Raja Natwarlal (2014) User Reviews

Entertainer

[abhishekthegreat-pulimoo · 7/10 · 29 August 2014]

I was not expecting much from this movie. May be that is why it surpassed my expectation. Their are some cons in this movie, but it has got some pretty good twists in it and will make you watch till the end. Love story part is not up to the mark. It is just a cliché. It even will make you laugh at several occasions. But that was obvious. The songs are really good. 'Tere Hoke Rahenge' is quite brilliant. The entire movie is visually very pleasing. You wont feel any lag at any point of time. This is definitely not a movie for the critics. I recommend this movie for everyone who intend to have just some fun time...!!!

Highly implausible yet totally entertaining

[loveyourlife · 7/10 · 29 August 2014]

Similar in vein to films such as Snatch, Hustle and Life of Crime; this Emraan Hashmi starer will probably rank as one of his best films and is a welcome uplift after the mediocre Ek Thi Daayan. Hashmi should be applauded for taking risks with films that other much bigger names in Bollywood don't. He may not have the star power of the Khans but, with the exception of maybe Amir Khan, he has recently been willing to experiment with roles a lot more. Here he's paired with Humaima Malick in her first Indian film and she does a decent job as the girlfriend in tow; whatever India's verdict on her debut, she will still have her outstanding lead role in Shoaib Mansoor's "Bol" under her belt. Kay Kay Menon flips form psychotic to ice cool villain at the flick of the switch but, as always, he never fails to deliver and is believable as the rich and corrupt antagonist. The assassin who is hired to kill Raja (whoever the actor is) is excellent despite minimal dialogue and limited screen time. One of South cinema's biggest music directors, Yuvan Shankar Raja, turns in some modern numbers that just may linger; either way, thankfully these items numbers don't detract from the narrative too much. Just suspend disbelief because of course a lot of the twists in the plot are totally implausible but we need to remember, this is fiction with the sole purpose of entertaining the masses. Not an imperfect film but miles better than most releases Bollywood has had to offer in this genre this year.

A Moderate Con Flick Involving Appreciable Performances.

[iamggn · 6/10 · 1 September 2014]

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.

Good con-thriller

[ez-goku · 7/10 · 31 August 2014]

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

[ahwaan_padhee · 7/10 · 3 September 2014]

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.

This Con Man Will MakeYour Day

[n_dhruv · 1 September 2014]

Raja Natwarlal is third film of director and actor's pair.This movie is about a con man Raja(Emaraan Hashmi) who wants to take revenge from Varda Yadav(Kay Kay Menon) with the help of Yogi(Paresh Rawal).

Movie starts with Raja(Emraan Hashmi) who con people on the station bridge with his brother Raghav(Deepak Tijori).Raja planned to rob one man with rupees 80 lacks.Raghav told him to stop being insatiable.But Raja forced him to do this.After robbery they came to know that those money belonged to Varda Yadav(Kay Kay Menon).So,he told his men to kill them but they only found Raghav and killed him.When Raja came to know this and he decided to take revenge with Varda Yadav.He went to Yogi(Paresh Rawal) for the help.Yogi took test of Raja to check whether he is ready for the big con or not.Raja passed and so they put a trap for Varda Yadav.Will they succeed?

Positive : + Paresh Rawal

+ Music

+ Climax

Negative : - Humaima Malik

• Screenplay

• Cinematography

Overall : If you're a big fan of Emraan Hashmi then surely you'll love

this movie.A good choice for this weekend.

Twist & Turns with Talented & Experienced Star Cast

[pankajsehjowalia · 7/10 · 4 September 2014]

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 !

