Rating : ⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2022
Running time: 2 hours
Director: Jai Basantu Singh
Cast: Nushrrat Bharucha, Anud Singh Dhaka, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala
Kid rating: PG-15
Janhit Mein Jaari, from its trailer, seemed a mix of humor and serious issues. It turned out to be actually that, and is a decent one-time watch, although rather rough around the edges.
Our heroine Manokamna ‘Manu’ Tripathi (Bharucha) of small town Chanderi is desperate to get a job and escape the parental nagging to get married. When she unwittingly snags a job selling condoms, she decides to keep it despite familial disapproval. The parents can be appeased, but how will boyfriend Ranjan Prajapati (Dhaka) and his family countenance a not-so-sanskari condom-selling bahu?
Janhit Mein Jaari (meaning: Issued in Public Interest) has a strong and funny premise. So yes, there’s a story, although it doesn’t have any logical flow. The first half of the film is entertaining, but the second starts to disintegrate when social issues and “world good” is pushed forcibly into the story. This film doesn’t know how to balance its Public Service Announcement (PSA) factor with its humor. One gets the feeling that director Singh couldn’t figure out what he wanted the film to be – it was a family drama, until it turned into a PSA, and then pointless, overdone emotional melodrama took over.
This film does the small-town milieu well. This has been done before in films like Tanu Weds Manu but where that film did with it with polish and panache, this one does it with hammy, slightly overdone characters.
The main characters show unrealistic shifts in their thought process. The heroine Manu displays independence of spirit, but turns into the dutiful bahu almost immediately after marriage. Then she decides she’d rather chuck the “good bahu” image because she’s found a calling. There was no logical growth, or a gradual sophistication to her thinking; it was just black one day and white another. You didn’t really believe her then when she goes on full-on crusade mode.
Similar treatment has been meted out to Vijay Raaz’s character. Raaz plays Manu’s father-in-law, contesting elections and very concerned about the family honor and image. Of course he looks askance at the condom-selling bahu, but then does a complete about-turn (this is Bollywood after all) with appropriate tears, drama and repentance towards the end.
While Bharucha makes the most of her rather one-toned character, I’m rather disappointed in Anud Singh Dhaka’s weak and inconsistent performance. I’d expected better after seeing him in the beautiful series Taj Mahal 1989 where he did very well. Or was that director Pushpendra Nath Singh working his magic?
Vijay Raaz is impeccable despite his poorly sketched character. And I rather liked the supporting cast – especially the other bhabhis in the household; each of them was interesting and deserves their own storylines.
With this kind of story, there is the real danger that the film slips into vulgarity (many do) but thankfully that doesn’t happen here. There are some cringeworthy scenes like the Holi song and there is humor that is very much on the verge of being crass, but it doesn’t quite get there.
Director Singh can tell a story but does it in an unskilled, rather rough-edged fashion. The poor editing and abrupt transitions don’t help. Janhit Mein Jaari has a good pace, plenty of actual laughs, a talented cast and enough masala to keep you reasonably engrossed. It is a decent one time watch, but could have been a far more believable, polished movie in the hands of a better director.
Kidwise: A lot of talk about condoms. Some talk about sex and contraception.
