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Jaane Jaan Review: Jaideep Ahlawat steals the show in Kareena Kapoor Khan & Vijay Varma’s mystery thriller

Rashita Sahni

September 21, 2023
12:30 pm
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Based on a Japanese novel by Keigo Higashino titled The Devotion of Suspect X, Jaane Jaan is directed by Sujoy Ghosh!

Film:
Jaane Jaan

Bubble Rating:

Jaane Jaan Duration: 2 hours 19 minutes

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Starcast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma and Naisha Khanna

Platform: Netflix

Jaane Jaan Review

Kareena Kapoor Khan has finally made her big OTT debut with mystery-thriller Jaane Jaan on Netflix. Based on a Japanese novel by Keigo Higashino titled The Devotion of Suspect X, the film is directed by Sujoy Ghosh and stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma in pivotal roles along with Kareena. Jaane Jaan revolves around three pivotal characters – a single mother, who is trying her best to cover up a murder in her house as well as save her teenage daughter; a neighbour, who is trying to help her out in the intense situation; and a police officer, who is on a hunt to find his old friend, who is now dead.

Watch the trailer while reading Jaane Jaan review:

Storyline

The 2 hour 19 minute long film takes us in the misty hills of Kalimpong where a fierce mother, a gifted mathematician & a relentless cop find their lives intertwined through a crime investigation. The film begins with Mrs. Maya D’souza (Kareena Kapoor Khan) and her daughter Tara (Naisha Khanna) being busy with their day-to-day activities. While Maya runs a cafe in Kalimpong called Tiffin, her teenage daughter Tara is mostly busy with school and Tennis practice. But their simple lives turn upside down when Maya’s estranged husband Ajit Mahtre (Saurabh Sachdeva) shows up out of nowhere and tries to enter Maya and Tara’s life.

Soon, things escalate and Ajit is found dead in a forest. Maya’s neighbour and a genius Maths teacher Naren (Jaideep Ahlawat) promises her that he will make sure to keep her and her daughter Tara out of trouble. But things don’t turn out to be as simple when Inspector Karan Anand (Vijay Varma) – Naren’s college friend – is assigned to look for the suspect of Ajit’s murder. How things transpire when Karan investigates the case and Maya becomes his leading suspect while Naren tries his best to save her is the crux of Jaane Jaan.

Kareena Kapoor Khan Jaane Jaan

Jaane Jaan tries too hard to be an excellent murder mystery but if you have read the original book The Devotion of Suspect X or watched the 2008 Japanese film Suspect X, you’ll realize how overly dramatic the Hindi adaptation really is. Except for the climax, each and every detail of the film is an exact copy of the original. I know it’s an adaption but some creative liberty would have been appreciated.

Performances

Every performance in Jaane Jaan is decent. However, it’s Jaideep Ahlawat as Naren who takes the movie to another level. His look filled with prosthetic makeup and way less hair suits his character and how. He steals the show with his wit, look and brilliant act. Kareena as Maya is relatable – a mother who’d go to any lengths to keep her daughter safe. But in some scenes, the actress’s unnecessary overacting just shows up.

Jaideep Ahlawat Jaane Jaan

Vijay, for a change, is a good cop in the mystery thriller but surprisingly, it doesn’t suit him as much. Almost like we are so used to seeing him in quirky grey shades that a non-twisted super cop is just not impressive anymore. His chemistry with Kareena is sultry and leaves us wanting for more. Naisha Khanna, Saurabh Sachdeva, Karma Takapa and Lin Laishram lend good support to the film.

Vijay Varma Jaane Jaan

Technical Aspect

Jaane Jaan is not director Sujoy Ghosh’s best work. He tries hard to keep the mystery thriller as captivating as possible but somehow it doesn’t work in his favour. Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography and the way he has captured the essence of the misty hills of Kalimpong are impressive. Urvashi Saxena does a good job with the editing. Neha Kakkar’s version of the iconic Jaane Jaan song will make you cringe.

What’s great about the Sujoy Ghosh-directorial

Jaideep Ahlawat’s flawless performance: If there’s one actor who has out-performed everyone else in Jaane Jaan then it has to be Jaideep Ahlawat. Even while working with an equally acclaimed actor like Vijay Varma and a well-experienced actress like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep does not get overshadowed even for a second and shines bright throughout. He is the best thing in the film and his flawless performance saves the day for an otherwise overly-dramatic adaptation.

Jaideep Ahlawat in Jaane Jaan

Jaane Jaan Drawbacks

An overly-dramatic adaptation: With not much creative liberty taken, Sujoy Ghosh has adapted Jaane Jaan as it is. However, what’s a little disappointing to see is how overly-dramatic the filmmaker has made this mystery-thriller. What makes a genre like this one gripping and intriguing is the unexpected twists and turns but there are barely any in Jaane Jaan.

Vijay & Kareena’s impending love angle: The filmmaker touches upon a sizzling chemistry between Vijay and Kareena but leaves it mid-way without any closure. If explored more, the tension between the duo could have turned into the next best thing in Jaane Jaan.

Vijay Varma Kareena Kapoor Khan

Climax: Jaane Jaan’s climax is the only thing different than the original novel The Devotion of Suspect X. But much to my disappointment, it’s the most important thing that should have been the same. The film’s climax does not seem convincing and will leave you confused for a moment.

Conclusion

If you’re up for a decent mystery-thriller this weekend and if you have not read the original book, Jaane Jaan could be an apt choice for you. But don’t expect too many twists and turns from this Sujoy Ghosh-directorial. Watch it for one of the best performances by Jaideep Ahlawat!