BOTTOM LINE
Vintage Star in South Mass
RATING
2.5/5
CENSOR
U/A, 2h 33m
What Is the Film About?
The village of Motupally is terrorised by a ruthless gangster, Ranatunga (Randeep Hooda). There is an ulterior motive to his merciless violence, though.
The village’s situation looks dire, and only a messiah could save its people. The movie’s core story is how a hero accidentally enters the place and helps all the people, saving them from the demon.
Performances
Jaat’s role is tailor-made for Sunny Deol. It is right down his action hero zone. One only wishes a film like this were made at least a decade ago. The star looked aged here.
To give credit to Sunny Deol, he tries his best and does well to make the whole thing believable with his rage and screen presence. The lack of diversions (like romantic track or comedy) is a relief, and it helps enhance the impact. His roars have been missed, and a bout of nostalgia is sure to strike looking at him deliver the mass lines, if one has followed him during his heyday.
Analysis
Gopichand Malineni directs Jaat. It is a typical Telugu commercial film where the hero saves a village or people from the tyranny of a devil incarnate.
Ever since his comeback with Krack, the director Gopichand Malineni has turned a new leaf. It is like Gopichand Malineni 2.0 with excellent technical work, and terrific and sharp presentation of the hero and the visuals. After Krack and Veera Simha Reddy, Jaat continues the trend.
The movie begins with the introduction of villains. We know then and there where the movie is headed and mostly, how, as well. However, it is the sharp execution where the narrative succeed.
The villain intro, followed by the revelation of the bodies buried in the farmland, and then the hero introduction, which is then accompanied by the action sequences – the proceedings are highly familiar, but they manage to be engaging nonetheless.
The whole thing is neatly built towards the faceoff between the protagonist and antagonist around the interval mark. ‘Sorry Bol’ starts off a bit silly initially, but the way the drama and elevation related to it is escalated is a case study for well well-structured screenplay. The interval bang is okay, and one looks forward to the second half because of these two characters.
The sequences post-intermission feel dragged as the action feels clumsy, and the flashback comes across as needlessly violent and over-dramatic. It is the calmer moments in this segment, which focus on the hero’s reaction and anger, that work here.
And finally, the lifesaver of the second half is the police station action block. It is lengthy, but is handled well with the right action and elevation. Jaat feels complete by this point itself, but there is the typical end where the hero finishes off the villain. It is as routine as it comes.
In the final scheme of things, there are two ways to look at Jaat. One is through the lenses of South, particularly Telugu cinema, where one has seen films like these dime a dozen. In fact, only the hero changes here, as practically the entire supporting cast, barring the main villain, is from South cinema. The movie then comes across as an average at best kind of actioner.
The other is to look at it from a Hindi cinema audience perspective. In this view, Jaat is an engaging mass action drama with a powerful hero characterisation. The situations and elevations work, as the content isn’t as routine to them as it would be for a Southern audience.
Overall, Jaat is a well-shot, executed action drama that gives its target audience, mass movie lovers, what they expect – nothing more, nothing less. It is a predictable and routine affair supported by action and elevation. If you’re a hardcore action fan, try it.
Performances by Others Actors
The movie’s biggest asset is the casting of villains. Randeep Hooda is excellent as menacing Ranatunga. One only wishes he got more meat in the role as it progresses, and had a great face-off with the hero. Regina Cassendra has a surprising part that goes missing during the key portions of the narrative. Vineet Kumar is another good choice. He shines in a very typical villain part. Saiyaami Kher, playing a sincere police officer, does her part earnestly.
The rest of the cast mostly comprises faces that are usually seen in Telugu cinema. Everyone gets a scene or two to register, and then they are immediately forgotten. The better ones among this set are Ravi Shankar and Jagapathi Babu. Ramya Krishna and Vijay Liyame appear briefly and are okay, especially the latter.
Music and Other Departments?
S Thaman provides the music and background score for the movie. The songs have no impact. In fact, they are standard fare intro and item numbers. The crucial thing here is the background score, and it’s here that Thaman delivers in his usual style. It is loud and could have been better in parts, but it also works when needed.
Technically, the movie is slick with slick visuals and sharp cuts. Rishi Punjabi and Naveen Nooli, the ever-reliable people, do what is needed. The action scenes are typical of the Telugu movies, but featuring a Hindi star. They are good. The dialogues feel like they are translated into Hindi from Telugu. But, they give the intended effect. The production values are neat, and the movie bears a grand look throughout.
Highlights?
Mass Moments
Setting
Police Station Action Block (Second Half)
Drawbacks?
Predictable Story
Over Violence
Rushed Ending
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, For Hardcore Mass Movie Lovers And Fans
JAAT Movie Review by M9