Neither king nor con

[dineshprakash · 2/10 · 29 August 2014]

Director and writer have the story in mind only and coned the audience smartly by not involving them into film. Every character does whatever making team felt to do without thinking that audience should be also integral part of this game. They had only motive to surprise you but instead they shock you due to illogical stuff. All person in con team are just taking care their daily needs any how but suddenly they got huge fund to go South Africa, live in lavish hotels, In India they established a fraud bank like switching a button, How!!!? Love track was required for the sake of few lip locks. There are lots of good actors but all been misused because they didn't have a single scene to show their performance. Story and screenplay is very linear even being a thriller. Due to not well cooked scene every actor is just OK except Paresh Rawal, he is so brilliant that churns out something from nowhere. Music always slows down the already slow pace of film but if think about a separate album few tracks are good, credit goes to music director Yuvan Shankar Raja. Even climax gives hint that they are over confident about its sequel.

Cunning Script with LOOPHOLES

[bhushanagarwal555 · 10/10 · 29 August 2014]

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

Could have been so much better. Still appreciate the effort!

[camayanknailwal · 6/10 · 29 August 2014]

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]

When a con film is not able to con the viewers with its supposedly clever content then it actually fails.

[bobbysing · 4/10 · 3 September 2014]

Being a fan of con-movies I enjoyed the first few minutes of the film where both Emraan and Deepak Tijori fool the innocent people watching them playing the game of 'guessing the right card' with a clever trick. Perhaps I loved the sequence more because that was my personal experience too when I first visited Mumbai a few decades back (then Bombay) and lost a good amount of money guessing the 'Begum' with the marked card very smartly placed in the deck targeting me alone as the only stranger standing in that group of all con-friends posing to be some passing spectators.

Secondly, I started expecting a real good movie coming next hearing the catchy title song 'Dukki Tikki' which again took me back in time remembering a similar enjoyable song written on the playing cards in Dharmender-Jeetender starrer SAMRAT released in 1982. The next 30-40 minutes were all fine with a good con played by Emraan-Deepak on some other goons and the film actually began in the right sense with Paresh Rawal making a fine entry as the Guru giving few enjoyable moments along with Emraan. So till interval, I found RAJA NATWARLAL to be above average with some good peaks along with the lows, progressing at a less energetic pace.

But post intermission, I got hugely disappointed with the director Kunal simply playing all weird, unbelievable and silly tricks in the name of con, involving the cricket board and its big game of professional cricket (on the lines of T-20), making me lose all the interest generated by its first hour.

In fact such is the way in which both Emraan and Paresh go on playing their schemes fooling the shrewd Kay Kay in the second half that one begins thinking that have they really made this film for all grown up viewers sitting in the theaters or just kids below the age group of 12 without any reasoning or questioning ability as such.

For example, the laughable con played in the initial auction involving the real ball used in the World Cup final, the official premises of the board being rigged so easily, a big five star hotel being booked for Cricket team auctions fearlessly without any verification or media hassles faced, a whole new bank opened overnight in a posh road of Mumbai as if it's a piece of cake for them all being the typical Bollywood heroes and on top of all more than 1500 crores transferred into (ordinary) bank accounts in just minutes as if they have been doing such kind of transactions from years.

Along with the absurdity mentioned above, mediocre songs keep interrupting the narration as always turning the lead couple into two funny characters romancing on the screen in such a tense situation. The pace keeps dropping constantly due to the lazy writing and then the finale con sequence which looks completely unconvincing right from the word go, ruins the whole favorable build up witnessed before the intermission.

In short, a con-movie has to be fast, thrilling and exciting all together with some enjoyable twists & turns in its narration, which successfully is able to con the viewers too sitting in their seats all of a sudden. But since RAJA NATWARLAL fails to do so with some bad editing and everything happening on a childishly unbelievable scale towards the end, it falls flat and is not able to deliver the expected quite sadly. Further its average cinematography and background score too do not add any extra edge to the movie displaying a fine start.

However, despite having a weak screenplay & story progression the film still has few enjoyable performances to offer coming from the always reliable Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. Their sequences are a treat to watch along with the noteworthy supporting cast. Plus some good support is also provided by Deepak Tijori and Humaima Malik, who apart from showing the confidence in kisses, also displays her talent in the emotions scenes too quite boldly. Yet, I expected a lot more from her, post her simply brilliant and unforgettable performance in the shocking gem BOL. Talking about the lead hero Emraan Hashmi, I frankly found him the same as seen in his previous films without putting in some extra effort to match up the performances of both Paresh and Kay Kay.

