Review: Janhit Mein Jaari
Janhit Mein Jaari, the latest social drama film to hit theatres chooses a woman to tell the story about the plight of women. It uses humor well enough to make a point - that it’s no sin to talk about protection during sex.
Actor Nushratt Baruccha plays Manokaamna Tripathi aka Manu, a strong-minded small-town protagonist who works at a condom factory. The job is predominantly associated with men and riddled with stigma, but she still undertakes the job in order to not get married. The film follows her journey as she battles societal taboos around condoms.
Writer Raaj Shaandilya and director Jai Basantu Singh create a believable world in small-town Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, with all sorts of different characters. The setting makes the social issue even more relevant and important - Madhya Pradesh is one of the top five states in India with the highest population.
Shaandilya's writing shines in turning the simplest scenes into rib-tickling gold with his earthy, small-town jokes. His jokes, mainly one line punch-lines are quirky and distinctively placed all around the film. They form a part of the quirky universe of the people the film is built around - jokes are made on small-town houses, behavior patterns, and our collective obsession with on–sale products - a peculiarity that is distinctly Indian.
The writing in the first half almost leaves you in splits with these punchlines. By the intermission, it is absolutely clear where the narrative is headed but still, the performances and writing keep you invested in the film.
Along with Baruchha, the film has an ensemble cast of Paritosh Tripathi, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, and Tinnu Anand, among others. Anud Singh Dhaka plays a beta-male hero, who stands up for ladies in public buses but is scared to face his father.
Each family in this small town is joint, having two or three children each, some who have grown up, some still young. And this becomes a huge peg for funny one-liners in the script, unlike the first season of a show like Panchayat, in which the idea of ‘hum do humaare do’ was portrayed so subtly - without unnecessary quirks of laughter, and getting straight to the point.
In the second half, the humor is replaced with a high drama about girls dying of abortions, and statistics on women's health. The film turns into an all-out social issue drama. Manu decides to champion the right of women; she even breaks the fourth wall, to demand the use of condoms and do away with unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions. There is also a good scene where the idea of condoms as protection is asserted, instead of being used as an accessory for pleasure.
Overall the film finds itself tackling the issue with humor - but does humor always get across the point? Or do audiences just treat it as pure entertainment with nothing to take back?
