No doubt when you are going to an Anurag Kashyap film, you are up for something dark or entering into some dark world. Whether that world he takes us into entices or not is the question.
The basis of Raman Raghav 2.0 is a serial killer Raman Raghav of 1960s who had murdered 41 people as per the records. The beginning of the movie has a brief note about the real-life Raman Raghav and also says that this movie is not about him. Thus, this is not a biopic but about a man in the present who got inspired by him. And that is being played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Iam sure the original guy wherever he is now (hell?) will be extremely impressed by the actor.
The whole movie is divided into 8 chapters with interesting titles to it. The most shocking and terrific chapter is ‘THE SISTER ‘where Raman enters her sister’s place and does and talks things which sends chills down the spine. The chapters in the first half have Raman as the lead where each chapter interestingly shows the murders he did. In fact, the interesting part is not about how he did that, but what he talks, and how he carries himself, during, before and after murder. This is no doubt the best performance of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. To understand such a complex character to its core and delivering it in the most convincing way is almost an impossible task but Nawaz was purely immaculate and magical. He makes his character so believable like no one did. His monologues were first rate too. With this film, he has gone to a whole new level.
After watching such an out-of-the world performance in the first half, it is heartbreaking to see the film tumble down like a pack of cards. The second half puts Raman in the backseat and deals majorly with Raghav, played by Vicky Kaushal. Raghav is a cop and a deadly drug addict. His personal life is messed up and drugs are his water, food and air. The second half delves into Raghav’s life more but in a very confusing abstract manner. It felt like whatever Kashyap had it in his mind, he couldn’t convey in a way a common audience can comprehend. It was way too disjoint and despite Ram Sampath’s pathos in the background, his scenes just couldn’t convey absolutely any emotion. Vicky was decent, but Anurag’s presentation of Raghav is a total thumbs down.
Ram Sampath’s tracks were good and the cinematography brought the much required raw and rustic feel. The locations were more than authentic.
All in all, the film can be divided into two chapters.
Chapter One – Terrifying Raman
Chapter Two – Sleep-inducing Raghav
Full marks to the first one and zero the second making the rating 2.5/5
