jana gana mana movie review in malayalam

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Ahmd shan 1 280 days ago

Prithviraj ��

Idavalapati 283 days ago

I was an excellent movie

Muhammad 513 days ago

Amazing movie ����������

naigapula 571 days ago

An excellent movie <br/>Starting to end was an engaging movie climax ending was best message to society ����

Ravekumar Thirumoorthy 40 600 days ago

Jana Gana Mana good political crime thriller inspired from real-life incidents can feast on , that teaches you to think, question, challenge and more as a common man who consumes news at its face value.

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Jana Gana Mana review: Prithvi, Suraj-starrer an intense thriller with a lofty message

Intriguing court scenes and power-packed dialogues always elicit audience interest in theatres. And when the scenes are handled by a director and scriptwriter who know their craft, the movie gets an edge.

'Jana Gana Mana' directed by Dijo Jose Anthony and scripted by Sharis Mohammed, is a lofty experiment dissecting the conflict between truth and perception. Is truth always what it seems to be, does law have no place in matters of conscience and why does selective outcry happen in a society are questions that are explored in the movie. Power politics also form the crust of the film.

'Jana Gana Mana' with its mass dialogues and unexpected twists reminds us a lot of the times we live in. By touching on topics like casteism, anti-nationalism and infiltration of hooligans in college politics, the makers have tried to stay as realistic to the present day issues as possible.

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Prithviraj, who always promises to deliver a brilliant performance in every film, is seen playing a different role in the movie. Though his dialogues have been well-written, only a few sides of his story are revealed in the movie. The rest may only be answered in the sequel which was announced by the makers last month.

Suraj Venjaramoodu plays Sajan Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Karnataka, who is deputed to solve the rape and killing of a strong and socially-responsible college professor, played by Mamta Mohandas, from the Central University in Ramanagara. Suraj, who had played a motor vehicle inspector in 'Driving License' which was his earlier collaboration with Prithviraj, shines as the determined police officer with different shades in 'Jana Gana Mana'.

Though there are several sub-plots in the movie, the makers have crafted the movie deftly without leaving loose ends. However, there is a lag at certain parts but this is compensated quickly with the twists and turns in the movie.

Vincy Aloshious as the fiery Gouri does justice to her role. Shari, who plays Sabha's mother, Azhagham Perumal who plays the home minister and Shammi Thilakan also play their part convincingly. The movie has the scope to be labeled as a pan-Indian film because the issue it explores is not limited to one state, but India as a whole. The movie characters speak in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English.

The shots have been brilliantly captured by Sandeep Elamon. Though there are very few songs in the movie, Jakes Bejoy has compensated it with some quality BGM. Sreejith Sarang is the editor of the film. 'Jana Gana Mana', Supriya Menon and Listen Stephen, is a delightful, must-watch movie with an intense portrayal of the present times.

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'Jana Gana Mana' review: Prithviraj-starrer is an epic, high-impact political thriller

One of the most remarkable qualities about Dijo Jose Antony's Jana Gana Mana is how it maintains a sense of urgency throughout its entire duration (close to three hours). It behaves like an extended third act of a suspense thriller. When it opens, a grave event has already occurred. Emotions are already running high. It dangles what passes as truth in front of you, and for a while, you buy it. But whose version of the truth are you being sold? Is it that of the media, cops, or lawyers?

It's only when a barrister, Aravind Swaminathan (Prithviraj Sukumaran), shows up in court and starts busting one 'truth' after another that your perceptions begin to alter gradually. Jana Gana Mana is like a Rubik's cube whose 'true' combination changes every few minutes. It follows a Rashomon-style way of seeking the truth without emulating the Akira Kurosawa classic's screenplay structure.

The other impressive quality about Jana Gana Mana is how it feels like three or four movies rolled into one. As each layer comes undone, one imagines all kinds of tangents the film can go in. I can't recall the last time a Malayalam film did that to me. (If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned anything about the story yet, then I have to tell you that I'm trying to find a way to write this review without giving away any major plot points.)

