User reviews

Finally the day arrived after 3 years if wait, the day arrived. RAEES . Miyan Bhai SRK stole the thunder with his power packed performance. He has nailed it this  time. Raees SRK has shown and proved " Form is temporary, Class is permanent " Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin 's bravura performances, Action sequences, Well researched script, Music, Screenplay , Editing, and Climax.

The first half is well placed; Majmudar's one liners and the music is fabulous and the Laila Main Laila sequence ups the ante. The second grips the audience in their seats and the smoke scene is the show stealer. The dialogues are just bang on.WOW ! The part where SRK says "dhanda Karta hun, dharm ka dhanda nai karta" is the best one.

It's tough to maintain a character's ferocity and vulnerability in equal measures, but this is what SRK does best.

Full of tightly-choreographed action sequences and a brilliantly written script,

On the whole , Raees is a full on Masala Entertainer packed by power full performances and adrenaline charged action sequences. Made for Classes and masses alike. Action , Acting, Romance, Violence, Music and Masaledar dialogues all add up to the genre. A classic masala flick, Best movie of it's genre. A must watch movie. So my rating 10/10 Stars.

Every Sharukh Khan release is an event in itself, RAAES is no different. Most of the characters the Khan had been portraying in the recent past have been disappointing to his fans…even the much admired Jahingar Khan of Hello Zindagi was not of much satisfaction due to the limited screen time. And now Raees is something his fans had been waiting and praying that it would tip the balance of fortune towards their much loved star

And yes….from the word go, we know a masterpiece is unfolding on the screen. Though the story is not new..a rise and fall of a righteous don has been done to death in Bollywood from times immemorial, but what sets Raees apart is Sharukh Khan, his performance and the amazing screenplay.

Jaideep Majumdar (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) reminiscences his tryst with bootlegger Raees (Sharukh Khan) way back in the 90's. Raees story unfolds right from his childhood where he is touchy about his short sight (has to wear glasses) and people calling him "battery" due to this impairment. His Ammi (Sheeba Chaddha) is his greatest influence and her words "business is bigger than religion as long as it does not harm anyone" remains in his mind and starts working for a local don (Atul Kulkarni).

Raees once when he is old enough decides to start his own business and miffs the don and joins hands with a Mumbai don Moosa who funds Raees's bootlegging business.

Raees falls in love and gets married to Aasiya (Mahira Khan) and soon becomes a father. His rise disturbs the local don who tries killing Raees and fails and ends up getting killed by him.

Jaideep Majumdar, a honest police officer is hot on the trail of Raees and uses every method at his disposal to bring Raees down, but he is unsuccessful as Raees has the support of both the ruling and the opposition party.

But soon, Raees's ego makes him a commit one fatal error which turns things in favor of Majumdar…..

Sharukh is back to doing what he does best, hogging the screen time and also giving one of his career's best performances, his ire when called Battery, or when he is weeping away to glory in his wife's arms after a major setback or his astounding performance in the climax undoubtedly proves the crown is still his.

Mahira Khan performs well in what little screen time she has, as the only person who gets away after making fun of Raees's short sight. Wish she had more screen time.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is wow as Jaideep Majumdar, the scenes involving him intimidating his superiors, or the several faceoffs with Raees showcase his talent.

Sunny Leone brings the house down with the peppy item LAILA and her tumka's are well synchronized to the beats

K U Mohanan's Cinematography captures rustic Gujrat at its best, the filters highlighting the era in which the film is based

Deepa Bhatia's editing ensures the movie does not drag and uses the scissors the right way in making the film crispy and entertaining.

Rahul Dholakia's direction is top notch and it is not a mean task handling two live wires Sharukh and Nawazuddin together, but he has managed to extract the best possible scenes involving both of them. He has also managed to recreate the 70-90's era with just the right touches

Watch it if you are a hardcore Sharukh khan and also if you have a major crush on Sunny Leone and also if you have been missing the wonderful action sequences of the 80's.

"Engaging Gangster flick with srk's and nawazuddin's good performance but the story is bit old and could have been better but overall it is a watchable flick"

My rating- 3.3/5

Positives-

1.)Direction and screenplay- Direction was good and director succeeded in fusing correct elements required for this movie. Screenplay was equally good but story was little used and old and this brings slightly downfall to this movie.

