Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma, Saurabh Sachdeva, Lin Laishram, Naisha Khanna
Where: Streaming on Netflix
Rating: 3.5 stars
Adapted from The Devotion Of Suspect X, one of the best-selling and most acclaimed novels by Japanese author Keigo Higashino, Jaane Jaan is the latest Hindi rendition of a story that has been adapted in film across Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Tamil languages. So, does director Sujoy Ghosh offer anything different with his latest Netflix outing that brings together three extremely talented actors in Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma? Let’s decipher.
Set in the misty, picturesque, hilly town of Kalimpong, West Bengal, Maya D’Souza (Kareena) is a single mother, who dotes over her daughter Tara (Naisha Khanna). She is a law-abiding citizen who works at the city’s local eatery Tiffin with due assistance by Prema (Lin Laishram). Her eatery is frequented by her seemingly well-meaning neighbour Naren Vyas (Jaideep), a maths teacher at the city’s Mount Hermon school. He nurtures a soft corner for Maya while she isn’t particularly dismissive of his romantic prospects. Meanwhile, Maya is confronted with her past that threatens to upset her peaceful life. On the other hand, when inspector Ajit Mhatre (Saurabh Sachdeva) is reported to be missing in Kalimpong, Mumbai cop Karan (Vijay) is assigned to trace his whereabouts, which lead him to Maya. Although he is suspicious of her moves, Karan can’t help but be drawn to her charm. Does Maya hold a secret? What are Karan’s intentions? Is Naren guilty of harbouring a secret too?
Ghosh, who has written the screenplay of Jaane Jaan, pretty much sticks to the book’s original narrative. For those who are ardent readers, the first half of the film and its beats will seem familiar. But, the second half is where the director offers his own spin-off. As you sit through assuming that you have the story figured out, wait to be surprised. National-Award winning cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay captures Kalimpong and neighbouring Darjeeling with such richness, you’re likely to feel the need to book your next holiday in the hills. Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes’ background score add an element of thrill and suspense to the plot. On the technical front, the only bone to be picked here is the editing by Urvashi Saxena. The length of the film could’ve been reduced by 15-20 minutes as Maya’s romantic charades with both men considerably swallow enough screen-time.
Yet, Jaane Jaan remains consistently watchable for its arresting performances by the film’s terrific trio. Unafraid of playing her age devoid of vanity, Kareena delivers an engaging performance as Maya. She is no damsel in distress but she evokes enough empathy for you to understand her plight. Vijay once again manages to balance the act between charming and conniving. His occasional one-liners do draw out your chuckles. But make no mistake, this film is yet another testament to why Jaideep is an absolute gift of an actor to fans of Indian cinema. As the math genius, who also practices Jujitsu in his spare time, the actor is able to completely sell his part as you watch the lines blur between his genius and his madness. September 2023 has been Saurabh’s month with appearances in films/shows across four different OTT platforms. The actor, who also moonlights as an acting coach is commendable as Ajit. Lin is delightful as Prema and Naisha plays Tara with the right amount of naivety and innocence.
Jaane Jaan is a noteworthy film adaptation to Higashino’s novel and may I humbly add, is also surprisingly in a league of its own.