Jana Gana Mana brings together Prithviraj and Suraj Venjaramoodu again after the immensely successful Driving Licence (currently being remade in Hindi as Selfiee). Naturally, you expect great things from any film involving them after that. And Jana Gana Mana doesn't disappoint. I don't know if it would be fair to say whether one film is better than the other. Both actors deliver what is expected of them. Their characters in Jana Gana Mana are miles apart from those in Driving Licence.

Do I need to mention Suraj's impressive range at this point? The first hour is devoted entirely to Suraj's police character, Sajjan Kumar, who is assigned to contain a violent JNU-type situation at a large university in Karnataka. I'm not going into all the spoilerish details because this movie is packed with plenty of information. I would rather the viewer approach this film the same way I did - with as little information as possible.

It uses various picked-from-the-headlines incidents from recent memory as inspirations to make piercing statements about many ills currently plaguing the country. And among the contemporary superstars, I can't think of anyone better than Prithviraj to deliver piercing dialogues that reverberate across the courtroom walls and everyone sitting in the movie hall.

And Shammi Thilakan seems to have had much fun being the rival litigator. He is, I must add, the primary source of humour in the film - and I don't mean the unintentional kind. Yes, certain areas in Jana Gana Mana get slightly theatrical and loud, but why should one expect the vibe of a Dileesh Pothan or Rajeev Ravi film from it?

Jana Gana Mana is a big-scale, mass-appeal entertainer in the vein of the political thrillers that Renji Panicker wrote for Shaji Kailas in the early 90s or what Dennis Joseph wrote for Joshiy or Thampi Kannanthanam in the 80s. Parts of Jana Gana Mana evoked the spirit of films like Thalasthanam (1992), Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar (1987), New Delhi (1987), and Pathram (1999).

But where Jana Gana Mana stands out is how, in terms of the statements it makes, it dares to be bolder than the above films. As much as I hold the writers and filmmakers of that era in high regard, I don't think they would have addressed issues like marginalisation and sensationalism to the degree that it is done here. I'm glad that we are no longer living in the 80s and 90s.

By the end of Jana Gana Mana, we get a sense of the personalities of Aravind and Sajjan. But it's not over. The film opens up the possibilities of exploring more sides to them that we haven't seen before.

We are told, through Aravind, that the story has only begun. (The makers had already announced the sequel plan.) This approach is refreshing because, unlike the other epic two-parters like Baahubali, KGF, or Pushpa, Jana Gana Mana dares to be epic in terms of topicality.

It is indeed an epic, but in terms of storytelling ambitions, not the visuals. The first film opened many cans of worms, and I hope its successor opens many more too. And as a fan of Prithviraj and Suraj, I can't wait to see what surprises they would spring in that one.

Director: Dijo Jose Antony

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mamta Mohandas, Vincy Aloshious, Shari

Rating: 4/5

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Jana Gana Mana Movie Review & Rating: കെട്ടുറപ്പുള്ള തിരക്കഥ, സുരാജിന്റെയും പൃഥ്വിരാജിന്റെയും മികച്ച പ്രകടനങ്ങൾ; ജന ഗണ മന റിവ്യൂ

Jana gana mana movie review & rating: തുല്യപ്രാധാന്യമുള്ള കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളായി മികച്ച പ്രകടനമാണ് പൃഥ്വിയും സുരാജും കാഴ്ചവയ്ക്കുന്നത്. തിയേറ്റർ ആമ്പിയൻസിൽ അനുഭവിച്ചറിയേണ്ട ഒരു ത്രില്ലർ ചിത്രമാണ് ജന ഗണ മന.