2.)Srk , Nawazuddin and Mahira - Srk as usual did his role neatly. Mahira as the female lead didn't have any trouble and succeeded in bringing charm to her character. Nawazuddin was also good but not his career best performance. Same for srk as well. These two actors had potential but the screenplay didn't allow them. Srk i can understand but screenplay could have given nawazuddin chance to show his talent. This role looked like as if it wasn't written for him. He didn't do bad and i wont blame him but scriptwriter could have taken little notice on this.

3.)Cinematography and edits

4.)Music and bgscore

5.)Some powerful dialogues

Negatives-

1.) Story- It was bit old and it didn't have any support from director or scriptwriter to make it good. This is one of the major flaw which i found in this movie.

2.)Duration- It was lagging and it will bore audience a lot. Makers could have trimmed it.

3.) Action scenes looked messed up at some areas

Is it a must watch?

I don't recommend it as must movie because this movie may not suit all types of audience.

Overall- Raees may bore some or entertain and it all depends on audience's taste. This movie could have been better but as an final product it was watchable one but not an extraordinary flick.

My rating - 3.3/5

for full more reviews on all language movies go to- Ridin bal movie reviews

Gear up for a throwback to the great Salim-Javed blockbusters of the Seventies, where the hero grows up mid-action,breaks the tension and action sequences compel you to whistle. Carrying that legacy forward, is Raees. Shah Rukh Khan plays the titular character of a spectacled goon who hates being called "battery"; he starts from harmless Ponzi schemes but graduates to pre- planned rackets and becomes the top bootlegger of his town. Shah Rukh Khan has never looked better; he's full of fury and for once, isn't spreading his arms, but breaking others'. The film lies entirely on his shoulders and he carries the weight most of the times. When he doesn't, the ever-so-reliable Nawazuddin Siddiqui steps in with his crackling performance. In the trademark Nawaz style, he delivers some comic relief. Mahirah is restricted to songs and a few emotional scenes, but doesn't really add much. If her purpose was to soften the baddie, it's lost on the viewer.Action Scenes Are Like Every Other Bollywood Movie. The first half is well- paced; it draws you in and makes you root for the SRK, But the second half plunges into a weird Robin Hood zone where the antihero's morals are suddenly defibrillated and he becomes a messiah. The movie takes a rough path there on, and the long runtime makes the ride bumpier. The movie can feel a bit long, but if you're going for a great Shah Rukh performance and some good old popcorn- entertainment,And It Gives A Good Message To Viewers. it might just 'raees' to the occasion.

After being in making for past 2 years and being shelved for multiple reasons, "Raees" finally sees the light of the day. The trailer looked promising bringing back the 80's Bollywood era and so were the dialogue promos and the songs. Does "Raees" lives up to the mammoth expectations ? Well, it was almost there with few glitches and few engaging moments ...

Inspired by the true story of liquor don, Abdul Latif, who ruled Gujarat and even few parts of India, "Raees" tells the rags-to-rich tale of Raees Alam (played by Shah Rukh Khan) who faces the heat at the peak of his supremacy by a tough cop (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

From the director of National Award winning,"Parzania" and "Lamha", Rahul Dholakia gives his first attempt at the commercial potboiler and is fairly successful. The film kicks off in 1970 showing how a small boy becomes a local bootlegger into full grown small time smuggler, Shah Rukh, who steals the scene with his entry and uses his tactics to setup his own independent liquor business. The film becomes an interesting watch, moment Nawazuddin enters the scene. His witty one-liners are impeccable and you will enjoy each and every moment of it. The first scene between Shah Rukh and Nawaz at the police station is good. The first half does have few tense moments to sail it through. With second half, the movie starts dragging and sometimes feel out of places.

The songs places hindrance to the flow of the film while action scenes looks tacky. The screenplay loses the track and becomes a typical melodrama in the later half of the film with new to offer. This is definitely not the best work from Rahul Dholakia carrying huge expectations. Even barring the tuneful and well-choreographed "Udi Udi", none of the songs will be memorable once you leave the theater. I loved the original version of "Laila" featuring Zeenat Aman from "Qurbani". Editing could have more crispy.

