Thrillers are the most exciting movies and shows. A good thriller is when the viewer is fully invested into the details, sometimes eschewing the emotional investment. But does that give the filmmaker the right to serve the viewer a “raw deal” when it comes to the conclusion? #JaaneJaan just dropped on #Netflix and SujoyGhosh is back at what he does best or does he?
A single mom Maya D’Souze (#KareenaKapoorKhan) runs a boutique cafe Tiffin in picturesque Kalimpong and lives with her daughter Tara (#NaishaKhanna). Her past catches up with her in the form of her estranged husband Ajit Mhatre (#SaurabhSachdeva) who comes calling and is up to no good. In the ensuing series of events, (Spoiler alert !!), mother and daughter end up murdering the father. Their neighbor, a nerdy Teacher, Naren Vyas (#JaideepAhlawat) helps manage the logistics. Enter a dogged police official Karan Anand (#VijayVerma), who is also Naren’s classmate. The inquiry into the murder turns into a tussle between Naren and Karan. It also evolves into a romantic exchange between Maya and Karan. What happens at the end is the mystery? Does Maya spring a surprise? Does Naren have a rabbit in his hat?
Based on the Japanese best selling novel by #KeigoHigashino (The Devotion of Suspect X), this is a story that instantly reminds you of Drishyam and quite a few other contemporaries.
I think I really enjoyed watching this film; the casting was novel, the acting was brilliant, the twists and turns kept me on the edge but the ending was underwhelming! And so the question I am still grappling with - Is the story telling more important than the story itself ? In many ways #SujoyGhosh is carrying the cross of #Kahaani (2012). If you notice his movies since then especially #Badlaa (2019) and #Kahaani2 (2010), the devices are the same - impeccable cast, recurrent flashbacks that could be true but could equally be untrue and a conclusion that almost ‘tricks’ you. You almost start to expect this from Ghosh but in this case, the final scene is not convincing . The conclusion could be interpreted either as the fact that Naren is relieved to go back to his first love, i.e, Mathematics or that he is happy to let Maya win …just as he loves the way his student wins at the coin sleight game. In any case, he had given up on life .. the first scene shows him trying to commit suicide, only to be interrupted by Maya. The thing is you end up feeling that the director is constantly trying to outwit you !
But before we get there, the title is inspired by the eighties number with #Helen dancing the cabaret. It is nuanced as a reference to Maya’s younger days as a pole dancer. The background music by #ClintonCerejo and #BiancaGomes adds to the high points of the thriller. Co-writers #SujoyGhosh and #RajVasant set up the plot rather well; further #Ghosh has managed to harness the acting potential of his stars extremely well.
#JaideepAhlawat is simply brilliant as the socially awkward, nerdy looking academic. He does not know how to hug and averts looking you in the eye. Maya’s assistant at the cafe likens his brooding looks to #ShahRukhKhan in #Darr. Naren is conscious of his receding hairline and consults online sites that will help restore his hair. The almost sociopathic expressions of Naren do not allow him to don a full smile. In many ways, Naren is almost a concept ; the entire town calls him the ‘Teacher’. The props around him also build to his character - his home is filled with formulae and the chairs have books piled up everywhere.
#Kareena is a very interesting casting choice and it is only once things got moving that I realized that she brings an enigmatic touch of sadness, fear, courage, irritation and full-on-charm all rolled into one.
#VijayVarma enters the picture as the charmer with the roving eye. In one of the early scenes, he orders three pastries and you wonder what he is upto. He makes the connection between Maya and Ajit a tad too quickly and finds Maya attractive. In what is an expose of sheer talent, he flinches as Maya breaks the fourth wall and talks to him. In some scenes, it is almost as if Karan is trying to impress Naren most of the time. And in the karaoke scene, it is as if Karan is seduced by Maya, while Naren is stalking her! I was left with the view that all the actors lifted the narrative far above its potential on the strength of what they brought to the party.
The initial scenes between Naren and Maya are extremely well executed and the viewer is left with the potential of a full-on romance between them - the tenderness, the smiles and the body language are just perfect. There is also a certain haziness to Maya’s character that leaves you wondering - I guess this is a red herring.
#AvikMukhopadhaya (#Pink, #October and #SardarudhamSingh) attempts to capture the vibes of sleepy Kalimpong that has a shroud of mystery but the scenes do not evoke the touch of romance that the film could benefit from. Meanwhile, some scenes like the manner in which the verbal joust between Naren and Karan in inter-cut with the Jujitsu scenes are well executed.
I wish the last scene where Naren’s intentions are revealed was better done. The formulae floating in the air while Naren looks on dreamily does not really work. In fact, I was expecting Sujoy to almost trick me with a new twist ! Remember how the #AmitabhBachchan character in #Badla turned out to be someone else?
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