Jazbaa

Where do I start with this film? I had initially put this film on for my gran to watch whilst I payed away on my laptop. Despite being occupied by the game, I couldn't help my attention being drawn to the screen multiple times, and ended up getting drawn into it. Now, in a normal situation, this would be because the film is so good, it begs to be watched. In this instance though, it was mostly because I was completely befuddled by the filmmaking choices being made.

First of all, the tint/filter! The film has a very weird greenish filter to it. My guess is to kind of ground it into a gritty atmosphere, but it's very distracting, and there are multiple points in the film where this, combined with the poor lighting leads to very jarring scenes. Just awful.

Second, what the hell is up with the camera work? The film breaks several reasonable rules to follow when filmmaking. A very simple one, for example, is how to shoot two characters in a conversation. You'd usually film their talking heads in sequence of the conversation, but on opposite sides of the screen when showing their heads. Now, this is a loose rule, and you can be creative, of course, but this film makes some very questionable choices. There's a scene where Jackie Shroff is talking to some weasel whilst leaning into the right side of the screen, and the other dude is shot with his head in the hard left of the screen. Why? This is just one example, but in general, the camerawork and cinematography is just poor. I have seen better camerawork in student films.

Then there's the editing, the actor's direction for some scenes etc. All shoddy. You may think me overly harsh, especially if you enjoyed this film, but the reason this particularly irked me is because the film has some good actors and a decent plot to work with (writing somewhat dodgy as well, but let's ;leave that for now). This film could have been so, so much better if a careful hand had tended to it. The actors deserved better than this.

Whats good about the film is its fast paced with enough suspense to keep you engaged. Jazbaa is tight, gripping and shot in Gupta's signature style. Clearly the film belongs to Aishwarya. She manages to make Anuradha believable. Atul Kulkarni, Shabana Azmi, Jackie Shroff, Irrfan Khan fill up the frame with their strong performances.

Despite having a good story, the director has badly written characters that stands out like a sore thumb in an otherwise stellar star cast. The slow motion scene where Aishwarya runs and screams her daughter's name before interval is too over the top and theatrical. It ruins the subtleness. The flawed moments in Jazbaa are those where Gupta asks his actors to do more, whether it is to scream louder, fight harder, or say the lines with more drama.

Over all, the film is an edge of the seat thriller that delivers because of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan's able performances, Jazbaa is definitely not a worst film. Had it been a different director, then the film would have been the best.

Jazbaa is termed as the copy of a Korean movie Seven Days (2007). However after watching it, I am able to contrast the theme of Jazbaa with an old Bollywood movie - Daag The Fire (1999) starring Sanjay Dutt, Chandrachur Singh and Mahima Chaudhary which was directed by Raj Kanwar. While all the reviewers are singing in chorus that Jazbaa is the Indian version of Seven Days, not a single one is pointing out that Seven Days itself could be inspired by the Bollywood movie - Daag The Fire. The scripts are different, no doubt but the theme and the undercurrent is the same. Jazbaa is looked upon as a thriller based on the issue of rape but in fact, the real theme of Jazbaa is different. It's the story of a corrupt lawyer whose personal tragedy proves as an eye-opener for her. The same is the theme of Daag The Fire though there is no suspense element in Daag The Fire like this movie. The role played by Aishwarya Rai in Jazbaa is akin to the role played by Chandrachur Singh in Daag The Fire. And anybody can verify this fact that the final interaction of Aishwarya Rai and Shabana Aazmi in Jazbaa is a ditto of the final shot of Daag The Fire involving Chandrachur Singh and Sanjay Dutt. Then who is a copycat ? Is the maker of Jazbaa only who has unfortunately earned the ill-repute of lifting stories of his movies from foreign movies ? But the thief is always the one who gets caught. Whosoever knows the trick of the trade, i.e., not to get caught escapes the stigma of being called a thief.

Now for the assessment of Jazbaa. It's a quality suspense-thriller though the filmmaker, i.e., Sanjay Gupta has focused more on style than substance.

As clarified in the opening para of this review, Jazbaa is the story of a corrupt lawyer (Aishwarya Rai) who takes the cases of the outlaws and the guilty only in order to earn handsomely which is not possible by fighting for some cause or ensuring justice to innocents. However when her daughter is kidnapped, this lawyer who is a single mother, finds the world as upside down for her. With the help of her silent lover who is a suspended cop (Irrfan), she pays the ransom not in cash but in kind which is to get a convict of rape and murder free from not only the gallows but also prison. The bulk of the story goes in the efforts of this lawyer-cum-bereaved mother and her silent lover. On one hand, they are busy in arranging evidences in favour of the convict, on the other, they are busy in searching for the kidnapped child. What happens in the end, proves to be an eye-opener for the corrupt lawyer.

Though the director Sanjay Gupta has not done proper justice to the good stuff at his hand, the movie is nevertheless gripping right from the word 'go' to the climax. The issue of rape is imposed on the script and the data of this crime given in the end are useless and irrelevant. Actually the focus should have been on the corruption in the profession of law when reputed lawyers become defense counsels for the people guilty of heinous crimes like rape and murder for the sake of getting exorbitant fees from their clients. But the director has not done so. There are 'n' number of plot-holes and untied loose ends alongwith inconsistencies and contradictions in the script and many things are not clarified till the very end, the most prominent of which is the mastermind's getting complete information of every move of the lawyer after the kidnapping of her daughter. How could it be possible ? Sanjay Gupta may be knowing. The audience couldn't make it out even after watching the complete movie. Besides, Sanjay Gupta only must be knowing the relevance of the title of this movie which has nothing to with its story.

All the same, the movie works because of its pace. The fast pace of the narrative does not give any time to the audience to pause and think. The viewer just keep on watching while holding his breath. Besides, this is not a pure thriller. It's a suspense-thriller. The suspense element has been kept intact till the climax which is a big achievement of the director.

No songs are required in this type of movie because songs only interrupt the flow of the fast-moving narrative. All the same, Jaane Tere Sheher Ka Kya Iraada Hai is quite impressive in terms of both lyrics and composition (plus Irrfan's performance on that).

This is termed as the comeback movie of Aishwarya Rai and her admirers are going gaga over her performance in this movie. However though the aging actress is quite beautiful even in her forties and post motherhood in her real life, her performance is so-so only. Those who are admiring her performance are not able to differentiate between acting and shrieking. Despite being a heroine-centric movie, Irrfan takes the cake as far as the clapping and accolades of the audience are concerned. However it's Shabana Aazmi who is the best performer though she is definitely miscast for the role of the mother of a teenager (being in her sixties, she straightaway looks as the grandma of a teenager).

While advising all the reviewers to check the facts properly before terming any Indian movie as a copy of some foreign movie because almost all are copycats now (including both the Indian and the foreign filmmakers) sending originality for a toss, I recommend this fast-paced engrossing movie to all those who are fond of suspense-thrillers. It will prove to be no less than a roller-coaster ride for them.

Can't say much. I was focused on the law and order. In how this is Aish's comeback after maternity leave. Irrfan K's movie, and they made it cool.

I will break down the things in some segments. First, casts. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Irrfan Khan. Good point. My intention was Irrfan, who ever regret watching his movies? Furthermore, we got Aish at her best form. I love her. She's dazzling. She's that hot, as always. Some major actors like Jackie Shroff and Shabana Azmi was good in their part, especially the last name appears. Second, story. It is good, but do not have a bold reason to show. Whether it is an agony of a mother whom her child has been abused (to death) or simply talking about rape and murder. It just blundering some. Third, added value. I think it'll be more tactical movie, in how Shabana Azmi took a major part to the film. Even, mini romance between Aish and Irrfan unintentionally developed, but it is just a miss.

And yeah. This is my review about Jazbaa. It is just do not have a clear intention, whether it wants to show about rape and murder case, or revenge, or law and order. We have various movies like Jolly LLB in Law and Order form. No body killed Jessica, even, Rahasya would make great case of murder.

It is just... a waste of time, but Irffan K never fail us (or it is just me?).

Anyway, that's it.

A lady (Shabana) falls in love with an artist kind of person – drawn to him because of his flamboyant lifestyle – late night parties, boozing and even womanising! She probably thought of herself to be very beautiful – and thinking thusly – she married him! She thought that her beauty, personality and love will change his ways – at least he would give up womanising ...and boozing so much....and late night parties as well – but nothing of the sort happened! She then hit upon a great plan – an age-old plan of making a male stay trapped in the mesh of mushy love – give birth to his child! So this lady gave birth to a daughter. Things did not change after marriage..nor after child-birth!

Her husband continued to booze, womanise and make merry! As it is women lose their figure and beauty after birth of a child – and an artist is known to be a worshipper of beauty – he thus alienated more from his fat wife! All this led to a divorce! The daughter then grew up in a broken family. Till the time she was a child – she stayed with the mother – just as soon as she became an adult she wanted to lead a flamboyant life herself! Like father, like daughter! The daughter started living alone in a flat given to her by her father .Financial support too was given by father. So the educated & learned Professor mother just visited her daughter sometimes and in return she was rebuked by her daughter ... probably for not letting her start enjoying her life even earlier!

Her enjoyment was – taking drugs, sleeping with boyfriend(s?), attending late night parties and discotheques, wear revealing outfits....trying out expensive drugs like Angel dust! Wow!! So this is what we get when a professor weds an artist (well, in this film for instance) ! And when the professor mother is asked ( by the advocate in the court room)whether her daughter had boyfriends...she replied – Of course she was so beautiful, innocent, pretty – who wouldn't be drawn towards her! One may then ask – Why did she leave her husband then? – Her husband must have been a 'raseela' personality and many women wanted to sleep with him...so why leave him? – she could be so broad minded when it came to her daughter...why couldn't she show the same broad-mindedness towards her husband?! That way the girl would not have gone through the trauma of growing up in a 'broken family' at least!! ....Though she would still have gone ahead to party, booze and manize (opposite of womanize)...for you see – in the discotheque there were several teenagers jumping high and low – does it mean that all were from broken families? Of course not!

Ash's role: Ash looked like a 24 years old girl in the film!! She is 42 – but she looked 24! I recently watched 'Singh is bling' and was marvelling at Akshaya's physique – how well – lean and muscular and fit he has kept himself – and now I am happier to see Ash – back in full form! It is good to see my contemporaries keeping physically fit....gives one some hope...not that I do even a fraction of the work-outs that they follow to keep themselves fit! Anyways – so Ash falls in love with a bloke and agrees to shift to the US just for him – forgetting all about her Law degree. She was happily adjusting herself as a housewife and things were going fine – till she became pregnant.

Her in-laws get a sex-determination test done on her and up on finding that she was carrying a daughter – they ask her to abort the child!!! Yea- you read it right – she had gone to the US – United States – but she was completely unaware of the fact that she had wed someone who belonged to the clan of absolute jahil-ganwaars (uncouth-illiterates)! She somehow manages to escape the blokes and returns to India – joins a firm as criminal lawyer – because fees and wages of a criminal lawyer is much higher...and she had to bring up her daughter single-handedly!

So the fact that she used her knowledge, wit and intelligence to save the criminals is justified...right?

Irfan's life – He is shown as a corrupt yet decorated Police officer – corrupt – because he accepted and asked for bribe and decorated – because he had got medals to solve some criminal cases! He proved in the film that in the world of the corrupt – one has to become corrupt in order to survive. In the country of the blind – the one eyed man is the king.....but not everyone can become the king ...right – so it is better to be blind and live happily ever after .... the king has many additional duties to take care of... and we, the people, shirk duties and responsibilities like plague!

So the police officer spends his mornings in catching and beating up thugs and nights and late nights in getting sloshed in some bar. He has a soft corner for Ash...which will eventually be reciprocated. So basically Ash will head from fire-pan to fire.....a drunkard police officer suspended from work because of corruption is not an 'ideal' husband material – is he?

Story: I cannot reveal the story right now because it is a new film and people are going to the theatres to watch the film. When people go to the theatres, many people make their livelihood.....so I do not want to snatch food from several mouths. Better go and watch the film!