What works is admirable cinematography and fine art direction. The dialogues are simply mind blowing especially "Koi Bhi Dhanda Chotha Nahi Hota". Coming to the performances, Shah Rukh Khan makes a good comeback. The superstar steals the show with his daring avatar speaking much through his eyes and expressing appropriately. Watch for him in the climax scene. Nawazuddin is outstanding. The supremely talented actor gets much chance to show case his talent and he does it with aplomb. Mahira Khan is just about okay. Talents like Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub and Atul Kulkarni are wasted due to under-written roles.

Overall, "Raaes" is watchable only once for electrifying performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Decent 2.75/5

• Ketan Gupta

the movie strongly resembles with Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, hence being predictable with no climax.

needless to say nawazuddin work being top notch. A must watch for shahrukh lovers.

From the beginning of the movie till the end the two dialogues are used frequently making them cliché.

direction and screenplay along with the story would have been better.

the movie highlights the era of raees in fatehpura city of gujarat and how a typical honest cop chase him and gets him

mahira kahan in her debut role does a great job

3 words, Shah. Rukh. Khan. One of the finest actors that India has ever managed to produce has come out with yet another masterpiece in which he excels in every single category. The actors supporting him, from Mahira to Nawaz are also fabulous and hats off to the national award winning director, Rahul Dholakia for making the film. The screenplay and dialogue delivery in this film is amazing as well. After 25 years, Shah Rukh has played another negative role which honestly is something that I've wanted to see for such a long time.I don't want to give too much away, but "Raees" is in line for one of the best films of the year, and thankfully I have gotten the chance to watch it.

The crime don Raees makes us believe he is just not SRK at all. He is absolutely convincing in what ever character he plays always. Each frame makes us flatter to Mr.khan's hotness in Raees. Raees is dark, yet extremely honest and very lovable. Kudos to such a committed actor in these times!!! what more to say,,very proud to b his FAN. darling Nawazuddin Siddiqui,, what an entry..he has beaten everyone wow. a Mr.perfect cop with no support but great will at heart,too great!! yes, v can give it "in writing" to you sire, totally impossible to take eyes off from Mr. Majumdar. Sheeba Chadda as Raees's mom is absolutely fantastic; Mahira khan, Zeeshan Ayyub, Atul Kulkarni added a good support. The poor screenplay is the major drawback of #raees wish it were more crisp so that the movie would be even more gripping :( The background score is all lovely; songs were good, could have been even more better for the commercial movie lovers ;) its -> DANDHA vs DHOKA ? SRK vs NAWAZ ?? catch their tight fight !! #undoubtedlybrightestperformances

Starting with SRK, he has done a tremendous performance no doubt. Now coming to Nawazuddin, he is always in his best ! With all the supporting actors including Mahira Khan ,the movie has become just Awesome.. Don't listen to those who are saying the script was crap, just watch the movie and u will get to know how Rahul Dholakia spent 2-3 years to make this fabulous movie with GREAT Messages! Now coming to the Songs and music, they have played a very important part in the movie. Everything was perfect like what audience want from a film .Shahrukh khan has come back in his best avatar looking forward to break most of the records!

Shah Rukh Khan as Raees rocks as usual. He lives as a don throughout the movie. The anger in his face, the romance that he showcases, the sentiment he experiences and the fights he undergoes shows he hasn't aged at all. The style he carries as a don will bring whistles in the theaters for sure.

His dialogue delivery is perfect as ever. He impresses in every frame. One of the best roles Shah Rukh has done in his career. His lead pair Mahira Khan as Aasiya has little screen presence. But she has utilized it well. Be it the sentiment scenes or the romantic part she is a perfect addition. A little more of her screen presence wouldn't have spoiled the movie.

As Shah Rukh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui does have a powerful role. He walks with pride as the ACP Majmudar. His acting was perfect and does what was needed for the role. I won't say it's his best ever, but he delivers what was needed.

