Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
A visit from the taxman is rarely good news, unless it is from Ajay Devgn in Raid.
Director Rajkumar Gupta has taken a look at the true story of a case in the 1981 Income Tax raids in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, while taking cinematic licence to tweak the plot without going overboard and becoming preachy.
The director of critically acclaimed Aamir and No One Killed Jessica also negotiates tricky pitfalls to do his own sting operation on the corrupt behaviour of hoarders while bringing focus on how the taxman in India works.
The lead role is fit for Devgn, where he slips into his usual stoic self armed with punchy one-liners as tax official Deputy Commissioner Amay Patnaik. The dependable pot-bellied Saurabh Shukla looks the part as the antagonist politician Rameshwar Singh.
The film revolves around a rustic mansion, cheesily named White House, as Devgn and his team scourge for sources of black money, or undeclared wealth.
That quirk does not take anything away though from the fact that the film's real hero is the script writer. Ritesh Shah (Airlift and Pink) has made sure the dialogue breezes over the pouring over reams of paper while revolving around dusty offices, cowsheds and a mucky well.
The film flicks through a litany of socio-economic themes that gripped India at the time; tax is important as long as others are paying it, political grey areas, public sympathy of high-profile subjects such as Singh and moles in the tax department. Amit Sial did a good job portraying the latter.
Sadly, the movie credits do not reveal which incident forms the crux of the plot but it seems like there have been too many embellishments that have introducing a few bloopers.
The opening scene shows couple of tipsters jumping over rooftops and risking their lives just to know who is getting raided. The use of children shown in the house is also clumsily handled.
Then Ileana D'Cruz is portrayed as a perky wife who comes across more as a forced prop to give a voice to the secretive Devgn's thoughts and actions.
Two songs - Nit Khair Manga and Saanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aave - make up for the awkward chemistry, but the rehashed gems of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan have been wasted.
The stash of cash recovered has been exaggerated and so has been the sequence of events stretching to over four days for the raid.
Aside from that, there is a good amount of attention to detail of the constraints in which the taxmen work and how they do a search operation.
The worry is that some of this will be lost on the majority of the audience who are either not in a position to pay tax or liable for big amounts. According to December reports, only 1.7 per cent of India's population pays tax of any amount. The movie is still entertaining and enlightening nevertheless.
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
