Aishwarya Rai Bachchan‘s Jazbaa is based on the South Korean thriller, Seven Days. The remake directed by Sanjay Gupta is a story about a criminal lawyer Anuradha Verma (Aishwarya) who is known to win all her cases. Her profession gets her entrapped in fighting for a rapist and murderer, Miyaaz Shaikh (Chandan Roy Sanyal). She gets blackmailed by an anonymous caller who has kidnapped her daughter Sanaya. He gives her four days to win the case or he threatens to kill her daughter. Now it’s all about how she manages to fight for a heinous criminal and rescue her daughter.
What works in this movie primarily are the characters. Aishwarya made a wise decision to choose this movie after such a long break. She shines as always, looks gorgeous and plays a grieving mother with great intensity. I have to point out that it is one of those movies where much stress and struggle shows on the actress’ face. Unlike some, where their hair, makeup and expressions remain unaffected despite the heroine shooting guns day in and day out.
Irrfan Khan plays the role of a corrupt officer who has several court cases against him and he is Anuradha’s childhood friend. The entire movie comes to life in the second half when this man becomes a part of Anuradha’s mission. The surprise packages of the movie are Shabana Azmi and Siddhant Kapoor. They contribute to the power-packed cast wonderfully and their short-lived presence might leave you wanting more, but it is sufficient to the plot.
However, what pulls the movie down is its melodrama. Gupta should have toned it down and perhaps looked for better dialogue writers. While actors like Irrfan can say any dialogue with great panache, it’s not really everyone’s cup of tea. Speaking of a cup of tea, it reminds me of a dialogue where the murder victim, Sia tells her mother that ‘she wants to hold the coffee mug closer by cupping it with her hands instead of holding it from the handle. And just like that she wishes to hold her life closer together in the same way.’ It was one of those emotional scenes that made me go WTF? Like we understand subtle personification, but… never mind.
I also feel the need to mention that the greenhouse-y effect can be annoying to the naked eye.
It’s an added bonus that it’s a remake of a South Korean movie which not many Indians have watched. Had it been a Hollywood remake, there would be a lot of comparisons. The movie has an amazing storyline, which will grip you and you will look forward to what’s about to happen next, but it doesn’t manage to keep you on the edge of your seat. Again, the dialogues and direction aren’t subtle which sometimes gives you an idea of what might happen.
Watch it if you love a thriller with amazing performances!
Rating: **1/2