Rahul Dholakia's direction was excellent. He has handled both the character to the perfection. Whereas directing Shah Rukh or Nawazuddin, he has added the right blend. The recreation of the 90's time frame was the top notch. The battery scenes are good add, Mahira is the only one spared for calling Shah Rukh the battery.

Cinematography by K.U.Mohana and the music by Ram Sampath are added colour. Sunny Leone sizzles as Laila.

Though the screenplay is good the story is way old one. There are few side-lines like messed up action sequences and a dragging second half. Director should have concentrated in trimming the second half.

It's a must watch if you are a die-hard Shah Rukh fan, but as a common movie goer few might find it boring in the second half.

Raees is a protagonist that isn't villainous enough to despise, isn't large-hearted enough to root for, and isn't misguided enough to feel sorry for. His aura, too, is kohl- lined like his eyes – everything is presented in broad aggressive strokes, including his robotic swagger, finely trimmed wisps of lion-beard, token Gujarati phrases and signature spectacles. Each of them screams out: this is 'badass' Shah Rukh Khan, the cool and stylish gangster, the natural descendant of Darr and Anjaam, and this is different because he isn't the good guy. Unfortunately, though, he is still the 'hero'. And in Hindi films, this is often more self-aggrandizing than being the good guy.  So you have a director wanting dramatize the legend of a murderous bootlegger (Abdul Latif), and you have producers yearning to humanize this chap to accommodate the effeminate strengths of their in-house superstar. And this is precisely how inconsistent, how painfully functional, Raees is. On one hand, you see Khan doing his snarling Josh-meets-Don impression, and on the other you see a middle-aged Rahul aching to open his arms and show you the omnipresent glycerin in his eyes.

Therefore, Raees ends up as a film that is just about mediocre enough to pass off as "mainstream" – a euphemistic term used to justify dated plots, simplistic caricatures, incessant hamming, pulpy 70s hangovers (I blame Sriram Raghavan and Balaji Telefilms), unauthentic dialects, venomous background scores, redundant heroines and underutilized talent.  Within the first few minutes, we are made infinitely aware of the character that plays Khan. Or, wait, is that the other way around? Maybe not. A proud Muslim mother tells her weirdly driven kid that 'no work is too big or small' – a proverb that he misinterprets as 'be a criminal in prohibition-laden Gujarat, as long as you don't hurt people'.  Soon, the Chinese whispers in his adult brain turn the phrase into 'kill anyone you don't like, as long as you believe in secularism and Hindi-Muslim bhai-bhai Aman ki Asha.' To display his anger management issues and killer instincts, we see him slay a few goons here and there. But to reinforce his inherent nobility, we see him walk away dazed and confused from these bloody battles. It's all 'dhandha,' we're repeatedly told, and made to wonder why the rousing 'Gurubhai Gurubhai Aavya Chhe' chants have evolved into the quasi-techno idiocy of 'Enu Naam Chhe Raees'. One is also somewhat disappointed that the writers didn't grab the opportunity to slip in a cheeky 'drinking is injurious to wealth' disclaimer.    On one hand, you see Khan doing his snarling Josh-meets-Don impression, and on the other you see a middle-aged Rahul aching to open his arms and show you the omnipresent glycerin in his eyes. The Robin Hood of Fatehpura breaks away from his greedy mentor (Atul Kulkarni), monopolizes the illegal-alcohol market in a rather Chopra-Sharma (Baazigar fans only) manner, before starting a cat-and-mouse game with super-cop Jaideep Majmudar (Nawazuddin Siddiqui; a Godsend) – an equation that the writers will have you believe is far cleverer than it looks. Block the bridges, and we'll take the boat; block the highways and we'll do something ridiculous enough to distract you with a romantic song showcasing a pretty woman who only exists for these interludes.  At some point, she is declared pregnant, and only a full year later, a post-interval scene acknowledges the rare scientific miracle of a post-mature newborn baby.  But the baby and his mother aren't important. Raees is. Hence, an Uttarayan (kite- flying) sequence is inserted only so that he can rock the post-modern dialogue interpretation of Agneepath's 'hawa tez hai, topi sambhalo': don't fly too high (insert symbolic kite-in-sky shot), or you'll be cut to size (insert kite destroying villain kite). 

