Not once do they show anyone getting killed in Raman Raghav 2.0, not once.
Anurag Kashyap‘s Raman Raghav 2.0 starts with talking about the original serial killer of the 1960s that terrorized Mumbai. It makes it clear at the onset itself that the movie, however, is not about him. The movie is about Ramanna – Nawazuddin Siddiqui – who feels no remorse of emotion about taking another human life. He does it like one takes a dump, as he confesses in one of the most telling climax scenes ever. Murder for the sake of murder – brutal and mindless. The movie is also about Raghav – Vicky Kaushal – a drug addict cop with daddy issues. He’s also someone who may have more in common with Ramanna than he might be willing to accept. This is their story and my God, it’s a brilliant one! Not that I ever questioned it but yes, I think Kashyap is a genius.
Anurag and Vasan Bala co-wrote the script and almost unsurprisingly, they’ve done a super fine job at it. The screenplay is edgy, disturbing and oh-so-sexy – Mumbai, among other things in the movie, has never looked like this! It kept me at the edge of the seat till the very end and I found myself emotionally invested in the film in the first half itself. As most Bollywood films go, the beginning of the second half got slightly lose, but it picked up and how.
I feel like there’s nothing I can possibly say about Nawaz that hasn’t been said before. Honestly, I can’t begin to put to into words the extent the man managed to haunt me hours after the movie got over. I think I can still hear the eerie sound of a metal rod being dragged on the road. Has he made it to my list of favourite on-screen maniacs? Abso-fuckin-lutely.
Complimenting him endlessly in the movie is Vicky Kaushal, who once again has managed a breathtaking performance in an avatar we’ve not seen him before in. Apparently, Anurag’s brief to Vicky was that he had to go from the Masaan boy that every woman wants to take home to her mom to Raghav – who every woman wants to take to bed. Do I want to sleep with Raghav? Questionable. But what about in my fantasies? HELL YES! Vicky plays the fucked up cop with utmost conviction and his complex relationship with his fuck-buddy-but-also-girlfriend-figure Smrutika is particularly inspired. Which brings me to Sobhita Dhulipala – who owns her small but significant role. Special shout out to Amruta Subhash as Nawaz’s sister, who you probably remember from the brilliant Marathi film, Killa. Her scenes have probably stayed with me the most.
AND THE MUSIC BY RAM SAMPATH!!! Really, watch it for that if for nothing else!
All in all, Raman Raghav 2.0 is the psycho thriller that will make you laugh at unexpected moments and then suddenly send a chill down your spine. Oh, it will also scare you. It will scare you very very much. Oh, and did I mention I stay by myself in Mumbai? The movie is disturbing, psychotic, fucked up… but in the best way possible. And I daresay, it’s probably my favourite love story of the year so far.
Not once do they show anyone getting killed in Raman Raghav 2.0, not once.
Rating: 4/5