Jana Gana Mana Malayalam Movie Review & Rating: പൃഥ്വിരാജിനെയും സുരാജ് വെഞ്ഞാറമൂടിനെയും കേന്ദ്രകഥാപാത്രങ്ങളാക്കി ഡിജോ ജോസ് ആന്റണി സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ജന ഗണ മന ഇന്ന് തിയേറ്ററുകളിലെത്തി. കെട്ടുറപ്പുള്ള തിരക്കഥയും പൃഥ്വിരാജിന്റെയും സുരാജിന്റെയും മികച്ച പ്രകടനങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് പ്രേക്ഷകരെ ത്രസിപ്പിക്കുകയാണ് ഈ ത്രില്ലർ ചിത്രം. ട്വിസ്റ്റുകളും കഥകളും ഉപകഥകളുമൊക്കെമായി പ്രേക്ഷകർക്ക് പ്രവചിക്കാനാവാത്ത രീതിയിൽ മുന്നോട്ടു പോവുന്ന കഥ പ്രേക്ഷകരിലും ഉദ്വേഗം ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. കാലിക പ്രസക്തിയുള്ള നിരവധി വിഷയങ്ങളെ ചിത്രം അഡ്രസ് ചെയ്യുന്നുണ്ട്. ഒപ്പം, ഒരു സാധാരണക്കാരനായ പൗരൻ നീതിന്യായ വ്യവസ്ഥയോട് ചോദിക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന പല ചോദ്യങ്ങളും ജന ഗണ മന ഉറക്കെ ചോദിക്കുന്നുമുണ്ട്.

ക്യാമ്പസിന്റെ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിലാണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യഭാഗം പുരോഗമിക്കുന്നത്. ബാംഗ്ലൂരിലെ ഒരു പ്രമുഖ യൂണിവേഴ്സിറ്റിയിൽ പ്രൊഫസറായിരുന്ന സഭ വളരെ മൃഗീയമായ രീതിയിൽ കൊല്ലപ്പെടുന്നു. ആ കേസ് അന്വേഷണത്തിന് എത്തുന്നത് സജൻ കുമാർ (സുരാജ് വെഞ്ഞാറമൂട്) എന്ന പൊലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥനാണ്. സജന്റെ കേസ് അന്വേഷണത്തിലൂടെയും തുടർന്നുണ്ടാവുന്ന സംഭവങ്ങളിലൂടെയുമാണ് ജന ഗണ മനയുടെ കഥാഗതി വികസിക്കുന്നത്.

സജ്ജൻ കുമാർ എന്ന പൊലീസ് ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥനെ വളരെ കയ്യടക്കത്തോടെയാണ് സുരാജ് അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ആദ്യപകുതിയുടെ ഹീറോയും സുരാജ് തന്നെ. അരവിന്ദ് സ്വാമിനാഥൻ എന്ന കഥാപാത്രത്തെയാണ് ചിത്രത്തിൽ പൃഥ്വിരാജ് അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഏറെ നാളുകൾക്കു ശേഷം പൃഥ്വിരാജിനെ ഒരു പവർ പാക്ക് പെർഫോമൻസുമായി കാണാൻ കഴിയുന്നു എന്നതാണ് ജന ഗണ മനയുടെ പ്ലസ്. വിൻസി അലോഷ്യസ് ആണ് പ്രകടനം കൊണ്ട് കയ്യടി നേടുന്ന മറ്റൊരാൾ. മംമ്ത, ശാരി, ഷമ്മി തിലകൻ എന്നിവരും തങ്ങളുടെ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെ മികച്ചതാക്കി. സ്ക്രീനിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ രൂപഭാവങ്ങളിൽ എവിടെയൊക്കെയോ തിലകനെ ഓർമ്മിപ്പിക്കുന്നുണ്ട് ഷമ്മി.

ജന ഗണ മനയിൽ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ കയ്യടി അർഹിക്കുന്നത് ഡിജോ ജോസ് ആന്റണി എന്ന സംവിധായകൻ തന്നെയാണ്. വേറിട്ട രീതിയിലുള്ള നരേഷനിലൂടെയാണ് സംവിധായകൻ ജന ഗണ മനയുടെ കഥ പറഞ്ഞുപോവുന്നത്. ഷാരിസ് മുഹമ്മദിന്റെ കരുത്തുറ്റ തിരക്കഥയും കുറിക്കുകൊള്ളുന്ന സംഭാഷണങ്ങളും ചിത്രത്തെ മറ്റൊരു തലത്തിലേക്ക് ഉയർത്തുന്നു. വെറുമൊരു സിനിമാക്കാഴ്ചയ്ക്ക് അപ്പുറം നൈതികമായ ചില ചോദ്യങ്ങള്‍ ഉയർത്തുകയും ചർച്ച ചെയ്യേണ്ട ചില വിഷയങ്ങളിലേക്ക് പ്രേക്ഷകരുടെ ശ്രദ്ധ ക്ഷണിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു എന്നതിൽ തിരക്കഥാകൃത്തും സംവിധായകനും പ്രത്യേകം അഭിനന്ദനം അർഹിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്.

