3 Answers2026-04-12 20:56:52
Raees is this gritty crime drama that feels like a throwback to those classic gangster flicks with a Bollywood twist. The story follows Raees Alam, a bootlegger in Gujarat who rises from nothing to become this untouchable kingpin. What makes it fascinating is how he's not just some one-dimensional villain—he's got this Robin Hood vibe, helping the poor while running his illegal empire. The whole prohibition angle in Gujarat adds this layer of political tension, especially when a relentless cop, Majmudar, starts closing in on him. Shah Rukh Khan totally owns the role, balancing charm and menace in a way that makes you root for him even when he's doing terrible things.
The film's got this electric energy, especially in the first half where Raees builds his empire with street-smart schemes. The second half gets darker as his world starts crumbling, and the cat-and-mouse game with Majmudar turns brutal. What stuck with me was how the movie doesn't glamorize crime—it shows the cost of that life, especially in Raees' relationship with his mother. That scene where she disowns him? Chills. The ending's inevitable but heartbreaking, like watching a Shakespearean tragedy unfold in the dusty streets of Gujarat.
4 Answers2026-04-12 12:18:26
Raees is a gritty crime drama that grabbed me from the first scene. It follows the rise of a bootlegger named Raees Alam in Gujarat during the 1980s, played brilliantly by Shah Rukh Khan. The film's got this raw energy—Raees starts small, smuggling liquor under the radar, but his sharp mind and ruthless tactics turn him into an underworld kingpin. What I loved was how it blurred moral lines; he's a criminal but also helps his community, building schools and hospitals with his illegal profits. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the cop chasing him adds this electrifying cat-and-mouse tension. The climax? Heart-wrenching. You almost forget he's the 'bad guy' when the system corners him.
What stuck with me was how the film critiques corruption without preaching. Raees' downfall isn't just about justice—it's about how power consumes itself. The dialogue 'Baniye ka dimag aur miyanbhai ki daring' (A trader's brain and a rebel's bravery) became iconic for a reason. The soundtrack, especially 'Laila Main Laila,' is pure fire. It's not just a gangster flick; it's a tragic portrait of ambition.
5 Answers2025-08-27 16:45:46
There's a good chance 'Raees' might be on Netflix in some countries, but it's not guaranteed where you are. Streaming rights for Bollywood films bounce around a lot—I've seen 'Raees' show up on Netflix in one region, and then disappear a few months later. When I want to be sure, I first open the Netflix app and type 'Raees' into the search bar; if nothing pops up, that usually means it's not available in my region at the moment.
If Netflix doesn't have it, I check a couple of other places: Amazon Prime Video often has rentals, Google Play / YouTube Movies frequently sells or rents the film, and in India, Disney+ Hotstar has carried many Bollywood releases at different times. I also use a tracker site like JustWatch or Reelgood to see current availability for my country. If you're planning a watch party, double-check subtitle options and whether the version is HD—sometimes only SD is available on secondary services. I prefer paying for a legit rental rather than hunting down dubious streams; it's less hassle and supports the creators, and you usually get better quality and subtitles.
5 Answers2025-08-27 15:41:26
I still get a little buzz saying the name 'Raees'—it’s one of those films that stuck with me. The lead was Shah Rukh Khan, who played Raees Alam, and he absolutely carried the film with that mix of charm and menace. Alongside him, Mahira Khan played the female lead, Aasiya, and their chemistry (on-screen and off) was part of the movie’s big conversation when it released.
The cast also included strong supporting players: Nawazuddin Siddiqui had a memorable, pivotal role; Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Atul Kulkarni added depth to the world; and there were other familiar faces in smaller parts that filled out the gritty setting. Director Rahul Dholakia helmed the project and it came out in 2017, so it’s fairly recent in my mind.
If you’re revisiting 'Raees', watch for how Shah Rukh dominates scenes without hogging them—his performance is a neat study in controlled intensity, and the supporting cast really helps the world feel lived-in.
5 Answers2025-08-27 16:46:42
There's something about Republic Day releases that always feels cinematic, and 'Raees' rode that wave— it hit Indian theatres on January 25, 2017. I went to see it with a small group of friends on the long weekend, and the theatres were packed; the film's release was timed to benefit from the holiday crowd.
I still talk about the buzz in the lobby before the show: Shah Rukh Khan's publicity was everywhere, and people compared it nonstop with the other big film that opened the same day. The date—January 25, 2017—is the simple fact, but the memory is full of soundtracks bleeding into the street as people spilled out of the screens. If you’re looking to rewatch or check release timelines, that Republic Day weekend is the anchor for when 'Raees' reached audiences across India.
