Jahaan Chaar Yaar Movie Review: Bonding, bromance, bonhomie and yaari-films are galore in Bollywood where friends bond over their strengths, vulnerabilities, and perceived limitations. Jahaan Chaar Yaar promises to be different in that four middle-class housewives (call them behenji, if you will, without normalizing the term)  live the long-cherished dream of vacationing in Goa, away from their respective families. Jahaan Chaar Yaar Song Aisi Ki Taisi: Swara Bhasker, Shikha Talsania and Others Chill at a Beach in This Fun Number (Watch Video).

Mind you, this is not Veere Di Wedding where a gang of girls easily hop in and out of the little black dress, pop the corks of expensive champagnes and speak with a polished accent as they unleash their madness with or without Gucci bags in their well-manicured clutches. Women here are stereotypically middle-class housewives who can’t even imagine breaking the shackles the conditioning and society have imposed on them. And yet, they dare to be different, but unfortunately, the film doesn’t quite achieve that!

Crafted to evoke laughs and drive home a strong message of liberty and voicing opinions while living a free life, Jahaan Chaar Yaar only revolves around albeit unrealistic situations, sketchy screenplay, and overly scripted dialoguebaazi. The drama and the dramebaazi is so misplaced that the whole experience ends up being only fun in parts and the characters are reduced to being caricatures throughout this sojourn.

Shivangi (Swara Bhaskar), Mansi (Meher Vij), Neha (Shikha Talsania), and Sakhina (Pooja Chopra) — desperately need a vacation in order to break their suffocating routines. They are caught in a setup where these women are made to think and behave dutifully under the garb of sanskaar and sabhyata. Their only rebellious mission is to chill against the vibrant backdrop of Goa. With a storyline as simple as that, this film had the potential to resonate with real India had the subject matter been handled with more wit and wisdom. But the cliched comical sequences and excess of spoon-feeding make this one an average watch.

Goa with its vibrant and hedonistic vibes could easily serve not just as a backdrop but a character in itself, much in the same way as it was exploited in Dil Chahta Hai-a cult movie that celebrates bonhomie and friendship. But in this Goa just becomes an excuse to unleash craziness and to bolt down beers.

The film starts on a promising note where you relate with each character. but after the initial few sequences, you fail to tag along with the girls on their journey of self-discovery. Their banters and conversations are interesting, but not entertaining or engrossing enough to keep you invested thanks to the plot that fails to move forward concretely. Situations and characters are just exploited to evoke laughs, and soon the whole affair starts getting dull. Has Swara Bhasker Shifted Permanently From India? Here's What the Actress Has to Say on This Rumour!

As far as the performances go, Swara Bhaskar leaves an impression with her docile and submissive character. She also gets some sparkling one-liners and best quirks. Shikha Talsania, Meher Vij and Pooja Chopra have played their parts equally well, but the half-baked screenplay and the lack of intelligent writing don’t do justice to their efforts.

Final Thoughts

Jahaan Chaar Yaar is a breezy watch if you walk into the dark hall without much expectation. The film tries to break new grounds with a hatke journey but stops shorts of visiting and exploring daringly different terrains.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 16, 2022 09:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).