Raid-2, starring Ajay Devgan and Ritesh Deshmukh, was launched in theaters today. This film by director Rajkumar Gupta is the sequel of ‘Raid’ which was released in the year 2018. Apart from Ajay Devgan and Ritesh Deshmukh, Amit Sial, Vaani Kapoor, Yashpal Sharma, Supriya Pathak are in the lead roles in the film. The duration of this film is 2 hours and 19 minutes. Dainik Bhaskar has given this film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5.
Is the story strong?
Raid 2 has once again brought the story of honest IRS officer Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgan). This time, his 75th transfer takes place in Bhoj city- an area where Union Minister and public leader Dada Manohar Bhai (Ritesh Deshmukh) dominates. The public worships him like a god. When Amay and his officers raid Dada’s hideouts, initially, they don’t get anything. This is where a mind game begins, where law and power face to face.
The story has thrill, tension and a purpose. The screenplay is tight and some moments are really edge-of-the-seat. However, some scenes seem overly stretched and the climax seems relatively predictable.
Whose acting magic worked?
Ajay Devgan is once again great in the part of Amay Patnaik: serious, tough, and effective. But the real surprise is Ritesh Deshmukh, who has created a new image for himself in the negative role. His calm but impressive style adds weight to the story. Amit Sial is the show stealer- his acting is natural and powerful. Vaani Kapoor, Yashpal Sharma, and Supriya Pathak have also shown complete honesty with their characters.
How was the direction?
Rajkumar Gupta has made a bold attempt to give a new direction to the Raid franchise. The new background of Bhoj, presenting a versatile actor like Ritesh Deshmukh as the antagonist, and adapting the battle of political power versus system in the thriller genre, all this is praiseworthy.
Pros:
New setting and freshness in characters
Riteish Deshmukh’s strong negative role
Tight screenplay and strong acting
Shortcomings:
Excessive cinematic liberty in some scenes
Some scenes seem unnecessary
The end is predictable and relatively weak
Music and technical aspects
Amit Trivedi’s background score helps to sustain the story’s tight atmosphere. Songs like ‘Tumhe Dillagi’ are already familiar and bring emotional depth, but there is no special newness felt. Dance numbers are average. Cinematography is impressive in some scenes, and editing is successful in maintaining the pace of the film.
Overall:
If you liked ‘Raid’, then ‘Raid 2’ will also not disappoint. It is an engaging crime-thriller that strikes a balance between strong performances, the battle of politics vs honesty, and an entertaining screenplay. There are some weaknesses, but the film is worth watching.
Watch or skip?
Watch—The clash between Ajay Devgan and Riteish Deshmukh makes this ‘Raid-2’ special.
