"This movie needs to be seen by everyone."

I heard someone saying that as I was leaving one of the New York shows of The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim. It's a statement that really resonated with me and one that I whole-heartedly agree with.

To be straight to the point, the positives of the film were:

1. The Performances: The film was perfectly cast. Every member of the lead cast played there part to a 'T'. No one missed a note. The strength of the movie has to be Taz Rahim himself - it's a character that could have been taken many different directions, good or bad, but the energy, vulnerability, and charm that Islam brought to the character was tantamount. I can't envision anyone else who could play 'Taz'. Islam's growth as an actor from his 1st film to his 2nd film is obvious, here he is like a new age Johnny Depp.

2. The Music: Enjoy the music in theater. You can thank me later.

3. The Story/Direction: No doubt this is an important story with a sensitive subject. To tell it the way director Raghav Murali decided to tell it was very unique. I really appreciated the dark humor he brought to the table. I can only imagine how I would react if someone was trying to recruit me as a terrorist. He did it without being too preachy and the film was an out and out entertainer. The screenplay hit all the right marks.

Yes, there were some technical flaws and I wish the team had a bigger budget to increase the scale of the film but it is still a great film. More importantly, it breaks the monotony that Bollywood is giving us and the 2nd generation NRI identity crisis film that we seem to get every year. It's a film, with great performances, that shows the human side of our world.

Moreover, it's a smart film that doesn't take itself too seriously nor does it insult the audience. I can't wait to watch it again to put all the pieces together. It's definitely a film that stays with you after you're done watching it.

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The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim, starring Monica Dogra (Aamir Khan's Dhobi Ghat) and Rahsaan Islam (Bengali film Simanaheen), is a hip-hop themed English and Hindi language Bollywood Crime Dramedy based on true acts in the secret NYPD and FBI operation in the War on Terror. A Yo Yo Singh wannabe desi rapper is arrested and blackmailed by the NYPD into becoming an undercover police informant.

Monica Dogra and Rahsaan Noor in The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim (2015)

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The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim

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