Soon, he becomes a corrupt politician, no doubt causing plenty of chaos and unforced errors (read unnatural deaths). He has the chief minister and his crony running scared – depicted by them perpetually and urgently walking together, in corridors and rooms, narrating the plot's happenings and mouthing gritted-teeth variations of 'We must eliminate this Raees!' But whenever we doubt his psyche, he is shown leading a gang of local women, in between standing up to the ills of communal terrorism.    Srk is ostensibly so obsessed with maintaining a balance between the Salman Khan brand of cinema – which he is too smart for – and the Aamir Khan brand of cinema – which he is too self-aware for – that he has forgotten to be the effortless bridge that connects these stark worlds. This constant tug of war, I suspect, isn't thematic as much as it is an exhausting pull between two perilous spectrums of Khan's own career. Because he is, in every way possible, at the crossroads. What we see on screen is sort of an existential crisis distilled into the realms of lowbrow commercialism, eons away from every writer's favourite intelligent, witty and charismatic interviewee.  srk is ostensibly so obsessed with maintaining a balance between the Salman Khan brand of cinema – which he is too smart for – and the Aamir Khan brand of cinema – which he is too self-aware for – that he has forgotten to be the effortless bridge that connects these stark worlds. He is neither the populist superhero, nor the visceral inventor, and the everyman star he ends up impersonating is every bit an idol seeking lost worshipers. He expresses himself on screen as if he were trying to prove a point; his pursed-lip crying and throaty baritone bear the signs of a conflicted artist trying to act the hell out of every frame.  It's truly a pity Fan didn't work at the box-office. Its success would've perhaps kept Khan exploring and experimenting, trying and occasionally thrilling, instead of sitting on his throne and surveying the lowest common denominator of entertainment.

This movie is a brilliant story of ferocious greed, bootlegging, realistic events, power-play with emotional currents of human drama.

Protagonist RAEES(SRK) says this line before killing MUSA (one of the villains): "For me Business is Religion but I never did Religious Business". For me this line sumps up the whole movie.

RAEES is one of the rarest movie which balances both the quotient Entertainment and Story. This movie is brilliantly directed (Rahul Dholakia has done a great job), well edited, amazing background score with superb songs & have good screenplay with great classic dialogues.

The way characters are established in RAEES will remind you of great movies like Baazigar & Deewar. The action sequences are very realistic & hard hitting especially the Riot scene and Meat market scenes are real bone cruncher. The second half of movie is very emotional (The scene where RAEES breaks town in her wife laps after he realizes about his bankruptcy is one of the best scenes ever).

From performance point of view SRK shows why he is the best, his acting is terrific. From the first scene to the Last you will never get a glimpse of SRK the star because he is not there at all. What you see in RAEES is a Character Portrayal at his best (not a role played like other actors do in Bollywood including SRK himself. They play a role and do not portray a character most of the time). He depicted human side of a bootlegger with great sincerity and correct emotions.

Nawaz and other actors are brilliant in their respective roles. Kudos to the casting director for such a brilliant cast.

Powerful, occasionally humorous, sometimes shocking, emotionally brilliant and a great entertainer, "RAEES" is one of the films which stays with you when you leave the theater.

9/10

First of all I would like to make it very clear that neither I am SRK fan nor his hater; I only appreciate good movies. I would like to make this review as short and crisp as possible. My a expectations were lot high for this movie, and I myself expected a lot from SRK ( who really has not done any groundbreaking projects almost for past 5-6 years). The movie is flat and time and again it seems to be dragging unnecessarily. The basic thing which srk should understand by now is that the DDLJ era is long gone and the audience is evolving along with their tastes. Nawaz and SRK were really good in their respective performances and that's all good I had about the movie. The story was like any other old gangster movie. Except few of the entry scenes of SRK the action of the movie is quite lousy one and the worst part of the movie is its ending. Overall Raees is again a Himalayan disappointment at least for me.

'Raees' Directed by Rahul Dholakia is a well-shot, well-directed film, that sadly, doesn't have a strong enough Screenplay to be called an all-rounder Winner. Despite Potential In Its Setting, The Narrative Isn't Arresting Enough, because then Writing doesn't hold beyond a point.

