Raado sets men of political muscle, self-appointed leaders of the street, and a determined arm of the law on a collision course in Gujarat. As ambition, loyalty and vendetta pull the players in opposite directions, the ground beneath them starts to give way. What follows is a raw power struggle that reaches back to the memory of communal unrest and never lets the tension drop.
Raado is Krishnadev Yagnik stepping away from the light comedies that made his name and swinging for something bigger and angrier. Billed by its own cast as a turning point for Gujarati cinema, it is an action-driven political thriller about strongmen, mob leaders and police officers whose paths cross until the whole structure collapses. The ambition is loud and unmistakable, and on scale alone it is one of the more muscular things Dhollywood attempted that year.
The craft is where the film earns its keep. Rachana Joshi in Mid-Day Gujarati gave it three and a half out of five and singled out the direction, the action, the performances, the cinematography and Rahul Munjariya's background score, which is roughly the order in which the film wants to be judged. Hitu Kanodia, Yash Soni and Hiten Kumar anchor a wide ensemble, and Yagnik stages the confrontations with real force. The look is glossy and the sound design hits hard, sometimes too hard.
The weaknesses sit on the page. The same review that praised the making found the story and screenplay thin, the dialogue uneven and the sound mix punishingly loud, and those are fair charges. Audiences were far more forgiving, pushing the IMDb score to 8.6, so your mileage depends on whether spectacle covers for a script that stretches to fill 142 minutes. Watch it for the sheer swing and the ensemble, and go in knowing the writing does not always keep pace with the staging.
Verdict
An ambitious, muscular Gujarati action thriller carried by its staging and cast even when the writing lags behind.
What works
- Krishnadev Yagnik's ambitious, large-scale action staging
- Strong ensemble led by Hitu Kanodia, Yash Soni and Hiten Kumar
- Rahul Munjariya's charged background score
- Polished cinematography and production scale
What holds it back
- Thin, uneven story and screenplay
- Dialogue does not always land
- Sound mix is punishingly loud
- Runs long at 142 minutes
Cast & crew
Writers: Krishnadev Yagnik
Music: Rahul Munjariya
Cast: Hitu Kanodia, Yash Soni, Tarjanee Bhadla, Nikita Sharma (Madhavi), Bharat Chawda, Devarshi Shah, Niilam Paanchal, Hiten Kumar
Producers: Jayesh Patel, Munna Shukul
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Krishnadev Yagnik
More Action Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Raado worth watching?
An ambitious, muscular Gujarati action thriller carried by its staging and cast even when the writing lags behind. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Raado about?
Raado sets men of political muscle, self-appointed leaders of the street, and a determined arm of the law on a collision course in Gujarat. As ambition, loyalty and vendetta pull the players in opposite directions, the ground beneath them starts to give way. What follows is a raw power struggle that reaches back to the memory of communal unrest and never lets the tension drop.
What is the IMDb rating of Raado?
Raado (2022) holds an IMDb rating of 8.6 out of 10 from 1.2k votes.