Summing up, RAJA NATWARLAL had all the ingredients of making a fine, entertaining con movie for the interested audience. But its writing, editing and direction doesn't let the film move ahead than the level of below average. Moreover if any con film tends to treat its viewers as all early teenage kids without any logical thinking ability (and that too in the country worshiping cricket) then its bound to fail miserably in all probabilities. Still you can watch it for Paresh and Kay Kay alone and not for anything else.

The Con is On, and its Beautiful

[DareDevilKid · 8/10 · 5 September 2014]

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)

Rating: 3.9/5 stars

Gone 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.

Really Like The Ending Twist!!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 7/10 · 30 August 2014]

Emraan Hashmi came back to commercial 'MASAALA' film after almost one and half year, And yes he's back with his charming on screen presence.

Now come to the REVIEW...

Yes this is a nice film with a new kind of story line (At least it's not a remake of south movie] Emraan did a great job as usual (Actually he really improved his acting skills). Deepak Tijori was in a small but effective role. Not many scenes given to Humaima to show her talent but yeah she is good. But apart from Emraan I did really like Paresh Rawal's character he was extremely good as a con master.

The film was not as great as I expected. The Jodi of Paresh & Emraan as 'Guru & Chela' was worth a watch. Story was not that great a little bit less engaging some times (1st half was really not that engaging but the 2nd half where it catches the suspense) The climax was the highlight of the film. The ending twist was superb.

Overall It's a nice film with enjoyable moments (Songs were really nice especially 'Tere Hoke Rehenge' 'Namak Paare' 'Kabhi Ruhani Kabhi Rumani'). And if you are a Emraan Hashmi fan then you must watch it.

You will not be disappointed at all.

worst 1..

[thedudelav · 1/10 · 14 November 2014]

very much disappointing movie.. this movie had destroyed so much talents of Bollywood like Paresh Rawal,Kay Kay Manon.. not even worth to watch for once.its totally wastage of time and getting disappointed at d end .. its better they should read d script before working in all dis bullshit...avoid watching it..the only movie that is directed by kunal deshmukh is good which is jannat..rest is just a bullshit. a big crap. at-least he must have to think next time before making movie.

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.

Decent con film

[silvan-desouza · 6/10 · 31 August 2014]

Kunal Deshmukh after Jannat Series and Tum Mile which was a dud returns with Raja Natwarlal, In fact half of the cast from Jannat 2 return in this film. The film starts with Emraan a con artist who cons people and then finally in a twist he looses his friend and mentor which makes him seek revenge The film has good twists, though some deja vu moments, even the romance is typical Emraan Hashmi film style with our heroine playing a bar dancer. The film has too many songs too like at the start we have 3-4 songs in quick succession. Yet the film manages to entertain and grips you at many places However illogical it gets at times, yet the manner in which they con Kaykay is well handled, The finale too is good

Direction is good Music is decent, Tere Hoke Rahenge is a good song, rest are all good but the songs are too many and at times wrongly placed.

Emraan Hashmi has played streetsmart characters earlier, but there is lot of depth in his performance which shows his growth and he suits the part superbly Paresh Rawal gives the film an edge and does a great job Kaykay Menon is superb in a role apparently modelled on Sahara Chief Subrata Roy, he is fabulous as always Deepak Tijori has a good cameo and does a great job, seen after a long time he gains good sympathy for his short role Sumeet Nijawan has a solid, menacing presence as a bad cop and does a good job, while Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub is wasted terribly Humaima Malick is however not too impressive as the lead heroine though it can be overlooked as it's her maiden attempt in Bollywood

Typical Emraan Hashmi film... Great ending but expected more

[jmoneyjohal · 6/10 · 30 August 2014]

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

A Decent Con!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 8 September 2014]

'Raja Natwarlal' despite minuses, pulls off A Decent Con! A well-paced second-hour & commendable performances, sort of make up for its flaws.

'Raja Natwarlal' Synopsis: A small-time con man seeks assistance from his mentor with an intention of setting scores with a gangster.