'Raees' Synopsis: Criticizing the prohibition of alcohol, prostitution and illegal drugs in Gujarat, this film unfolds the story of a cruel and clever bootlegger Raees (Shahrukh Khan), whose business is challenged by a tough cop (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

'Raees' is an uneven saga of a bad-ass. Raees is a fascinating leading man, who's tryst going against the law, has moments of power. And while the first-hour still works, in which Raees goes from being a nobody to the ultimate King in the world of illegal smuggling of Alcohol, despite being pitted against a tough cop who gets on his trial. The first-hour has a rustic, realistic feel to it & the confrontations between Raees & the Cop, are super.

Unfortunately, in its second-hour, 'Raees' goes haywire. The protagonist turns into a Robin-Hood for his people & his character suddenly comes across more as a Hero, than bad-ass who defies the law. And hence, the film falters. 'Raees' isn't a villain for sure, but to make him a messiah & take away his mean streak for the sake of a heroic end, looks forced & rather unconvincing. Also, the narrative get bloated up & the over-stuffing leads to underwhelming results. In short, 'Raees' has a good first-hour, but a really unconvincing second-hour.

Dholakia, Harit Mehta, Ashish Vashi & Niraj Shukla's Screenplay is half-baked. What starts off as a story of an anti-hero, suddenly turns into a heroic story, with very less feeling or depth. The Writing needed to be stronger, for sure. The Dialogue, however, are excellent. Dholakia's Direction is good. How one wishes if his Writing was as good! Cinematography captures the rustic feel, skillfully. Editing isn't sharp enough. The second-hour is overlong & needed some trimming. Ram Sampath's Score is well-done. Action-Sequences are ordinary. Art & Costume Design are fair.

Performance-Wise: Shahrukh Khan as Raees, looks the part & even gives his best. But he shines only in the first-hour. Post-Interval, just like his character, his performance doesn't arrest your attention. But its Nawazuddin Siddiqui who steals the show. As the tough cop who'd stop at nothing to get Raees behind bars, Nawaz chews on the scenery & delivers a flat-out brilliant performance from start to end. Also, his introduction sequence, where he disguises as the Late/Great Michael Jackson, is simply terrific. The confrontations between Shahrukh & Nawaz, as mentioned before, are the high-point of the enterprise.

On the whole, 'Raees' works in parts, not entirely.

SRK is back with a negative shade to his character and that's super good. But every non-Salman Khan film runs on its story. Being a huge SRK fan, I did love the film but being a writer, the film was a 'Bollywood' film. Yes, I expected exactly that and hence I am not disappointed. I didn't expect a 'Chak De India' or a 'Swades'. I didn't even expect a 'Darr' or a 'Fan'.

The film begins with a childhood part of Raees where we realize the moments and build up for his nick name 'Battery'. We also see a cameo by Atul 'ace' Kulkarni. The film's plot is tight between SRK and Nawazuddin while Mahira's character is for the Bollywood fans. I don't know how good Mahira Khan was in the TV serials she has acted in but in this film, she is ordinary. Her character exists because an SRK needs a heroine to romance and sing songs. The trailer is better than the film and has all the super good dialogues in it.

Every supporting character has done a very good job while even the art department has tried to be accurate to the 90's. The escalation of the conflicts between Raees and Majumdar (played by Nawaz) is typical story telling, yet certain moments are commendable. Yes, Nawaz can charm you even if he is given a simple dialogue.

The frustrating part of the film is it isn't different from most of Bollywood's gangster films. Though it does say it is a work of fiction, if you have read a bit about Abdul Latif, well, there are a lot of similarities (except the romance, of course). I did like the character graph of both SRK and Nawaz especially in the second half. It took 4 writers (including the director Dholakia) to write Raees. Well, in the end, the film is all about SRK's looks and his charm and as he has told time again, he just wants to entertain the audience and due to this, we cannot expect him to do a Swades or a Chak De again.