3 Answers2026-04-12 10:14:36
The movie 'Raees' is a Bollywood crime drama that really grabbed my attention when it first came out. The lead role is played by Shah Rukh Khan, who absolutely killed it as Raees Alam, this charismatic but ruthless bootlegger. His performance was so layered—you could see the charm, the cunning, and the vulnerability all at once. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Majmudar, the cop trying to bring him down, and their chemistry is electric. Mahira Khan stars as Aasiya, Raees' love interest, and she brings this quiet strength to her role. The supporting cast, including Atul Kulkarni and Narendra Jha, adds so much depth to the story.
What I love about 'Raees' is how it balances these intense action sequences with moments of real emotional weight. Shah Rukh Khan’s monologues, especially the one about the 'baniye ka dimag aur miyabhai ki daring,' are iconic. The film’s setting in 1980s Gujarat also gives it this gritty, almost nostalgic feel. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch just for the performances alone.
5 Answers2025-08-27 08:49:51
I was rewatching Bollywood crime dramas the other night and got curious about who was behind 'Raees'. It was directed by Rahul Dholakia, a filmmaker who previously made the gritty drama 'Parzania'. Dholakia brought a kind of hard-edged realism to 'Raees' that suited the Shah Rukh Khan-led protagonist's moral ambiguity and swagger.
On the producing side, the film was a joint effort between Red Chillies Entertainment and Excel Entertainment — which means Gauri Khan sat in the producer chair alongside Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar. That combo of producers explained the blend of star power, slick production values, and crowd-friendly moments. I remember catching it in a near-empty weekday matinee and being struck by how polished everything looked — credit definitely goes to the producers and Dholakia's direction. If you’re tracing creative fingerprints, those are the names to note, and they’re worth a follow-up if you like behind-the-scenes reads.
5 Answers2025-08-27 01:27:53
I got hooked on 'Raees' the minute Shah Rukh Khan showed up on screen, and I’ve dug into what inspired it more than once as a cinephile who loves trivia. In short: 'Raees' is a fictional story, but it’s clearly built from real-world bootlegging and gangster lore from Gujarat. The filmmakers have repeatedly said the lead character is an amalgam — not a biography — drawing on the bootlegging economy that thrived during liquor bans and on the rise of regional mafias in the 1980s and 1990s.
There was a lot of controversy around the film because many viewers and politicians compared the protagonist to known figures like Abdul Latif or even Dawood Ibrahim, which the producers denied. Legally and politically it caused headaches: local authorities and some groups felt the portrayal echoed real people. For me, the film feels like mythmaking — using authentic social conditions (prohibition, poverty, power vacuums) to craft a dramatic, larger-than-life gangster tale rather than trying to be a straight true story.
5 Answers2025-08-27 19:04:09
I still get a little thrill remembering the opening weekend buzz around 'Raees'. It wasn’t just another Shah Rukh Khan movie for me — it felt like the whole city was talking about that clash with 'Kaabil' and the controversy around casting. Box office-wise, 'Raees' did solid business: it recovered its costs quickly and went on to make roughly in the ballpark of ₹280–300 crore worldwide (that’s about $40–45 million at the rates then). The film’s production budget was reported to be modest compared to its haul, roughly around ₹60–70 crore, so it was comfortably profitable.
Domestically it pulled the heavier chunk of revenue, while overseas markets like the Gulf, UK, and North America added meaningful numbers. The film had a strong opening weekend in India — estimates put that at around ₹60–70 crore — and then steadied. Mixed reviews didn’t stop audiences from turning up, and satellite and music rights pushed the total revenue even higher. For me, it was one of those watch-it-in-theater experiences where the box office just matched the general excitement I felt in the crowd.
4 Answers2026-04-12 08:34:52
Rahul Dholakia directed 'Raees', and what a ride that film was! I remember watching it in theaters, completely blown away by how Shah Rukh Khan transformed into this gritty, morally ambiguous character. Dholakia's direction had this raw energy—like you could almost smell the tension in those Gujarat streets. The way he balanced action with human drama reminded me of those 70s Bollywood crime flicks, but with slicker pacing.
What really stuck with me was how the film didn’t glorify its protagonist. It left you questioning right and wrong, which is rare for mainstream Bollywood. Dholakia’s earlier work like 'Parzania' showed he isn’t afraid of tough subjects, and 'Raees' proved he could handle scale without losing his edge.