'Raja Natwarlal' begins well, but the romantic-track involving the protagonist & his lady-love, is bland. Also, why do they break into a song, almost every time they meet up? Seriously, what were the writers thinking, especially while penning this part?

But, 'Raja Natwarlal' redeems itself in its second-hour. The con is consistently engaging & the series of events are cleverly executed. In short, a mostly lifeless first-hour, is saved by a nicely done second.

The Screenplay has some true merit, a but a dead-on-arrival romantic-track, plays a spoilsport. Kunal Deshmukh's Direction is pretty good. Cinematography is fine. Editing is, also, is just about fair. Music by Yuvan Shankar Raja is melodious.

Performance-Wise: Emraan Hashmi is perfect. He enacts the revenge driven con-artist with admirable ease. Humaima Malick is strictly okay. Kay Kay Menon is convincing as the villain. But its Paresh Rawal who steals the show. He's brilliant. Deepak Tijori is excellent in a brief role.

On the whole, 'Raja Natwarlal' is a watchable fare.

Full of flaws - worthless, don't waste your time on it.

[sibsankar91 · 4/10 · 1 September 2014]

At the base it is the story of a big-hearted con robbing people who had become rich by fraud. But he does not do it for his own profit, he gives it away in charity and things like that. This whole thing looked totally foolish and cheap to me, it is not at all realistic - real people will never do like this. This whole idea of glorifying a criminal and showing him successful is an age-old cheap trick of making money. In my view both Ratwarlal and Wardha Yadav are criminals and the persons from whom Wardha has misappropriated all the money also must be criminals only. It happens just like that in the criminal world ecosystem. There is no point in making one of them a hero and the other a villain. Moreover it is all happening too easily, people are going to South Africa (When they don't have much money), they are setting up fake banks etc. etc. It is just another piece of good guy- bad guy sort of feel good stuff from bollywood. It is too much manipulative. Emraan Hashmi looked odd in the role, compared to him the other guys have performed much better. The songs and background music were irritating to me. The story-line of their campaign was dynamic and at least kept us following. But overall direction was very poor. You will find hundreds of con films much much better than this all over the world. Don't waste your time on this piece of trash.

Raja natwarlal in Tarantino and Soderbergh style....

[sbrjiten · 10/10 · 5 September 2014]

Raja natwarlal is way beyond my expectations and it pleasantly surprised me. Oceans trilogy fans will love it. I liked the twist in climax but the plot is too impossible in real life. So far best con movie of 2014. Emraan hashmi did decent job with new handsome look on-screen. Paresh rawal and kay kay menon are plus point to the film, especially, kay kay menon's best acting impressed me. Deepak tijori is back after long time and best suited to his role, reminded the old days of sadak, khiladi.... I don't know the names of rest of the cast but all done good job. Story line has many twists and turns which grasps your attention. Bottom-line is, heist movie fans shouldn't miss it, give it a try, worth your time...

A Con Act which fell short

[shiraj-dakshy · 7/10 · 30 August 2014]

Kunal Deshmukh and Emraan Hashmi combo is back after their successful association in Jannat & Jannat 2.

This time Kunal chooses a subject of a con man Raja (Emraan Hashmi) who after doing small con jobs with the help of his mentor Raghav (Deepak Tijori) wants to do a big con job so that he can fulfill his dream of marrying the bar dancer Ziya (Humaima Malik). The con job goes wrong and Raghav is killed by businessman cum mafia don Vardha Yadav's (Kay Kay Menon) men. Raja sets out to take revenge from Vardha Yadav by coning him with the help of famous con artist Yogi (Paresh Rawal) and sell him a fake cricket team worth One Fifty crores. The rest of the movie covers how Raja and Yogi execute their con act… Story by Parvez Sheikh is promising but where the movie loses its grip is with Parvez's screenplay with too many sub plots of hit man, corrupt police and the love angle which actually poses a hindrance in the narration and slows down the pace with its songs which look out of place especially the first half. The screenplay also has too many loopholes; some con acts look too convenient to be true. It is the climax which is impressive and brings the sub plots together. But it could have been better paced. The script had all the makings of a good con movie but falls short as most part of the movie the screenplay looks scattered and lacks cohesiveness.

