Raid 2 Review: Ajay Devgn, Vaani Kapoor Film Is A Tedious Watch!
Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Vaani Kapoor starrer Raid 2 is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. Read our thoughts here.
2 / 5
Most of the time, sequels don’t work. However, I still put my trust and hope in the recently released Ajay Devgn starrer Raid 2, the sequel to a film which I honestly loved. Raid 2, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, also stars Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Rajat Kapoor. Backed by T-Series and Panorama Studios, the sequel had our attention with hopes that it would do justice to the bar set by Raid. However, unlike that, this one comes with a lot of flaws, and the biggest one has to be its predictable and redundant nature of storytelling. Read our review for more.
Plot
Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn) is back for his 75th raid, but this time, it’s more complicated, difficult and twisted than before. The Income Tax Officer has a foolproof plan to raid one of the powerful ministers of Rajasthan, Dadabhai (Riteish Deshmukh). Vaani Kapoor plays the role of Patnaik’s wife Malini. The cat and mouse chase between Amay and Dadabhai spans over 2 and a half hours, with both getting to play on equal fields. The story only gets complex post-interval, and in Raid 2, Amay Patnaik plays on the backfoot to crush the rule of a leader who pretends to be a god figure in the public’s eye.
Saurabh Shukla as Rameshwar Singh AKA Tauji is mostly there for the narration, but his role has somehow been incorporated into the main plot. In the second half, Amit Sial plays the corrupt officer, Lallan Sudheer. Rajat Kapoor is the Chief Commissioner of the Income Tax Department. The movie is all about how Amay uses his sharp brain to crush the illegal businesses of Dadabhai and seal all the black money that he had been hiding from the Income Tax Department. No points for guessing who wins this battle!
Performances
Ajay Devgn as Amay Patnaik is comfortable and easygoing in his performance, with nothing extraordinary on display. His slow-motion walks, amped up with a background score, are what we see in Raid 2 often. Vaani Kapoor is decent, although this female character has hardly any substantial role to play in this film. Riteish Deshmukh is playing the typical minister who challenges the Income Tax Officer and scares him with the power of his citizens’ support. However, the actor has certainly done the job well and with a lot of conviction. Towards the end, one only hates Dadabhai for all he has done in the garb of being an honest public servant.
The performance I enjoyed the most was delivered by Amit Sial as Lallan Sudheer. I wish his character were introduced way earlier in the film. The actor makes his character of a bootlicker and corrupt officer look so easy, and adds the perfect laughter moments to this otherwise stretched plot. Saurabh Shukla comes back as Tauji, but the charm and presence of his character were not felt much, or at all, in Raid 2.
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Predictable, Dragged Plot
Raid 2 starts off well. Initially, I enjoyed watching the face-off between Amay and Dadabhai. The intensity and smartness shared between the two characters were interesting. One staying a step ahead of the other had got me invested. But that attention did not last long. The plot got repetitive in no time. Raid 2 is good in bits and pieces.
Raid 2 is exactly the film where you sit for over 2 hours and 30 minutes, only to know what will happen next while simultaneously predicting everything well in advance. The film serves us with so many unnecessary plot twists in this cat-and-mouse chase that, after a point, it’s exhausting. Also, the predictable and dragged nature of the plot takes away attention, too. There are unnecessary dance numbers and romantic songs in the film, and unlike Raid, the sequel is nothing close to being crisp, serious and engaging.
The fact that Raid was loved so much, one cannot help but constantly make comparisons of it with this sequel.
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Verdict
Raid 2 starring Ajay Devgn, Vaani Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh is a tedious watch that does not have much new elements to offer. It’s unnecessarily dragged with twists that could have been done better. The songs are quite distracting, and this film yet again has no strong female character. The impact of the characters, even the pivotal ones, falls flat due to the writing and screenplay. It’s only likeable in some parts but in its entirety, the film fails to deliver. Raid 2 will have hit the theatres, and now it’s for you to decide if you are gonna watch it!
First Published: May 01, 2025 11:16 AM
