Alia Bhatt’s spy gig in Raazi is par excellence. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the research team behind the film. While Bollywood does not have a stellar record in this domain, a project like this certainly deserved to be handled a little more carefully. Apart from the plot loopholes, there are some glaring inaccuracies that will likely mar the experience for many docu-fiction buffs.
'Poisoned Umbrella' Assassination Was a Subcontinental Invention
Poor Georgi Ivanov Markov would be turning in his grave. The Bulgarian novelist was assassinated on a London street in 1978 by his country’s secret service. The KGB of Russia is said to have helped in the act. This was arguably the first instance where a poisoned umbrella was used. But it seems the Raazi spooks are as adept in time-travel as they are in travelling between Delhi and Rawalpindi.
Gen Zia-ul-Haq Was Preaching to the Converts
The Pakistanis in Raazi are saying goodbyes using ‘Allah Hafiz’ instead of the blasphemous ‘Khuda Hafiz’. What was General Zia-ul-Haq fighting for in the late 70s, when his countrymen already believed in Islamisation? Since the film is set in 1971, one feels bad for the misplaced zeal of the dictator.
Hindustani Classical is 'Indian'
When Iqbal and Sehmat exchange their favourite music genres, the former is quick to remark that Sehmat, being Indian, must have grown up listening to ‘Hindustani classical’. Well, Iqbal, many a Pakistani music enthusiasts have done that, too. The Bade Ghulam Ali Khan vinyl record you gift your wife later clearly shows that ‘Hindustani’ is a genre in its own right that has nothing to do with patriotism.
The Easy-Breezy Land Route Between India and Pakistan
Where was this land-crossing in Kashmir that Sehmat and her family used for back and forth travels? And with such ease! Wasn’t the Baramullah-Muzaffarabad route closed after the First Indo-Pak war? It was not until 1999 that a bus service started between the two countries.
Indians Give Visas to Pakistani Military Officers on a Platter
Ok, ok, we know it suited the Indian intelligence to have the Syeds of Pakistan to feel welcome in Hidayat Khan’s Kashmir house but still... Pakistani army officers’ influx in Kashmir on a valid visa is beyond believable.
Pakistani Army Doesn't Provide Enough Staff and Security to Its Generals
The Flag Staff House where the Syeds live in Rawalpindi gotta be seriously understaffed. How else would Sehmat be able to ‘wire’ the house unnoticed? She’s up on the terrace in the broad daylight and nobody offers to assist the chhoti memsaab! Nobody sees her chasing Abdul. For the record, if the Indian cantonments are any indication, a Flag Staff House has a battery of jawans at all times. And the entry exit points are sufficiently manned.
It's Cool for Agents to Communicate Directly to Their Desk Back Home
Nobody reads spy-fiction or what? Whatever happened to the ‘dead letter box’ convention? Yes, Sehmat was a rookie spy but her bosses were not. Sehmat’s setting up of the Morse-transmission set inside her house flouts all spying conventions.
IB is the foreign intelligence agency of India
Ok, somebody is touching a real RAW nerve here. The Research and Analysis Wing is India’s foreign intelligence agency. The Intelligence Bureau, or IB, is an internal intelligence agency. Try mixing that up in front of the respective officials and you will know what “if looks could kill” means!
P.S. Mr Ajit Doval, the man Pakistan is supposed to fear the most, is an IB man.
Pakistan Army Works Like a Feudal Khandan
Believe it or not, Pakistan Army is a professional army, like ours. It would be considered highly inappropriate to see two much junior officers accompanying their Major General father to important meetings. How did they all get posted together at Rawalpindi at the same time? An army, particularly in the subcontinent, is nothing without hierarchy and clearly defined pecking order. Major Iqbal and Major Mehboob being given so much bhaav by their daddy would have surely irked the other ‘Pindi boys’.
Finally... the Plot Loopholes
- Iqbal knows that his wife is a spy just after seeing her ghungroo in Abdul’s room. Really? What does it prove, after all? That she may have come to this room sometime. So what? One legit visit was made with Mehboob when the latter wanted to investigate.
- The body-double used by Sehmat to trick the ISI agents, even in a burkha, would have looked very different from the petite spy of ours. Surely, the ISI ain’t all that daft.
- Sehmat mistakenly gives a signal for rescue and ‘Mir’ lands in Rawalpindi the next day. In less than 24 hours from Delhi to Rawalpindi with an entire rescue plan in place. Maybe we are being cynical but surely such alacrity is a little too much.
- The ‘safe-house’ gotta be too safe to allow a loud meltdown. Again, Mir and Co. expected the melodrama and chose a house where even the front-yard was sound-proof!
(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit Send.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)