Dialogues by Sanjay Masoom complement the genre and narration well with subtle humor and are realistic.

Emraan Hashmi has improved tremendously especially after "Shanghai" he does complete justice to his character Raja. It is Paresh Rawal who steals the limelight with his fantastic portrayal of Yogi; it is always a delight to watch such a brilliant actor perform. Kay Kay Menon is back with his impressive portrayal of the cunning and shrewd Vardha Yadav, he gives face to a true villain of Bollywood who is menacing as well as unpredictable, a true delight. Humaima Mallik's debut act is nothing to write home about but she somehow does a decent job. Deepak Tijori makes a comeback with Raghav and he creates an impact with his brief role. Rest of the cast also does a good job.

Music by Yuvaan Shankar Raja is average and does not create too much of an impact. Cinematography by Raaj Chakravarti is good but nothing out of the world.

Kunal Deshmukh tries to balance between being realistic and fictional, but fails a bit on the realistic front and goes a bit overboard with cinematic liberties becoming too fictional. Nevertheless Kunal's attempt is good and better than many movies which released in the recent past. Do not expect a "Special 26" and you won't be disappointed. I will go with Two & A Half Star….

Even Emraan's kiss can't save it..

[nadkarnisumeet · 5/10 · 29 August 2021]

Raja Natwarlal review:

Emraan Hashmi's impressive act (and I don't mean his natural kissing abilities) in the titular role makes you forgive the loophole laden plot (a mix of Hashmi's own "Jannat' and Akshay Kumars "Special 26"). Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon lend good support. On the flipside, Humaima Malicks lack of acting skills raises the question of the need to import such talent from Pakistan when far better actors exist in this country. The music too is unsatisfactory. Overall, a treat for Hashmi fans only.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Raja Natwarlal (U/A) Hindi ------ my Rating: ★★★★½ GRIPPING

[yunusitboss · 9/10 · 27 December 2014]

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Raja Natwarlal (U/A) Hindi ------ my Rating: ★★★★½ GRIPPING

STRENGTHS :- * Story and Direction : were awesome and well handled * Screenplay: makes you to come at seat edge ..... * Music: beautiful songs by Yuvan Shankar Raja..... * Casting and Performances: were remarkable especially Humaima malik is damn beautiful.... * Cinematography : great camera work....

WEAKNESSES :- * Few lacks....

FINAL VERDICT :- * Overall.. it is a decent thriller... I Strongly recommend this movie for a definite watch .....

A small-time con man seeks assistance from his mentor with the intention of settling scores with a gangster.

Director: Kunal Deshmukh Writers: Parveez Sheikh (story), Sanjay Masoom (dialogue) Stars: Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Tarun Dudeja, Emraan Hashmi | See full cast and crew »

Entertaining, but could have been much better

[Deepak_Futela · 6/10 · 6 December 2014]

I watched this movie without any expectation so I think if you will too, you might actually enjoy it.

Good things: 2 stars for Actors - Emraan Hashmi, Paresh Rawal and KK Menon are top notch in their acting. 3 stars for Story - Although it could have been written more tightly, still it wasn't bad, at least its different from usual Bollywood movies. 1 star for the climax alone. :)

Bad things: -1 for Romantic story part. -2 for length of the movie due to too many songs. -1 for the editing, it could have been easily made short by 20 minutes.

Overall a good time pass, worth one watch.

Imitation

[authorcealmighty · 1/10 · 24 June 2022]

It's a cheap copy of the classic and evergreen movie named The Sting (1973). They modernised it a bit, and frankly the lady in the movie can't act she's so plastic on the screen totally detached from the plot.

Simple and slight thrill

[faisalfaves · 7/10 · 13 November 2018]

Acting of Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay, Emraan, Zeeshan, everyone's amazing. A new and fresh story. You will like this movie. Thanks Netflix for showing us this movie.