Raja Natwarlal

RAJA NATWARLAL: "A movie that had good potential fails to make a solid impression!" [2.5/5]

Emraan Hashmi returns to the BIG screen after last year's GHANCHAKKAR. Before I begin reviewing I must say that he likes signing in for the movies that are promising and has potential to deliver something new and different.This one too is & it's worth appreciating. But the problem lies in how the movie is handled.

Anyways, the story is about Raja, who is a small time conman who gets his partner killed in an attempt to break into the big league. Then to avenge this death he seeks out a bigger retired conman to help him. Together they hatch a plan to steal the rich guy's money so that Raja can marry his bar dancer sweetheart and avenge the death in one swoop.

The story at its core is OK and the little clever touches of con games are funny and entertaining at times. However, neither the characters nor their motivations are strong enough for us to root for either the conman or the rich cricket crazy dude getting conned. You are indifferent to their fates and that is totally dangerous in a movie which depends on your liking the con guy to make the story work. To make matters worse there is the romantic angle which just doesn't work and which pulls the narrative down in its best parts with some soppy songs and unnecessary kisses.

The star cast is great- Emraan as Raja, Paresh Rawal as the master con and Kay Kay Menon as the rich guy are all great actors and their chemistry makes the movie extremely watchable in parts. They manage to create a good feeling of tension in a few crucial scenes. New actress , Pakistani import Humaima Malik is too thin to register on screen and the only way you can tell she is there is when there is some spangly costume floating about on the screen. I was nice to see Deepak Tijori again on screen looking older and better without his old funny hairstyle.

Raja Natwarlal could have been infinitely smarter, funnier and way more taut given the story it was working with and the star cast. Instead what we get is patchy pieces of good action, silly songs and a storytelling session as we are tucked into bed(meant for some excessive runtime) Anyhow, watchable it is. [2.5/5]

Con movies are rare in bollywood,good con movies are even rarer.It is a genre that is not attempted much in bollywood.The ones we had were disastrous ones like Cash,Tees Maar Khan etc.The only good ones I remember are Badmaash Company and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. So Raja Natwarlal comes as a pleasant surprise.

It goes without saying that there are plot holes and the songs could have been avoided but the director has kept the pace of the movie interesting and the climax is well directed and something you wouldn't expect. Emraan Hashmi and Paresh Rawal are superb and look every bit convincing as the endearing con-men. Kay Kay Menon's character is caricaturish but he makes good use of it. Watch out for him in the final scene. Humaima Malick needs to look good and she does that. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayub is good in his cameo.

Well I wouldn't call Raja Natwarlal the best film of the year,but it is certainly amongst the most entertaining ones.It is way better the trashy south remakes we get every week in the name of entertainment.

Raja Natwarlal - the name didn't ride on any big hopes prior to its release. It marks the fourth collaboration of director Kunal Deshmukh and Emraan Hashmi and that too outside the Vishesh Films camp. A con- caper at its heart, Natwarlal entwines all the possible elements of a typical Hashmi potboiler - drama, revenge, twists and the customary lip locks.

The Plot. A street-smart thug named Raja(Hashmi) inadvertently crosses paths with a deadly Cape Town-based don, Vardha(Kay Kay Menon, deliciously menacing)when he, along with mentor Raghav(Deepak Tijori), steal away a hefty sum from his men. Raghav is killed by Vardha's men and Raja swears revenge.He takes the help of a rather cynical ex-con guru Yogi(Paresh Rawal)in devising a royal scam to rob the don off all his ill-acquired wealth. With an agenda that they would auction a fake cricket team to Vardha as the sport is ostensibly his only weakness, the stage is all set for the battle of wits!

Reportedly inspired from the 1973 Hollywood flick, Sting, Raja Natwarlal manages to keep you hooked with all its twists and turns. With an undercurrent of humor and crisply written dialogues, the narrative springs out good sequences , particularly when Raja and his motley of con-men stage a fake meeting of Vardha with the cricket board Chairman with a pest-control-in-progress tag outside the room. What doesn't work here is the love track between Raja and his girlfriend, Ziya(Humaima Mallik) and the monotonously choreographed dance-bar numbers. And every time, the action ticks off , it is soon ruptured by stupidly placed songs .Even the beautiful picturizations amidst the scenic locales of Cape Town and the music by new-find Yuvan Shankar seldom do the damage control. It would also require a suspension of disbelief for the discerning viewer to see how an overtly incredulous tycoon gets tricked in the name of a fake cricket league.

With a mediocre intensity this time, Emraan Hashmi pulls off the act efficiently. He imbues Raja with a steely resolve and manages to give an emotional depth to the character. The movie redeems much of its lost strength from accomplished stars like Paresh Rawal who is superb as the satirical con-coach and mouths hilarious two-liners and Kay Kay whose performance is near immaculate. It was rather disappointing to see the talented Mohd Zeesan Ayub(Raanjhana) wasted in a sliver of a role as the mute hit-man .Humaima, who proved her potential in Pakistani films, hardly impresses here and is reduced to an average glam queen.Sumeet Nijhawan(Maazii,Diskhiyaoon) is adequate as the wicked policeman.

Raja..isn't a great film, but at the same time doesn't disappoint you with its mischievous shades.

Nice and Entertaining Film. This time Eemran Hashmi Fans wont be disappointed. After the Average movie "GHANCHAKKAR" . Eemran Hashmi will be seen on screen after a gap of more than a year.

Story Starts with Raja a Small Co artist Dupe's people with his friend Raghav(Deepak Tijori). They hit the jackpot when they dupe goon-turned- businessman Vardha Yadav (Kay Kay Menon)The cat-and-mouse game and how the duo shake them off their back makes the film interesting. Then how they plan to sell the cricket team to KK MENON. Yogi(Paresh Rawal)Prepares Raja for the big thing. Why does paresh rawal helps him? For that u need to watch the movie.The Songs can be ignored coz they come whenever they want actually spoiling the mood of the film. I think the director only needed to patch them up :P . There are several loopholes in Raja Natwarlal when it comes to logic and the conning could have certainly been more cunning and conniving. One of the film's biggest confusions is how the scene shifts between Mumbai and Cape Town. Emraan is in a business deal with Kay Kay and the next moment he meets his girlfriend who had fled to Mumbai after fighting with him! And after their adventurous ride in the rainy streets of Mumbai, they are back in the lift of a hotel in Cape Town. Lets ignore that and just sit back enjoy the movie. How they con KAY KAY and how did they loot crores of money.

Total PAISA VASOOL . SURE SHOT BLOCKBUSTER

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.