Director Rahul Dholakia work is good. Screenplay offers some freshness. Like child Raees attempts to steal Gandhi ji spectacles for him with his child friend while setting a code word Bhaijaan in case of danger, which has been wisely used in climax. This scene established his character very well. When a person mocks him by calling Battery, he (child) injects his compasses into his bump while his childhood friend removes it by saying it to remember. These two scenes established their childhood bonding, which has very important role ahead. This battery incident goes over board when he fights with goons in butcher shop but again cutely used by his wife when she speaks it. Screenplay offers some fine humor also. When, ACP Majumdar picked up Raees's man for interrogation from his ongoing wedding and makes him promise to rat on Raees by making him say Qabool Hai, three times like wedding. When Raees takes his wife to show the land, where he dreamt of constricting the affordable housing colony, he tries to wipe his specs but his wife takes it and wipes it with her Dupatta. This is very subtle and intelligent scene, which shows that, now his wife is aware of his vision and supports for it too. First half of film is slow and almost predictable. Somehow it looses it connection with audience, even in emotional scenes but second half, particularly last 45 minutes is interesting. Dialogues are very good but sometimes goes overboard. Performance wise Shahrukh Khan as Raees is fine. As his child hood friend Shadiq, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub is very good. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as ACP Majumdar is impressing. Mahira Khan as Raees'w wife is OK. Anil Mange as garage owner Kasim Khan has his moments and he acted well.

"BEST PERFORMANCE EVER" These were my exact words after watching SRK in Raees.How come one beats himself over and over again.When My Name Is Khan came these were exact words of everyone than he did some commercial movies than came Jab Tak Hai Jaan same goes for it "BEST PERFORMANCE EVER" a few more commercial movies than comes FAN and man o man what a performance was that then DEAR ZINDAGI and now RAEES which highlights his best performance till date. Three back to back critically acclaimed performances by Shah Rukh Khan.Just when everyone thought that "HIS TIME IS ENDED-HE CAN'T ACT ANYMORE"That very moment he says "APNA TIME SHURU".I have watched Kaabil too which has Hrithik Roshan who also gives a career best performance but its nothing compared to what Shah Rukh has done.Now back to movie....... Story:Its a story about the rise of a small boy from slums of Gujarat to its elite personalities.As his power grows he comes into sight of Police that's when comes Majmudar(Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who challenges his business and tries to bring him down

Story looks as simple as any other gangster flick but there's more to it than just that.Its a multidimensional story and has many layers attached to it.It doesn't have a single genre.It has high octane action(which will make classic Bollywood fans happy),Romance(For typical SRK fans),Drama(For Nawazzudin fans).Overall it will appeal to everyone. Direction:Director Rahul Dholakia does a great job on this one.His previous works were good but this one will be his career highlight. Acting:I have said already much about SRK's performance and now I will just say he is a scene stealer in this one. Nawazzudin as always does a great job.He has done equally good work if not more than SRK.He is a highlight of the movie. Mahira Khan does a great work on her character as Raees's love interest.This Pakistani actress muted her every hater in India and told everyone with her acting that she is no less than anyone else. Music:Raees has a great album with Laila,Zaalima and Dhingana with Udi Udi Jaye being the chart busters and others are good too.Its theme soundtrack is way more popular in audience than any other movie's.Its really great and energizing. Final Verdict:A movie not to be missed for any reason.You will hate yourself if you missed this one.A great package for everyone.A 10/10 for me and surely you will like it too.

I did not want to watch this one but my friends fetch me there.

They were very enthusiastic about this film but in last they end up felt cheated with the hype.

Another meaningless flick from SRK.

He did what he do best is to create hype without any substance.

Another formula movie with an item number and some cheesy dialogues.

I would say he is done and should concentrate doing other things rather than acting.

