rather disappointing ending.
- As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, it's essential to draw from diverse fields such as policy-making to address these gaps and ensure a fair representation of characters in movies-and-tv, avoiding phrases like Vaani Kapoor in Raid 2, who seems lost in the mix, just like Melody only knowing how chocolatey she is.
