Reviews & Ratings for
रईस (2017)

Raees - An amalgamation of other Bollywood flicks such as Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobaara, Gunday and Shootout At Wadala. Wait! That doesn't mean that it is unwatchable. All SRK fans would be back in theatres hopefully after a long time as it assures you to give 100% entertainment, in the form of Shah Rukh in a grey shade, Nawazuddin's 'seeti-maar' one-liners as a cop, and the main thing-the villain is the HERO here. Nawazuddin is the real hero in Raees, as he outshines everyone else. Shah Rukh Khan couldn't have been any better. Md. Zeeshan Aiyyub deserves a special mention for his performance. They all just nailed it in their respective characters. Mahira is good enough but most probably, her Bollywood career has ended, all thanks to the MNS. Won't reveal anything about the plot, but expecting a paisa-vasool entertainer won't be a crime. If you have already watched the aforementioned flicks, then there is very less for you to watch in Raees. Still, it is always a treat to watch SRK as a negative character, isn't it?
Rahul Dholakia's direction is appealing with almost no dull moments throughout the film. Background music and cinematography serve as great catalysts. The action sequences are well choreographed, though some are overdone. The story is very much predictable and it never tries to show anything different from the above mentioned crime sagas. The fault lies here. The whole action sequence during the 'Laila' song is one of the most well crafted scenes. Box-office success is assured for this film. Surely, one and all would like it in spite of its shortcomings.
Note :- Watch Raees and you won't be disappointed. SRK and Nawaz's cameraderie is sure to impress you, if not the film as a whole.
Warning :- If you don't want to get disappointed, then please keep your brains at home, because there are many logic defying scenes. Good, nothing more than that. Could've been better.

SRK plays the title character in Raees who is a bootlegger and a smuggler and always one step ahead of the law.

I always try to talk about positives before the negatives, but in this film, there are VERY few positives.
Other than the 60s to 70s setting and the introduction scene of nawazuddin, there wasn’t much good or innovative in this film.

SRK as always is consistent in the film, he doesn’t give bad performances, he was good even in RA.One, so no complains about his acting as such. Some of the dialogs, (already made famous by the trailers) are a bit punchy, but they end in the first half, no good catchy dialogs in the rest of the film.

So moving on to the negatives,
The movie is supposed to be set in the 60 or 70s, the cars and technology show it such, but mahira khan’s intro scene has 1987’s Mr. India’s song in it. Then later in the film kala phattar is being played in the background. So bloody decide if this is the 90s or 70s or purposely ageless?

OK, the setting doesn’t matter to most audiences, but such immersion was achieved in special 26, Rustom, Parineeta etc. So why not now in 2017? Then there are the super duper moronic stunts and action scenes, possibly choreographed by a 5-year-old with no understanding of physics or logic. If this was a super-hero film, all is forgiven, but this isn’t Captain America, it’s a gritty realistic cinema.

Now we come to the waste of time songs, of which there are not that many, but every song slows the film and drags it down. Except the Laila mein Laila, which does serve a plot point in the film and is the only entertaining song in the whole film.

Coming to the story and plot, this film is ALL over the place, it cannot decide if the story is about a smuggler, the cop, their clash or a Jeffrey archer type story of a poor boy growing rich! Instead of character growth, you get stagnation, Raees as a character is the same from a child till the end… no progression at all… same goes for every other character in the film, they remain the same from their introduction till the end of the film.
The let-down here is the direction, this same film could have been amazing and riveting, but the director doesn’t know how to create moments or scenes or have any impact at all!

Long story short, I won’t recommend this film, if you are nostalgic about gangster cinema, re-watch D company, once upon a time in Mumbai (part 1) or even the original Don. This film bored me to tears in the last 35 minutes of predictability and cliché…

Rating : 4.5/10. SRK is good in the film, one or two good scenes. Overall it’s an inconsistent snooze fest.

The Badshah is desperate to get back his throne from the Sultan and The Ekka. But the King seems desperate, yet he seems tired and tensed, maybe a mere reflection of the former self. He is supported by #onedimensional characters which we have seen quite a few times now . The characters lack depth and Raees himself is confused who he is.
The plot is generic and spends more time in creating plot devices and being political correct than bringing out the rivalries and conflicts. Flashbacks really can't help you remember something mediocre. #generic #predictable #forced
The peasant is sad.

The movie revolves around a person named Raees. The movie has a fictional story line. Raees was a person who had a good heart and was liked and backed by all but was involved in many illegal activities. Enters Nawazuddin Siddiqui as ACP Ghulam Patel who wants Raees to be inside the bars but couldn't find any proof against him.
The movie is a typical chase between Chor and Police. The movie is just a one time watch and disappoints crowd with its lacking visual effects.

I mostly loved Raees. I'vebeen so looking forward to this date " finally a new Shahrukh Khan film.

Raees is a great character for Shahrukh. He's playing a gangster " but a bootlegger with a heart, who makes dinner for his wife. He's got a lot of swagger and panache to him, and we are totally on his side as he seems to only kill bad people.



I love how the film starts, with the child Raees who works as a lookout and a mule for the local bootlegger. Even as a kid, he has lots of moxie, and you never, ever call him four-eyes.



Full review here: https://moviemavengal.com/2017/01/26/raees-a-great-character-for-srk-and-a-crowd-pleaser-of-a-film/

"Raees" is creating waves at the box office as expected as it has collected close to 60C in the domestic market in just 3 days. It's been a while since SRK had a blockbuster & from the looks of it, this is likely to do just that. There is no doubt that the fans will love the movie while the rest can be assured that it is worth a one time watch provided you dont expect anything out of the ordinary, In short, you can give it a try!!!

Raees is a fictitious story based in the early 80’s and 90’s in Gujarat, India. The film revolves around the man named Raees portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan. Justbwhen he tries to build his own business, the antagonist enters. A tough cop Jaideep Ambalal Majmudar (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) whose sole reason for existence is the elimination of crime. What ensues next is an epic battle between the two, which forms a key defining element of the film’s narrative.
Shah Rulh and Nawaz are simply brilliant. Mahira adds to the glamour quotient of the film with her beautiful role. Zeeshan Ayyub and Atul Kulkarni are also good in their respective roles.
The music is fantastic. Zaalima, Udi Udi Jaaye and Saanson Ko are soothing to the year. The sequence of Laila is excellent.
A perfect tribute to Vintage-Bollywood! An entertainer completely worth your time and money. Get your dose of entertainment this year with Shah Rukh and Nawazuddin. Don't miss this!