The year is 1971, and Jackie Shroff's booming voiceover informs us that 'We are on the verge of a war with Pakistan.'
Call it Bollywood's desperate attempt to cash-in on the latest or just sheer luck, the trailer of RAW – Romeo Akbar Walter looks like another addition in the increasing line of Hindi films being made on the theme of patriotism; the trailer description on YouTube reads His dharma was to protect his nation against all evils and enemies. He did so, at the cost of his identity.
This one has three John Abrahams, who presumably plays an Indian intelligence agent bearing all the three names in the title. Abraham sports seventies sideburns, and talks pretty much the way he would do in any other film.
RAW – Romeo Akbar Walter has the look and feel of a Cold war era Hollywood spy thriller – the image of a zippo lighting up a cigarette pops up more than once, shadowy figures, analogue devices, reflections. But director Robbie Grewal (Samay, MP3) wants no confusion that this is a very Hindi film. Which is why we have Abraham saying 'Ammi ka khayal rakhna.'
Shroff plays Abraham's boss, and Mouni Roy his wife. The film is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Dheeraj Wadhwan, Ajay Kapoor, Vanessa Walia, and Gary Grewal.
It will release on 5 April.
Watch the trailer here: