Jaane Jaan Movie Review: After watching Sujoy Ghosh's Jaane Jaan, based on Keigo Higashino's award-winning 2005 novel The Devotion of Suspect X, I couldn't help but wonder if the world of characters the director immerses you in ever coexists within the realm where Drishyam exists. With memes circulating about Vijay Salgaonkar's Panaji trip, one might speculate that if the cops in Jaane Jaan encountered a similar case, their thoughts would inevitably gravitate towards the iconic film. However, it's worth noting that Drishyam, and its 2013 Malayalam original of the same name, owe a substantial debt to Higashino's novel. If you haven't read the novel or watched its film adaptations (no, not Drishyam), then Jaane Jaan will fill you in. Yet, you may brood over the fact that Drishyam beat it to the punch with some of its characters' clever moves, and that there is no earth-shattering OMG! plot twist that will have you talking about it for days to come. Jaane Jaan: Kareena Kapoor Opens Up On Working With Sujoy Ghosh's OTT Movie, Says 'Always Wanted to Be a Part of Moody Thriller'.

Nevertheless, Jaane Jaan works better as a character-driven psychological drama that flirts with the noir genre, even if it never fully embraces it, and there is one controversial moment that might leave viewers divided. The narrative revolves around Maya (Kareena Kapoor Khan), a single mother who runs a cafe in Kalimpong and lives with her teenage daughter, Tara (Naisha Khanna). Her quiet next-door neighbor, Naren (Jaideep Ahlawat), is a mathematics teacher at a nearby school who secretly harbours feelings for her.

Maya's turbulent past comes rushing back into her life when her abusive ex-husband, Ajit (Saurabh Sachdeva), pays her an unwelcome visit. In a tumultuous altercation at her home, Maya and Tara inadvertently kill him and find themselves at a loss for what to do with his lifeless body. Fortunately, Naren drops by and offers to assist them in covering up their crime, assuring them that nothing will come back to implicate them in the murder if they follow his instructions.

Enter Karan (Vijay Varma), a Mumbai police officer, who arrives in Kalimpong in search of Ajit, who also happens to be a police officer. He discovers Ajit's charred corpse and learns that the deceased had come in search of his wife and daughter, making Maya the prime suspect in the murder. Karan's character combines elements of a police detective and the physicist from the novel brought in for consultation. Naren, too, turns out to be Karan's college friend, putting him in a predicament against an opponent he knows won't be easily deceived.

Watch the Trailer of Jaane Jaan:

If my memory serves me right, the Hindi adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X was slated to arrive much earlier, with Kareena's husband, Saif Ali Khan, originally cast to play what I believe is Jaideep's role in the current film. However, the success of Drishyam's Hindi remake may have prompted the producers to shelve the project. Now, with Jaane Jaan landing directly on an OTT platform, eight years after the release of Drishyam and just one year away from its sequel, the filmmakers are hoping that viewers will appreciate this adaptation for what it is and refrain from dismissing it as a mere Drishyam clone, despite the shared plot elements, including an alibi trip to a theater. Drishyam 2 Movie Review: Ajay Devgn's Vijay Salgaonkar Returns in This Brittle Remake of the Mohanlal-Starrer.

What sets Jaane Jaan apart from Drishyam as a film is its willingness to not strive for an entirely optimistic tone. The film, which opens with a man dreaming of his suicide, is bathed in cooler colors by Avik Mukhopadhyay, the film's cinematographer, that complement the sun-shaded atmosphere of its settings and the complexity of the protagonists' situation. Does this approach work for the movie? Well, it helps to get the mood right when the writing keeps failing it at times.

Jaane Jaan blends noir elements into its mystery thriller, attempting to incorporate a love triangle into the investigative narrative. While this isn't inherently bad, the film seems to sideline one of the novel's most fascinating aspects—the mind games between the professor and the investigator once the latter realises his friend's involvement in the murder. Perhaps this was done to avoid treading the same path as Drishyam, but the love triangle doesn't delve deeply enough into the rising tension between Maya and Naren to truly captivate our attention. The film also doesn't really explore Maya further as a character apart from being a protective mother with the mention of an abusive past. Even the flashback involving her being a pole dancer at a seedy bar is left for a mere glimpse.

Additionally, there's a climactic twist that didn't sit well with me, where we witness how Naren deceives the police regarding the timing of Ajit's murder. The twist adheres to the novel but fails to raise any moral quandaries about the extent to which Naren goes to pull it off. At the same time, we are left in the dark about certain important details, like, okay without spoiling, let me say how Georgekutty/Vijay revealed his final trick in Drishyam. Again, perhaps due to the film's insistence to keep itself distinct from what it would see as an unofficial imitator. Drishyam 2 Movie Review: Mohanlal’s Sequel to His Blockbuster Family Thriller Is Loaded With Pulpy Surprises.

What undeniably works well in Jaane Jaan are the performances. Jaideep Ahlawat shines as the besotted teacher with a brilliant mind. Kareena Kapoor Khan portrays Maya with just the right mix of vulnerability and anguish, embodying the protective mother desperate to escape her abusive past. Vijay Varma, as always, delivers a dependable performance, taking on a less morally ambiguous role, even if his character occasionally refers to Maya as a "hot suspect."

Final Thoughts

Jaane Jaan may share thematic parallels with its cinematic predecessor, Drishyam - both coming from the same source - but it distinguishes itself through its exploration of darker tones and psychological intrigue. However, Ghosh may offer a different perspective on a familiar story, he doesn't completely succeed in delivering a captivating narrative, with the thriller lacking the needed storytelling thrills to make it stand out. Still thanks to the arresting performances of the cast and the intrigue around the plot make Jaane Jaan a decent enough watch. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 21, 2023 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).