Indian superstarAlia Bhattmade her Hollywood debut with the recently releasedspy-thrillerHeart of Stone.Though much of the movie wasreceived with mixed reviewsfrom fans and audiences alike, there was one thing everyone agreed upon — Bhatt deserved better. Her character, Keya Dhawan, was thinly written and much of her dialogue was little more than tiresome clichés. Still, Bhatt does what she can to flesh out her character, and holds her own against a star likeGal Gadot.Given the right opportunity, Bhatt could have brought something fresh and meaningful to the spy-thriller genre. After all, she’s done it before.
That’s right. In 2018, Bhatt starred as Sehmat in the Indian spy-thriller,Raazi, which charted the complicated journey of a young Kashmiri-Muslim woman who marries a Pakistani-Muslim man, who also happens to be a high-ranking government official to spy on his country. And what’s more, the movie is actually based on a true story. But it also takes an unprecedented direction in its portrayal of women — particularly, a Muslim one — anddoesn’t mischaracterize India’s neighbors through Islamophobic narratives.
What Happens In ‘Raazi’?
The movie is set in the 1970s, right before the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war whentensions between the two countries were high. We learn from Hidayat Khan (Rajit Kapur), an Indian spy, that Pakistan is hatching a plan that he believes could bring about unprecedented destruction. Hidayat doesn’t know what the precise plan is, and it’s impossible for him to get close enough to find out. But his patriotism knows no bounds, so he hatches a morally questionable scheme of his own — to marry his daughter, Sehmat (Alia Bhatt), off to a high-profile army family in Pakistan so that she can sneak out the enemy’s secrets. Sehmat willingly agrees, because since a young woman she’s known that “nothing comes before the nation, not even oneself.”
At first sight, Sehmat doesn’t come off as spy material. She is sensitive, scared of blood and a simple young college student sheltered from the harshness of life and war. But she has sharp wits, an outstanding numeric memory and a patriotic sensibility that rivals that of her father’s, and so she thrives in her grueling training session. As soon as her training ends, she is ceremoniously married off to the youngest son of the Pakistani army’s brigadier. Now, she must dig out the countrry’s secrets while danger looms around every corner. What unfolds next is a tragic and anxiety-inducinggame of cat and mouse, where no one triumphs as the victor.
‘Raazi’ Is a Subtle, Sneaky Spy Thriller
Popular spy thrillersoften call to mind the images of intense shootouts, fast-paced car chases and large set pieces. ButRaaziisn’t interested in any of the spectacle. What it’s interested in is exploring the private loss that often comes out of deeds intended for the greater good. AndRaazihas its attention laser-focused on that end. The movie has plenty of opportunities to become loud and dramatic, but it chooses to remain quiet. There are many scenes that lean on the precipice of melodrama, but they all manage to safely dance around it without ever falling. It also doesn’t resort to tiresome stereotypes in its portrayal of Pakistanis, which usually happens in Bollywood films. Whereas a number of Indian films will vilify Muslims for propaganda, there is no hypocrisy withRaaziand its virtuous characters.
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There is nothing in the movie that’s attempting to sensationalize or glamorize the life of a spy, either. As seen from Sehmat’s POV, there is nothing enviable about the position she’s in as she challenges masculine standards and normative cultural traditions, held most conservatively in India. There are no fancy cocktails, no glamorous dresses, no adrenaline-fueled encounters. The movie masterfully uses its quietness to impose a sense of ever-looming dread that threatens to pounce on you at any time. Think lessEthan Hunt(Tom Cruise)fromMission Impossibleand moreGreville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) fromThe Courier.
Alia Bhatt Is Magnetic In ‘Raazi’
Given the genre choice andmeasured pace of the movie,there were many ways the movie could have gone wrong, leaving the audience yawning and reaching out for their phones. But Alia Bhatt holds it all together with her captivating, compelling performance, keeping the audience hooked throughout. Her journey from an innocent, patriotic college girl to a gritty, disillusioned spy isn’t dramatic but layered with logical sequence. Every close encounter with getting caught and the death of those around her adds to her cynicism and we see her face evolve accordingly. Sehmat’s character is placed in fascinating situations allowing the writers to explore some fascinating scenarios, and Bhatt pulls them off efficiently. For instance, there’s a scene where Pakistani children are performing a patriotic song, taught by Sehmat, during a school event. Beside the stage, Sehmat has her eyes closed and is quietly mouthing the lyrics to herself. Though the lyrics and the sentiments are the same, the object of her affection is different from the hundreds of other people gathered in the hall. And we see it all conveyed from Bhatt’s expressions.
Sehmat’s character is an extremely complex one. She’s a regular student who suddenly gets married off to a Pakistani man she barely knows, and now, has to spy on his family and country to try to prevent a war and save the lives of millions of people. It’s difficult to imagine the vortex of emotions that whirl within her at all times. But Bhatt sails it with utmost conviction and grace and takes audiences along for the ride. At times, she affords us subtle textures of individual emotions, but Bhatt shines brightest during the moments of frustration when myriads of contradictory emotions — relief, regret, anger, and self-hatred — come together to induce a raw and visceral breakdown. And even during the chaos of such a meltdown, we’re able to trace down everyindividual emotion gleaming off the actor’s eyesand face.
‘Raazi’ Is Monumental for Indian Cinema
As with any film industry in the world, Indian Cinema too has its problematic roots. There are many outdated tropes and clichés that continue popping up to ruin an otherwise good movie. ButRaazihas resolved to not fall into the same pattern. Indian cinema has had a long history of relegating its female characters to one-dimensional love interests or damsels in distress just waiting to be saved by a macho hero. ButRaazi’sprotagonist, Sehmat, isa strong female characterand doesn’t need to be saved by a man. She is not only skillful enough to slip out of sticky situations herself but also competent enough to devise and enact plans better than the surrounding men.
Bollywood movies have also been accused of exploiting nationalistic sentiments to sell movie tickets. And it’s true that many movies set in times of conflict often depict the opposing side as a cartoonishly evil villain while ignoring the wrongdoings of their own faction.Raazi,however, doesn’t take sides, and it isn’t afraid of painting the enemy in an empathetic light. In fact, there are times when the actions ofthe protagonist we follow come off as morally questionable, and instead our sympathies extend to the Brigadier’s families after witnessing their unwarranted devastation. Toward the end, the movie carefully builds up to its anti-war message, deconstructing blind patriotism. Sehmat, who was previously an unquestioning nationalist starts seeing through the abstract concept of patriotism to see the concrete ruins of lives taking place before her. The anti-war message might not feel entirely novel to Western audiences, but movies from different regions always come with their own cultural threads. And given the socio-political context of India and Pakistan, where nationalistic sentiments still run fiery as ever,Raaziintroduced a much-needed narrative departure for Bollywood.
