Jaane Jaan Review: Kareena Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma Carry This Film

A thriller is difficult to conceive and even harder to have play out on screen – most of us are inclined to look for loopholes in an attempt at a ‘gotcha!’ moment; a personal victory of sorts. Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan pushes you to let go of that instinct simply by being engaging. But the film is also battling another demon – it is based on a widely popular novel.

Keigo Higashino’s ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’ isn’t just highly-awarded, it’s also been frequently adapted. Jaane Jaan is going to inevitably remind you of Drishyam considering the source material is the same but the former is a much more faithful adaptation. The similarity comes from the act of the police and the criminal both reconstructing the same crime – What is real? Who is lying?

Jaane Jaan starts as the story of a reclusive math professor, Naren (Jaideep Ahlawat) who is (almost creepily) enamored by his neighbour Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor). Maya is a single mother who lives with her daughter Tara (Naisha Khanna) in the picturesque city of Kalimpong. 

When her abusive husband re-enters her life, macabre happenings are clearly lurking at every corner. The fourth character in focus is a cop Karan (Vijay Varma) who reaches the town pursuing the husband in question. 

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse that is shrouded in a battle of wits. Plots like this can often go wrong but there is something about Jaane Jaan that is believable to the point of becoming gripping. Despite a slow pacing – the film seems longer than it is – it keeps you hooked to the story. This is, also in part, because of the stellar cast.

Jaideep Ahlawat as ‘Teacher’, as everyone affectionately calls him, is a scene-stealer. He wears this character like a second skin; even something as simple as a forehead crease gives you insight into his feelings which comes in handy since he isn’t the talking type. He is irreplaceable in this film. 

Kareena Kapoor Khan as Maya D’Souza is impossible to take your eyes off of. For a thriller, hers is a performance that fits the genre perfectly. To be able to make the audience wonder if there’s more under the surface even when actions are predictable, and a character almost feels like a pawn in a bigger game is no ordinary feat. This is the Kapoor from Heroine and Talaash - with as much grip on the script as she has on restraint. 

I am taken back to Kolaigaran, a Tamil film also loosely based on the same novel – Jaane Jaan corrects a lot of the former’s flaws.  There is no unnecessary exposition or music that takes away from the narrative and the 'Sujoy Ghosh touch' of crafting women with secrets only adds layers to it. When it comes to executing a thriller, however, both films stand at the same footing (for context: that’s a good thing).

Maya is content in her life with her daughter but constant intrusions disturb this paradise. One of the most commendable things about Jaane Jaan is that it doesn't structure Maya's life to elicit sympathy – her story is more a critique of the exploitation of young women, and how often "desire" can actually be unwarranted and sinister.

The way the title track 'Jaane Jaan' is filmed too, keeps Maya in focus – the choice to be sensual or not in a track that does demand a certain sensuality is in her hands. And yet, the choice to get on the stage might not be. Jaane Jaan also uses Maya's relationship with the men around her as a mystery - to a normal, unsuspecting eye, what would seem like romance might be an interrogation.

There are however some issues. One, and a very important one, is the lighting. Some of the film's scenes are incredibly dark and it makes it difficult to decipher what the viewer is supposed to focus on. It is a pity especially since the film's setting is a stunning Kalimpong.

Even as you watch the film, you are aware of the many nooks and crannies in the streets that would've built a beautiful shot...with better lighting.

Editor Urvashi Saxena, however, does use some neat tricks to add a little oomph to the otherwise straightforward screenplay.

If not for the brilliant performances by the cast, the ending might have come across lacklustre. In a way, the film almost spoils itself because of the way it starts off – more show, don't tell in the first few scenes would've made the ending more interesting. It was smart to introduce 'Teacher' as a math teacher and lover – he enjoys logic as much as he enjoys the trappings of numbers.

How does a man like this deal with a situation that isn't easily explainable by logic or simple math? That layer is lacking in his character, instead replaced by visual clues that lead to only one simple conclusion – his mind is working differently than those around him.

Jaane Jaan is no Drishyam; it's no Kahaani. But there is something about the allure of the story and an absolutely impeccable Jaideep Ahlawat that made it tough for me to let go of the film.