An Unexciting Income Tax Ordeal

When Indian mothers put their children to sleep, they usually say, “Soh Jaa Nahi To Gabbar Aa Jayega”, meaning “Sleep, my child, else the dreaded dacoit Gabbar will come and get you!” Similarly, when the mothers of rich Indian men put them to sleep, they say, “Sleep, my child, else Amay Patnaik will come and get you!”

Behold a newly released Hindi crime-thriller titled “Raid 2”, which is a sequel to the 2018 film “Raid” in the same genre. Here, Ajay Devgn reprises his role of the popular yet fictional income tax officer, Amay Patnaik. Produced by Bhushan Kumar and co-written and directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, the film made its theatrical debut on May 1, 2025.

Ajay Devgn returns as the savior of income tax, Amay Patnaik, in Raid 2!

Raid 2 (2025) Synopsis:

The plot revolves around a rich man, a white-collar billionaire criminal named Dada Manohar Bhai (Riteish Deshmukh), who is enjoying a lavish and respectable life in a fictional town called Bhoj in Rajasthan, India. He gets all the women he desires, and his business flourishes by evading a lot of income tax.

His enjoyments are short-lived as the legendary income tax officer, Amay Patnaik (Ajay Devgn), gets transferred to his town. The story continues as Patnaik bullies Dada Manohar Bhai and takes away all the black money and wealth he had accumulated in his life.

Ajay Devgn and Vaani Kapoor in the track “Kamle” from Raid 2

Time for Another Income Tax Raid! RAID 2 (2025) Official Trailer:

The Good:

Raid 2 has an old-fashioned cinematic essence, which aptly captures the retro era of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Some of the dialogues are iconic, as you can expect from any Ajay Devgn movie. Other than this, it is nothing more than a disastrous blunder in Hindi cinema that can cause boredom to audiences sitting inside a theater hall.

Raid 2 Dialogue Promo:

The Bad:

This was probably the worst experience of my life, watching a rich brat getting bullied and drained by an income tax officer for his possessions. The story and the screenplay of Raid 2 are mediocre. Nothing much was shown except Ajay Devgn as Amay Patnaik messing with Riteish Deshmukh as Dada Manohar Bhai and draining his accumulated wealth every now and then. Dada Manohar Bhai appeared more like a victim rather than a villain at the hands of this great income tax bully by the name, Amay Patnaik.

At times, the screenplay got so monotonous and boring that I was praying to God to make this hellhole, by the tag of a movie, reach its climax soon. I was finding it extremely difficult to sit in the theater hall during the movie’s 2-hour and 20-minute run time, owing to its very poor presentation.

I would say, saving the country from income tax crimes is good, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of entertainment. Where’s the thrill? All I could see was an income tax officer bullying a rich guy and seizing his black money and property. If Bollywood finds this thrilling, then it is most welcome. But I don’t! In fact, I was feeling pity for that “so-called villain” until he was completely drained by the “income tax bully” and thrown in jail. Here, Amay Patnaik also acted like a cop, apart from being an income tax officer, after it was revealed that Dada Manohar Bhai was taking advantage of some helpless women in the town and having sexual relationships with them.

Raid 2 Dialogue Promo 2:

The plot, screenplay, narrative, presentation, and direction are all equally bad in Raid 2. There is no emotional setting, just plain income tax raid conspiracies. The performances of every actor were subdued owing to the somber and emotionless screenplay. Moreover, Raid 2 has nothing new when compared to its prequel, which makes it repetitive. You will only get to watch Ajay Devgn messing with yet another rich guy who has hidden a lot of illegal wealth. The plot is predictable, as you would know that the rich guy will ultimately succumb to Amay Patnaik’s honest, daring, and bullying nature.

A noticeable fact in Raid 2 is that the character of Amay Patnaik’s wife, Malini, played by actress Ileana D’Cruz in the 2018 prequel, was replaced by Vaani Kapoor, who appears to be a complete misfit for the role.

I would have sincerely praised the editor if he had kept this film’s duration less than 2 hours. Sitting through the entire duration was absolutely intolerable. In the middle of the run time, I might have dozed off, and I was the first one to run out of the hall when this movie ended.

Raid 2 Dialogue Promo 3:

Tamannaah Bhatia Sizzles the Screens in the Dance Track “Nasha” From Raid 2

The Verdict: A Hellhole Of Boredom!

You must be wondering why I am being so biased about income tax evasion being captured. Isn’t that seized money used for India’s economic development? However, unfortunately, it is not. These taxes, which we citizens in India pay, are mostly used to satisfy the lavish lifestyles of politicians and ministers, rather than being used for economic development. So, over here, income tax officers like Amay Patnaik do nothing great by capturing income tax evasions. They, in fact, are taking the money from one criminal and handing it over to other criminals.

If you are a rich man or woman living in India, beware of the savior of income tax, Amay Patnaik. This fictional bully will get on your nerves, I must tell you. Initially, he would meet you and be friendly. Then, he will bring out your biodata and life history and ultimately, seize your hard-earned accumulated wealth by conducting sudden, unexpected raids.

But as I saw from this movie, he targets specific individuals only. So, many billionaires are there in India. Why not target everybody then? You would find a Dada Manohar Bhai of Raid 2 in 95% of them.

Ajay Devgn and Vaani Kapoor in the romantic track “Tumhe Dillagi” from Raid 2

Overall, Raid 2 has nothing new from its prequel. If you are depressed with your daily life and want a misadventure where you would prefer to deliberately torture your emotions, then you can either watch Raid 2, or call the income tax department to confess to them about your hidden wealth.

Despite all my negative criticism, you will be surprised to learn that Raid 2 has become a commercial success at the box office. Perhaps a majority of Indian audiences enjoy such monotonous movies. As for me, honestly, I found it ultra-boring. Perhaps I am used to watching energetic action and chilling suspense, or maybe I am a bit more acquainted with the reality in India than others. Whatever may be the case, the climax where the two villains of Raid (2018) and Raid 2 meet in prison gives an indication of a sequel. God save our souls then! What new are we going to witness in Raid 3 in light of two repetitive prequels, Amay Patnaik messing with yet another rich guy? Please get over it, Bollywood!

God Save Your Hard-Earned Money: Don’t Waste Your Time Watching Raid 2. Instead, It Is Better To Surrender Yourselves To The Income Tax Department!