Movie Review: ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’

By Neha Bora

Jawaani Janeman is the story of one 40 year old Jasvinder Singh or Jazz, living in London, the wealth of whose parents have allowed him to remain an immature “play-boy” without care or responsibility. Jazz played by Saif Ali Khan is a real-estate broker who goes to office for the sake of formality and to the club as an everynight-ritual.

He sleeps around often and mostly forget about his sexual escapades. This is also why when a 21 year old girl, who he is looking on to with sexual interest tells him that he could be her father, he is flummoxed.

The girl, Tiya, played by Aaliya Furniturewala gets Jazz to take a DNA test which come about positive and in the process also finds out she is pregnant.

Jazz becomes a father and grandfather is a matter of three days and having never taken any responsibility, he panics. He also throws his pregnant daughter out of his house to keep his ‘aazadi’ intact.

He has a heart felt conversation with his friend Riya, who makes him realise that everyone needs a family. In a moment of ‘vulnerability’ he goes out to Tiya and ends up accepting his responsibility of her.

The first half of the film is slow, highly predictable, and boring. Saif Ali Khan does for the entire first half of Jawani Janeman what he did for the first few minutes of his introduction in Cocktail.

He plays about, shirks responsibility, flourishes his money and takes the easy way out every time. His daughter, unswayed by this, is adamant in her desire to have a father-daughter relationship.

The second half is more interesting with a few minutes of Ananya or Tabu, the redemption arc, the eccentric boyfriend, the new emotional developments. The film moves at a set medium pace. The pace doesn’t change in moments of elation and it doesn’t dip when there is separation. Nothing seems to be at stake.

The film talks a lot about ‘age’ in a refreshing take. Actors are their actual age for once and this age hasn’t been brushed under the carpet. It is written in Jazz’s bling T-shirts and beer belly, it is also written in Alaya’s khol-rimmed shining eyes.

It was satisfying to watch Jazz call Tiya ‘beta’ while realizing that Saif in fact has a daughter around the age of Tiya. It was good to see that for once, a film did not try to lull us into believing a man of 40 is actually a college student with ‘mature’ looks.

For a film that deals with a man who has been running from his family for long and is finally redeemed by breaking this idea, the discussion and development of the idea is missing.

It seems odd that a man who detested the idea of family and responsibility at once agrees that everyone needs a family. He is convinced without ever being in denial and hence, without ever giving the audience the change to debunk its own ideas on the same. Filmifiles.com is a website which offers news, views and even the inside stories from the glamour world be it Bollywood or Hollywood, for those who love the world of movies, stars and the art of cinema.

Also the film is highly predictable because it tries very hard to maintain it’s steady pace.

It is the old rogue boy meets patient girl.

Girl inspires boy to ‘emotionally’ mature.

Boy tries and fails due to old habit leading to he girl leaving the boy.

Sad separation song plays and then they unite for a happily ever after!

The cast has done a great job and has great chemistry. Saif Ali Khan has the right amount of creepy desperation and irrational denial. One believes that Jazz exists and that he is Saif.

Tabu is a wonderfully talented actress and her poker face immediately lulls you into the facade that is the character of Ananya. Even though she has little screen time, she is the character the audiences wish to see.

Alaya didn’t feel new on screen. She had the comfort and presence of an experienced actor. Appropriately cast her age, and not appropriated into the clinched bubbly cheerleader, she is fun to watch. Tiya, is also at moments more mature than her eccentric parents. Kubbra Seth is fun to watch but Kumud Mishra is scant.

Jawani Janeman is a well acted and directed film based on an old story with a new twist!

FF Ratings: ***