Raado
Introduction
It is an art to present your characters without a context by directly diving into the action, only for the characters to build slowly through the situations that they find themselves in. And that is the prowess of the writing of the Gujarati film Raado which premiered on ShemarooMe, more than 2 years after its theatrical release. In a fabric of Gujarati cinema that focuses mostly on comedies and family dramas, trust Krishnadev Yagnik to pull a rabbit out of the bag (he did it twice – first with Raado and following it up with Vash). In many ways, Raado is a landmark film in Indian cinema (and I say Indian and not just Gujarati Cinema) because the political landscape of the country doesn’t allow you to make provocative cinema without taking sides. But this is where Raado scores – in its writing that isn’t keen on necessarily taking sides of the left or the right. In fact, the entire account of the drama is mostly fictionalized, with the focus being on the shock value which here is a byproduct of power and politics that are prevalent in the drama. This, while the pacing of the drama doesn’t allow you to register much of the incidents (oddly in a good way) while throwing in another sequence of events in a game of one-upmanship.
Story & Screenplay
The story of Raado is simple – it marks a political clash between two powerful authorities who will stop at nothing, in what is essentially a battle of the ego with the suffering stakeholder being the common man. The last bit is particularly true because in almost every ‘destructive’ sequence, you see the common man suffering the most. But the writing here doesn’t wish to dwell on the anti-establishment part of the drama – it is focused on two strong stakeholders who are similar powercenters in their own rights, while coaxing the viewers to pick a side between ‘two wrongs’. This dilemma is similar to what public undergoes during elections wherein you often do the picking based on who is ‘lesser wrong’ out of the two. But the political fabric of the drama is brilliantly laid out in its opening act that lasts for about 40 odd minutes which honestly sets the tone for the rest of the drama to follow.
The beauty of the writing, particularly in its opening act lies with the fact that the entire sequence that acts as a prelude, plays out in one night wherein the worlds of different people from different walks of life collide (at times literally). The political fabric of the drama is sewed early on when you see the first impressions of a character creating havoc by annihilating the office of a chancellor at a university because he hadn’t given permissions to stage an election. The sequence is just the start of the pandemonium even as other characters are introduced bit by bit – a chief minister who is insulted on live television, a police inspector who has to take his pregnant wife to the hospital, a powerful entity admitted at a hospital that suffers from a power failure, two different set of youngsters who are mere pawns in the events unfolding at night. Clearly, there is a lot happening even though you are familiarized with the characters and the baggage that they have been carrying. Yet, the events that are choreographed are so exciting in nature that you feel for the characters, or more specifically their actions in situations that are essentially outside their comfort zone.
This 40 odd minute opening sequence ends on a rather interesting note before the writing takes a minor breather, establishing most of its characters that you have already been witness to. But the momentum in the drama is regained even as the writers do not wish to provide any respite to the characters – the central conflict of a politically motivated clash does transpire at a local hospital that invariably draws the lines for a political conspiracy. Except that, the conspiracy here isn’t cerebral in any way, neither are the mindgames in play. In a stark contrast, the writing is provocative and destructive with the fiery intentions of the characters that often keep the viewers on their toes. And amidst the political clash, there is a small tragedy featuring one of the characters that in turn acts as a parallel revenge plot while also doubling up as a catalyst, or rather a fuel for the political clash. This, while the politics in the drama cleverly play out in the background.
One small criticism that I had about this other prolific drama is that it simplifies the clashes which after a point are too much on your nose. The brighter side of things though is that the tone of the drama is never breached, and you do get some exciting clashes that do keep you invested throughout the drama (although slightly repetitive too). But the simplistic nature of the one-note clashes is what my criticism was directed towards, a point that I can easily ignore given the barter for the excitement in store. So the extended clash between the political rivals of sorts forms the major part of the second hour as well, in a searing and fiery game of one-upmanship. It is only the last 10 minutes that calm things down, although not in a good way given that the flaw of simplicity comes back to haunt the finale wherein the drama ends on a bit of a whimper. Ofcourse, the writers do not wish to dwell particularly on any messaging while providing a platform for one ‘wrong’ side to win, but if it was a little more layered, the drama would have been even more exciting. Yet, I couldn’t discount the first 2 hours of the film either that absolutely smacked the ball out of the park. And so I must say that the screenplay is quite well written on a provocative drama that is a landmark of sorts for the Gujarati Film Industry.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are fiery and often add to the intensity of the drama that mostly focuses on a blast of emotions during the clash. The BGM is probing while doing its bit to enhance the impact of several scenes. One of the strongest aspects of the drama is the cinematography that adds an edgy vibe to the proceedings. Be it the ever shaking frames or the hand-held camera that is symbolic of the chaos, all of it combine to create a chaotic ambience that essentially forms the basis of the drama to unfold. The editing is pretty solid here, particularly in the complex opening sequence of 40 minutes wherein the editor was tasked with bringing different worlds together under a single roof. I am not a fan of patchy moments of blackout on screen, but surprisingly, this technique did work here while adding a layer on intensity in a sequence that briefly dabbled with the Roshomon effect (not in its purest form). Director Krishnadev Yagnik is always known to push the envelope with his subjects that are generally against the tide of mainstream cinema in the state. And although he may not always be successful, but atleast here is a filmmaker willing to change the fabric of cinema. Here though, the direction is excellent, firmly maintaining control on the sheer intensity of the drama while never letting things to ease out even for a moment. There is something happening onscreen at any given moment, which in turn adds to the excitement in the drama. He does a tremendous job here with the proceedings and the antics of the characters that are crucial to the narrative.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast although not all characters are well developed. But other instances of the drama are so powerful that almost all characters leave a lasting impression. Gaurang Anand, Rajan Thakar and Chetan Daiya have their moments to shine, and both manage to impress. Bharat Chawda as Darshan is first rate despite a limited screen time. Pratik Rathod as Tushar delivers a fiery performance in a character that is largely intimidating and uninhibited with his antics. Prachi Thaker as Shailee has a wonderful screen presence and she adds some much needed intensity with respect to her character in the chaotic opening sequence. Garima Bhardwaj as Avni is top notch and does a commendable job too. Tarjanee Bhadla as Aarohi is sincere and earnest with her performance and she is terrific to witness. Denisha Ghumra has her moments to shine and she does a good job too. Nilam Panchal does a fine job with her character by adding right amount of intensity to her character.
Hiten Kumar as CM Kamlesh is a shrewd character that is good to witness but I couldn’t help but thing that his character was a touch underwritten. Devarshi Shah has a good screen presence that makes him stand out amidst the crowd, and he is dependable here with his act. Nikita Sharma as Madhvi delivers a powerful performance in a character that is an epitome of one of the powercenters of the film. She has an intimidating presence and does a brilliant job here. Hitu Kanodia as Bhushan has a mild emotional arc here that acts as a justification for the revenge angle in the film, and he delivers a solid performance that is laced with sincerity. Yash Soni as Karan is a revelation here. I must admit that I have only watched him previously in comedy roles, but here he is terrific in a character that reeks of intensity and isn’t afraid of flexing his authority and power. He is fiery with his performance that is enough to startle you, and make you take notice of him. His aggressive streak is balanced by moments of silence that are equally intimidating, in what is a towering act by a very talented performer.
Conclusion
Backed by solid performances, Raado is a chaotic game of one-upmanship packaged in a break-neck political thriller that makes for a brilliant watch, so much so that I am willing to let go a few flaws with its writing. This is a true blue landmark film coming from the Gujarati Film Industry that offers no respite with its pacing while leaving you breathless at countless instances in the drama. Available on ShemarooMe and Highly Recommended!
