Duty, Danda & Devgan !

Duty, Danda & Devgan : My quick take on Ajay Devgan’s “Raid 2” (theatrical release)

Seldom do Hindi sequels better their originals. Usually, Part 2s are like WhatsApp forwards — recycled, unwanted, and somehow more painful than the first. Most filmmakers just try to piggyback on their prequels like a lazy college senior copying last year’s project report. So I walked into Raid 2 armed with skepticism and low expectations — especially because Raid (Part 1) was no joke. Ajay Devgn locking horns with Saurabh Shukla gave us a socio-political cum-living-room drama that was as tight as a Tupperware lid. A socio-political thriller that kept us hooked, booked, and morally shook.

So imagine my shock when Raid 2 turned out to be… actually better! Not just a passable sequel, but a racy, pacy, chase-y thriller that grabs you by the collar and yells, “This one is better”

Now let’s set expectations — this isn’t a “sequel” in the traditional sense. You don’t need to have watched the first one. Think of it more like CID meets Singham, only with fewer punches and more paper trails. Saurabh Shukla pops in again, but only to provide comic relief — like that funny uncle in a wedding who cracks jokes while chaos ensues in the background.

Performance-wise, everyone is firing on all cylinders. Ajay Devgn returns as the brooding IRS officer who looks like he sleeps with an audit report under his pillow. Honestly, he’s so convincing in this role, I won’t be surprised if someone from the IT cell tries to transfer him in real life. He’s grim, grounded, and oozes “sarkaari swag.” On a lighter note — we’ve seen how a humble, hawai chappal–wearing ex-IRS officer once stirred Indian polity; here, we get a sandal-clad storm ready to clean house. Take a bow, Singham Sir.

Now, the real surprise? Vaani Kapoor. Yes, I rubbed my eyes too. Not only does she act, she owns the screen when she appears. OMG Vaani, who knew?! Ritesh Deshmukh, meanwhile, has clearly taken Bobby Deol’s acting vitamins from Animal — he plays the smooth-talking, bandhi gala wearing villain with such cunning elegance, he could probably sell a fridge to an Eskimo. And there are moments where he straight-up outshines Ajay — not easy when you’re sharing the screen with those intense eyebrows.

Veterans like Vijayendra Karla, Amit Sial, Yashpal Sharma, Supriya Pathak and Rajat Kapoor bring gravitas — every time they show up, the screen feels richer, like someone just added saffron to your biryani.

Not everything is perfect, of course. Tamannaah’s item song is the cinematic equivalent of spam email — skippable and mildly irritating. The other two songs feel like speed bumps on an expressway, but thankfully, they don’t derail the film’s momentum.

What truly works are the punchy dialogues and the zippy screenplay. The plot zips through faster than a neta switching parties before elections. It keeps you hooked like a daily soap, but with the IQ of a real thriller.

In short, Raid 2 not only raids the corrupt but also sneaks up on the audience with surprising brilliance. If they’re planning to turn this into a full-blown franchise — count me in. Who knew tax raids could be this entertaining?

Let’s just say, if Singham had a quiet, smarter cousin who did his damage with files instead of fists — this is him. And he’s here to stay.