Raid 2 (2025)

Riteish Deshmukh enters the chat. Or, well, walks by and waves. His screen time is limited, and his performance is... okayish. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about either. It’s not his fault — the script just doesn’t give him enough meat to chew on. You expect a twist, a punch, something edgy. What you get is a character you’ll forget by the time you walk out of the hall.

And let’s be real — we all missed the central villains of Raid 1. The absence of Saurabh Shukla, with his deliciously corrupt and delightfully annoying performance, is felt in every frame. And don’t even get me started on the dadi from Raid 1. That woman stole the show in just a few scenes. Raid 2 tries to fill the villain-shaped void but ends up giving us antagonists who feel more like background actors with anger issues.

Also — I don’t know why directors, time and again, feel that just by throwing in an item number, the entire film will magically transform. It doesn’t. It feels forced, out of place, and frankly, lazy. It’s like putting a cherry on top of plain dal chawal and calling it dessert.

Speaking of comparisons — Raid 1 had a unique charm. It balanced the seriousness with some genuinely funny moments. The humour added depth to the tension. Raid 2, on the other hand, takes itself too seriously. The lack of comic relief makes it feel heavier than it needs to be. There's no wit, no clever comebacks — just long dialogues about integrity and justice, delivered in that trademark Ajay Devgn brooding style.

And then there’s the cast. So much potential, so little payoff. It’s like hiring the Indian cricket team for a gully match and asking them to play underarm. The actors are talented — we know they are. But the director somehow manages to underuse almost every single one of them. What could’ve been an ensemble-driven powerhouse ends up feeling like a lineup of missed opportunities.

That said, it’s not a bad film. It’s still a good one-time watch. If you enjoy Ajay Devgn giving intense stares, righteous speeches, and slow-motion entries — you’ll get plenty of that. If you're in the mood for a serious, courtroom-meets-civil-servant drama with a patriotic undertone and great music — go ahead, give it a shot. Just keep your expectations at ground level and you’ll walk out satisfied.

Rating: 6/10.
Because it's honest in its intention, watchable in its execution, and bearable in its shortcomings. Not the blockbuster sequel we hoped for, but not a disaster either. It tried — and sometimes, that’s enough.