And I was right I shouldn't have wasted my time.

and neither should you.

regards

Vaibhav

I saw this film with my family in a theater. Used to watch a tv serial with my wife starring Mahira n had been a fan of her since. It is about a poor kid who works for some shady guys, later progresses n starts working for a bigger syndicate. One fine day the grown up boy wants to start his own business n splits from the syndicate. Nothing new, except for some good one liners, good performance by Nawaaz as the cop hell bent on taking down all the bootleggers. SRK is better doing these kinda roles n not running around the trees with his open arms. One very bad sequence of parkour. SRK running on rooftops is silly coz it wasn't executed well. It looked too fake n very lousy. Watch District b13, Yamakasi, Tracers, Casino Royale's chase sequence, Chris Brown's parkour sequence from Takers. The shot gun scenes were well shot. I am a fan of action sequences with shot guns. I still enjoy Steve McQueen's The Getaway shot gun sequence.

One of the best movies I have ever watched from SRK. It was an insanely good movie and kept me engaged the whole time. I recommend you go watch it. The acting was superb and SRK and Mahira Khan shown through amazingly. Nawaz's role did it justice and he helped the plot along very well indeed. His acting ability was superior in every way. Nawaz exudes nonchalant charm in every scene. Shahrukh Khan excelled in this movie and really grasped his role as a gangster immensely. The pairing of SRK and Mahira Khan was fresh as well and was great. The Soundtrack really enhanced the movie as well making it a huge hit. Raees is surely a blockbuster and I urge you to watch it.

Rating: 3/5

Story: the audience, today, goes to watch the movie for its story. Raees had an amazing cast and a good story at hand but it was not handled well by the director. He was confused between making this a realistic movie or an over the top bollywood movie. The first few minutes seemed immature but then it blended into a real gangster movie. 3/5

Direction: it was poor. As written above, story handling was confused. The actions scenes were not well directed. The only thing that was good, was that it was fast excluding the last 20 minutes that you'd expect to be slow 2/5

Acting: can we get better than Shahrukh playing a negative role and an amazing actor like Nawazzudin Siddiqui playing the cop? What a treat to watch. They made the directors confusion not look too bad. Mahira did an okay job because she didn't have much to do. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayuub as usual never disappoints just like Nawazzudin 4.5

Songs: couple of situational songs should have been better but otherwise O Zaalima and the ever so sexy Sunny Leone dancing to the remake of Laila O Laila should drive you to the theatres 3.5

Final review: it's a one time watch. Don't miss Shahrukh and Nawazzudin's super act and of course Sunny Leone. Otherwise the story can be liked by many if not being to critical.

Raees is Just Fantastic. SRK is phenomenal as Miyanbhai. Nawazuddin is just superb as the cop. Story is well researched and well articulated in the movie. Mahira looks beautiful in the movie. All supporting characters are too good to be there. Raees is all the way winner. Rahul Dholakia has been good enough to pull this off. Sunny Leaone sizzles as Laila. Songs are beautifully made. SRK is playing a bad guy the it should be played on screen. For the first time after My name is Khan SRK is delivering such a fantastic performance. He is just unstoppable in Raees.This will be the biggest hit of 2017 without a second thought. Raees will set a benchmark for crime drama in the future for sure. Dialogues are just heartwarming and top notch.Cinematography is perfect so is screenplay.Overall its an out and out entertainer. A must watch and highly recommended.Songs are just perfectly placed in the film. Thats why they do not look like forcibly placed. SRK fans will certainly enjoy watching this flick. Go and enjoy the daring of Miyanbhai and dimag of Baniya.

SRK should now realize that making films differently and making different films are two different sides.

What Aamir Khan is producing since last 15 years is, making every new film from a totally new viewpoint, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Panday, Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Per, Ghajini, 3 Idiots and eventually PK; all are different...

Despite of the fact I am a fan of SRK, he has different films only like Devdas, Kal Ho Na Ho, Swades, Chak De India, RNBD Jori, My Name Is Khan, Dear Zindagee in many of his films...

This film is just a typical routine movie with a few flaws: - He won elections and was MNA, yet he was murdered during escape - Strong presence of CM and Opposition leader got unanswered at the end of the movie. - When Inspector got information that the main culprit is Musa, not Raees, why don't he went to arrest Musa, instead he went for Raees.

Overall, dialogues were well written, well communicated, especially between SRK & Nawaz Ul Din Siddiqui, cast is heavy and success is already ensured as public loves him, like N Ul Din Siddiqui and this time, he took Pakistan's most famous actress Mahira Khan as heroine.