Film: Jagga Jasoos
Directed by: Anurag Basu
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Saswata Chatteree, and Saurabh Shukla
What it's about:
Song and dance sequences have always been part of Hindi cinema, but no maker has ever attempted to make a true blue musical. Anurag Basu attempts to change that with Jagga Jasoos. It is about an orphan boy Jagga (Ranbir Kapoor) who grows up in a hospital because no one else claims him. He rescues an injured man (Saswata Chatterjee) who adopts him and takes him home. Then one day, the father disappears on a secret mission. Many years later, Jagga hears the only father he has ever known, is dead. Jagga believes he is alive and sets out to find him with a journalist Shruti Sengupta (Katrina Kaif). Their journey takes them through dangerous situations and adventures. They encounter bad men, guns, smuggling of arms and bad luck before they uncover the truth.
What's good:
Anurag Basu takes you on a unique journey with Jagga Jasoos and it's thrilling because it's new. It's completely unrestrained and the adventure begins from the first scene. Jagga keeps you engrossed for a fair amount of time because you don't see what's coming. The treatment is the novelty of the film. The film's aesthetics are outstanding - right from the camera work to the production design, everything is first rate. Basu gets his emotions correct while establishing the bond between the father-son. Ranbir Kapoor is brilliant, like he is in every film. Only this time, he isn't as effective perhaps due to the sloppy script. Saswata Chatteree and the boy who plays Jagga Junior are an absolute delight. Their infectious enthusiasm brings on smiles.
What's bad:
It was meant to be a mega film but it turned out to be a mega mistake. You may go in with an open mind to see India's first musical film. While it's true to the genre, eventually the length will make your patience run out. You will be miserable if you are not a fan of musicals. Katrina Kaif is also horribly miscast and is awkward throughout the film. The film's screenplay is a mystery - when nothing else is working, it suddenly gets preachy about war. A noble thought but seems forced in the film, just like the chemistry between the lead pair. It was designed to be a kid-friendly film, but having elephants, some meerkats, a big cat, and a leading lady who is always tripping does not make the film appealing to children. Also, you will notice Basu's blatant lifts from Tin Tin comics to Harry Potter to Ace Ventura Pet Detective and wonder if it was really necessary. The last scene of the film is sure to make your jaw drop. Not in a nice way, but at the absurdity of what you just witnessed. Also, for a musical, Pritam's score is mostly rather ordinary except for a couple of songs, which also work mainly due to Ranbir's inherent charm.
What's that:
Somewhere in the middle of the film, Anurag realised that Katrina Kaif lacks the vocal polish to be the story teller (because accent), so half her portions are dubbed by someone trying to sound like Katrina, but it's not really her.
What to do:
Ask yourself if you are ready to watch a script-less film with singing dialogues and there's your answer.
Rating: ** (2 Stars)
