DareDevilKid
Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)Rating: 3.9/5 starsGone are the days when all you expect from an Emraan Hashmi flick are a strings of kisses followed by several passionate moments. Like many of his last films, "Raja Natwarlal" too is a clear departure from his stereotypical mold; matter of fact it's starkly different from most thrash dished out by Bollywood these days. Emraan Hashmi's avatar as a con man 'Mithilesh Kumar' will startle yet entice you at the same time. The actor has indeed evolved since his "Murder" days, and how! With a slew of potent performance in an assortment of memorable films over the last few years (barring "Ghanchakkar" and "Rush", which were let down by weak scripts), he has without doubt carved a niche as one of the country's brightest stars.In this Kunal Deshmukh helmed film, Emraan plays 'Raja', a brilliant conman who dupes common men and makes merry out of the gains. His character paints a clear picture of one happy-go-lucky man, who has a heart of gold (evident when he gives out some Rs. 6000 bucks to a street kid selling cigarettes), and makes you wonder where the movie is going. However, there is a twist in the tale; Raja's closest friend and mentor – an elder brother like figure - Raghav, played by Deepak Tijori (endearing in a bit role), is shot dead in front of him one fateful night, after a huge con in which the duo pull off more than they bargained for.The conman inside Emraan takes up a new kind of pace in order to eliminate the uber-stylish and sleek Vardha Yadav (played by Kay Kay Menon with sinister flair and malicious aplomb), seeking revenge for Raghav's death. For this, he seeks out Yogi (Paresh Rawal terrific as always), an expert at long cons. The film follows their attempt to avenge Raghav's death, with a little bit of help from a motley crew of small-time con-artists. The entire journey from India to Cape Town and back will keep you on tenterhooks, and is interspersed with spells of laughter to lighten the mood intermittently.The film's strongest point is its casting. Each of the actors is perfectly-suited to the character they're portraying. Though some performances are stronger than others, there are none that feel forced or unconvincing. Hashmi plays the street-smart conman trying to pull off a long con smoothly with equal swagger and vulnerability, and together with Paresh Rawal, creates a sizzling rapport that successfully holds the film together in instances where it wobbles slightly. These two class actors make even some of the filler scenes watchable. The screenplay is linear till the time veteran actor Paresh Rawal makes an uncanny entry from Dharamshala. His get-up and dialogue delivery will certainly make you believe that the screen brightens up every time a senior actor like him makes his presence felt. Paresh as Yogi, is the mastermind whose help Raja takes to con the big man Vardha. Kay Kay Menon is fantastic as always with his Vardha, a savage in a suit, oil- slick and lean, desperately keen on acquiring a cricket team, ready to bludgeon his way towards this. Pakistani import Humaima Malick looks hot and that is how her character 'Ziya' is meant to be. Her acting talent is realistic, and she suits the role surprisingly well. Special reference needs to be given to Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who's mighty impressive in his small bit as a hit-man. Wish he had a meatier role in the movie. Besides Zeeshan, the other side-kicks in the film too have played their parts very well.Parveez Sheikh's script is strewn with crackling scenes that are matched in equal measure by Sanjay Masoom's witty dialogues, which infuse the narrative with verve and chutzpah. The story is packed with money, cons, romance, friendship, greed, confidence, over-confidence, kisses, chases, corrupt cops, cricket associations, twists – all of which are astutely handled by director Kunal Deshmukh. The plot travels from Mumbai to Dharamshala to Cape Town, but Deshmukh retains firm control over proceedings. He also shrewdly ensures that Emraan's signature style kissing is inherently embedded in the script. The serial-kisser can give Hollywood a cutthroat competition in that department, hands down. Cinematographer, Raaj A. Chakravati's work is also worth a mention."Raja Natwarlal" wins you over by the sassy swagger of its tricks, its conmen, and scenes like the climax at the 'HDMC Bank', all with its tongue lodged firmly in cheek. The film begins with a small con game and towards the climax, ends with a huge, elaborately planned con, making the audience applaud with our hero, Emraan Hashmi. We can safely say that this time, the con is well and truly on.
