This one promises to be different in an industry flooded with love stories. The trailers made it amply clear with a remixed version of Phoolon Ka Taron Ka, from Hare Rama Hare Krishna . Jigra belongs to the action genre with no romantic angle whatsoever. It’s all about sibling love—about how far an elder sister could go to save her baby brother from the gallows and an imminent death sentence.
Alas, if only the makers had penned the story in a more realistic fashion, written dialogues that didn’t sound so robotic, and developed a climax that wasn’t so idiotic, my review would have been kinder. But…
Storyline
Satya, played by Alia Bhatt, is a super-protective sister to Ankur, played by Vedang Raina. Ankur is a nerd who develops apps and software, so predictably enough, he’s an introvert and a bit weird. He is sponsored by his rich uncle and drug-addict cousin, and the two boys jet off to Hanshi Dao, a fictional country. The evil cousin peddles drugs, the boys get caught, they can let one go, and of course, the rich uncle saves his rich son. So, Ankur is sentenced to death, the evil cousin flies back home, and Satya, the super sister, lands at Hanshi Dao to rescue her brother.
The plot is interesting, but the movie falls flat on its face. So much so that, towards the end, you begin to wonder what exactly is happening.
Forced Superwoman and Feminism
Alia Bhatt’s Satya is a brave woman on a mission to help her brother, and that’s fine. What doesn’t work is the fact that the makers still believe that courageous women don’t cry.
So, our Satya sees her father jumping to his death, learns that her brother has been sentenced to death, bombs her uncle’s mansion, and goes on a killing spree, but not once does she shed a tear. She mouths very unnatural-sounding dialogues in the most artificial tone, all in an attempt to project strength. She looks more like a humanoid, with a single expression (read: angry) and a single timbre.
A few realistic lines, an agitated expression, and some tears wouldn’t have made Satya any less brave. I guess a real woman character would have helped.
Predictability
Right when the Hanshi Dao police nab the two boys and Ankur is advised to nod at everything the judge says, you pretty much know what’s going to happen. This is just one instance. At every juncture, you could easily guess what’s next. Jigra, unfortunately, is sans any mystery or thrill factor, killing any fun there might have been.
For instance, four boys escape from prison, and instead of changing their prisoner uniforms and escaping ASAP, they dance on the streets. Need I tell you what happens next?
Action
But for a scene or two, Jigra, which boasts of belonging to the action genre, hardly has any real action. Especially the rescue sequence, which is purely VFX—and poor at that. Satya sprints and jumps from one roof to another, shoots, and kills, all digitally. Somehow, it looks more like animation. Sigh.
The Climax
Things wouldn’t have gone so downhill if the ending had been better. But oh, what do I say? The makers seemed to have hit a dead end, unable to develop the story any further.
To cut a long story short, a little band of local goons shut off the electricity in the entire country, blow up the jail generator, 6,000 prisoners escape the gallows, and Satya, with no blueprint or training, precisely knows where the electrocution room is. She rescues not one, but three prisoners in a matter of seconds.
Honestly, it’s like Jigra is “Kuch Bhi Kya” made into a Hindi movie.
Performances
Alia Bhatt is a good actress, but the movie doesn’t do justice to her talent. She’s forced to play the Jigra Lady of Jigra, with monotonous dialogues and a robot-like face.
But the movie is all her. Vedang Raina is just about okay. The rest of the cast does nothing to impress. Unfortunately, Gautam Gomber, who plays Officer Landa, hams and irritates to the core. I had quite liked him in Is Love Enough Sir.
Verdict
It’s not self-praise, but I deserve a pat on my back for having the jigra to start and complete Jigra. So do all those heroes who sat through and tolerated this one, which could have been better, given its stellar cast and director.
Jigra too is a lost opportunity. Keep away. You could spend your time and Jigra on a worthwhile cause.
I rate it 2/5.
By Preethi Warrier
Preethi Warrier has completed her Masters in Electronics Engineering and is an Assistant Professor. She is one among the winners of the TOI Write India Campaign Season-1, for the famous author Anita Nair. She can be contacted at : warrier.preethi@yahoo.com
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