Friday, April 29, 2022

Jana Gana Mana Malayalam film review: Overloaded with messages

Director Dijo Jose Antony ( Queen) and writer Sharis Mohamed has pushed in too many contemporary happenings and riding piggyback on  Prithviraj's Star stature hopes to get the audience involved in the subject that is pegged on the Rohit Vemula case.. For one it lacks cohesiveness. Merely punch dialogues otherwise known as home truths said in a court room by the hero and then resorting to too many filmy twists will not give the film an appeal of being a bold film . In fact, the second half starts to go on a downward curve. Film starts well with a Muslim woman professor  body found in a burnt condition, students going on a rampage, media on the prowl and finally a police office Sajjan ( Suraj Venjaramoodu) deciding to deliver  his own justice by killing the `rapists' in a fake encounter.

Story shifts to court room where the officer stands guilty of murdering four guys in cold blood. A typical filmy Iyer lawyer as prosecutor and a never before heard lawyer ( Prithviraj) to defend the case. We empathise with the Judge ( Kitty) who throws up his hands hearing the defense lawyer. After a dramatic twist in the tale and a sketchy past of some mumbo jumbo of International lawyer turned IPS officer seeking to settle scores with a politician who killed his family and so on, we are told that a sequel is on the cards. Probably it might compete with Pushpa 2 as there is so many Telugu- Kannada- Tamil dialogues in this film. Even if you don't know these languages, it will make no difference.

As I walk out, I wonder why the writer  tried to put major part of the onus for all misconceptions on the media. Who made this case a national headline ? Why was not other rape cases not headlines ? As rape cases are happening every fifteen minutes in India, will you tweet shocked every 15 minutes and so does your BP go high ? . These are few questions posed by defense lawyer.  

Technically, film is good. Song placement is good and cinematography apt. In fact BGM seemed to be doing overboard as it did not match with the happenings. We are tired of Mamta in such roles , Suraj has done this before and for a change Prithviraj does not bring in his `style' quotient and deliver a neat performance. Shammi did a good job as lawyer.




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