pankajsehjowalia
I watched the trailer and knew that the movie will have something new to offer. The main Lead "Emraan Hashmi" has given another good performance after 'shanghai' beyond his portrayed and perceived image by Mahesh Bhatt's movie. The name itself is catchy and makes audience curious to watch the movie. The plot has its ups and down, Deepak Tojori was seen on the big screen after a long time and then you get to see KK Menon and Paresh Rawal. The Actress 'Humaima' fits the need of the character and do justice to her debut film. This is one movie with no misfits. Everything gels well in the script from starting playful, fun times to the feeling of revenge, simple strategy and execution. The movie also leaves a scope of a sequel , that would be tricky business. The sequel, if comes would be expected to deliver high hopes of the audience. Appreciation for all the directors, as the simple concept was taken to extra-ordinary level. Kudos !
Govind Nair
Raja Natwarlal is unmitigatedly acceptable. The film serves as one of the better con films compared to other bollywood projects belonging to the same genre in recent times. The story expounds the life of a small-time con artist who after confronting unexpected circumstances sets out on a mission to avenge the death of his closest ally. The first half of the film is quotidian, just like any other heist film. It is the second half where the plot actually gets intriguing and engaging. The film doesn't seem to tire its viewers as it possesses a tolerable run time of 140 minutes. Besides this, an amazingly drawn out conclusion similar to that of Christopher Nolan's 'The Prestige' fills you with absolute contentment.The casting department is worthy of admiration for gathering such a group of commendable performers. Emraan Hashmi, once again in a similar lead role, is rapturous. Humaima Malik's enticing good looks poised with conventional acting skills unquestionably make an impression. Paresh Rawal is brilliant while playing Emraan's mentor in the film. Kay Kay Menon, while playing the major negative role is elegant. Deepak Tijori in a short but crucial supporting role is garden-variety.Film's direction is laudable indeed. Kunal Deshmukh has definitely managed to be conspicuous especially towards the end. Screenplay by Parveez Sheikh is neat. Dialogues by Sanjay Masoom are witty. Cinematography and Editing departments have undeniably managed to make a hit. Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja is fresh and alluring. Summing everything up, the movie is decent. Neither the best nor the worst. However, it is way better than all those masala flicks which get undeserving responses from the audiences. Emraan Hashmi buffs will definitely embrace this one.
Jasrick Johal
Raja (Emraan) and Raghav (Deepak tijori) are best buddies and also conmen doing petty crimes. One day Raja overhears a conversation between two men involving big money. He hatches a plan and teams up with Raghav and gets the loot. But the duo doesn't know that the money belongs to the dreaded gangster Varda (kay kay) and what happens after that forms the rest.The director has come up with a average storyline and while the presentation was rich, the narrative was good in parts. The dialogues were good. The script was average but the screenplay made it a bit better. The background score was effective but songs were average. Cinematography was okay. Editing was upto the mark. Costumes were well knit while the art department was colorful. Emraan Hashmi did his best to shoulder the film in an impressive manner and he scored well. Humaima looks pretty and she did her bit as required. Deepak Tijori was brief but good. Paresh Rawal was the scene stealer, he was excellent and Kay Kay Menon was superb. It takes a good deal of twists and nice script work to ensure that a thriller gives the right impact. In this venture, what ever suspense thrill was left until the end and it worked. However the the emotional, and romantic track was a bore,it didn't work.The first half goes on the right note with elements of some humor, romance and action. The interval bang was interesting but the second half has its share of ups and downs because the script went to dramatic and emotional at times. Still, the overall impact has been quite appealing. Overall watch the film if your an Emran Hashmi fan, its his typical film with loads of masala and kissing. For the rest watch the film because it entertains in parts, and because the ending is great. Expected more from this raja though.6.5/10
