‘Raid 2’ movie review: Ajay Devgn delivers a taxing statement

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.

In its second iteration, there is no value addition, only a thumping background score, often reserved for the Singhams of Bollywood. The tone is set by Govind Namdev taunting revenue officers for lacking courage and Devgn turning up in dark shades in a night sequence.

Operating within the conventions of the populist idiom, Raid has become formulaic, perhaps a tool to weaponise the transgressions of the previous dispensations to serve the present.

If the first installment was set in the Indira era, the sequel unfolds during the V.P. Singh regime. Without overtly underlining the intent, the film finds faults in the politics of social justice and coalition governments. The surnames suggest the intent. The honest hero is a Patnaik, the villain hails from a backward group that emerged from the shoe business, and the shape-shifting official who touches the feet of both the villain and the hero has no caste-defining second name.

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You might not agree with their tone, but Gupta’s films are known for their social commentary. Here, in an attempt to keep the action on the surface moving, his voice gets muddled, and the film becomes a hollow emotional spectacle.

Set in a fictitious town, Bhoj, the film sees Riteish Deshmukh replacing Shukla as Patnaik’s new target, Dada Manohar Bhai. The backstory develops Manohar as the champion of the politics of social justice, where public support is more important than money power. On the surface, Manohar looks pristine as a devoted son and a benevolent social activist, but Patnaik, who is now open to bending the rules to nab the corrupt, finds chinks in the politician’s royal armour.

Ajay Devgn and Vaani Kapoor in ‘Raid 2’.
| Photo Credit:
T-Series/YouTube

The build-up unfolds along predictable, bombastic lines, interspersed with Patnaik’s family life, where Vani Kapoor replaces Ileana D’Cruz to complete the three-scene, one-and-a-half-song routine. The second half opens with a customary item number. In between, the tedious search for unaccounted cash that felt realistic and exciting in the original looks repetitive and made up here. Ritesh Shah and his team of writers try to infuse twists and turns, but the effort shows on screen. The suspense doesn’t take you by surprise.

It is when Amit Sial makes an entry as a seemingly pliable officer that the proceedings truly perk up. Then, Yashpal Sharma turns up as a crafty advocate to add a layer of intrigue. The two get to mouth the best lines and keep us turning the pages to find gold.

However, it is hard to believe that the two inhabit the same society where Deshmukh operates. Cast against type, Deshmukh neither gets the nuances of a cow-belt politician right nor becomes a bombastic, grovelling villain. He remains a generic stereotype of a politician who has compromised with his grassroots struggle, largely because the writing team hasn’t given him the layers that the character deserves. The presence of Shukla as a kind of link between the original and the sequel makes it even more problematic, as you keep wishing for more screen time for the actor.

There are some interesting tweaks in the popular idiom. For instance, the hero is without a mother’s cover, while the villain hides behind mother worship. However, the agency of the female characters is largely cosmetic. The mother has no clue of her son’s predilections, while Patnaik’s wife is there only to serve the honesty of her husband.

More importantly, the film oversimplifies the public’s role. It repeatedly treats people as passive spectators who are emotionally driven by charismatic figures, whether heroic or corrupt. Like in real life, white-collar crime is not enough to frame the offender on screen. For a franchise focusing on financial corruption, the makers ensure that the villain’s decadence percolates into his character as well.

Be it land for jobs, body for blackmail, or unearthing golden taps, the film amplifies social media chatter against a particular class of politicians to serve the sanctimonious hero, who, by the climax, becomes a means to advertise the direct benefit transfer of black money to keep the fawning public distracted.

Raid 2 is currently running in theatres