നായകനും വില്ലനുമല്ല, വ്യവസ്ഥിതികളാൽ പരുവപ്പെട്ട രണ്ടു മനുഷ്യരുടെ ജീവിതമാണ് സംവിധായകൻ തുറന്നുകാണിക്കുന്നത്. പൃഥ്വിരാജിനും സുരാജ് വെഞ്ഞാറമൂടിനും തുല്യ പ്രാധാന്യമാണ് ചിത്രത്തിലുള്ളത്.

പൃഥ്വിരാജ് പ്രൊഡക്ഷന്റെ ബാനറിൽ സുപ്രിയ മേനോനും മാജിക് ഫ്രെയിംസിന്റെ ബാനറിൽ ലിസ്റ്റിൻ സ്റ്റീഫനുമാണ് ചേർന്നാണ് ചിത്രം നിർമ്മിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. സൂദീപ് ഇളമൺ ഛായാഗ്രഹണവും ശ്രീജിത്ത് സാരംഗ് എഡിറ്റിങും നിർവഹിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. ഒരു ത്രില്ലർ ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ മൂഡ് നിലനിർത്തികൊണ്ടുപോവുന്നതിൽ ജേക്സ് ബിജോയുടെ പശ്ചാത്തല സംഗീതവും വിജയിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഒരു രണ്ടാം ഭാഗത്തിനുള്ള സാധ്യത തള്ളികളയാനാവില്ല എന്ന സൂചനയോടെയാണ് ചിത്രം അവസാനിക്കുന്നത്. തിയേറ്റർ ആമ്പിയൻസിൽ അനുഭവിച്ചറിയേണ്ട മികച്ചൊരു ത്രില്ലർ ചിത്രം തന്നെയാണ് ജന ഗണ മന.

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Jana Gana Mana Review : യാഥാര്‍ഥ്യം ഏറ്റുപാടുന്ന 'ജന ഗണ മന'; റിവ്യൂ

സമകാലിക ഇന്ത്യന്‍ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിലുള്ള ഗ്രാന്‍ഡ് നരേഷന്‍

മുദ്രാവാക്യ സ്വഭാവമുള്ള, നിലപാട് വെളിപ്പെടുത്താന്‍ കേന്ദ്ര കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളുടെ സംഭാഷണങ്ങളെ  അമിതമായി ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നവയാണ് മുഖ്യധാരാ മലയാള സിനിമയില്‍ മുന്‍പ് ശ്രദ്ധ നേടിയിട്ടുള്ള, രാഷ്ട്രീയം പശ്ചാത്തലമാക്കുന്ന പല ചിത്രങ്ങളും. എന്നാല്‍ സിനിമകള്‍ സംഭാഷണ പ്രധാനം എന്നതില്‍ നിന്ന് ദൃശ്യപ്രധാനം എന്നതിലേക്ക് ചുവടുമാറിയ സമീപകാലത്ത് നേരിട്ട് രാഷ്ട്രീയം പറയുന്ന ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ അപൂര്‍വ്വവുമാണ്. പേരുപോലെ, രാജ്യത്തിന്‍റെ സമകാലിക സാഹചര്യങ്ങളെ തന്‍റേതായ കാഴ്ചപ്പാടില്‍ പ്രതിഫലിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള സംവിധായകന്‍ ഡിജോ ജോസ് ആന്‍റണിയുടെ ശ്രമമാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മന (Jana Gana Mana).

ഒരു വര്‍ഷത്തിനു മുന്‍പ് പുറത്തെത്തിയ ഒരു ടീസറിലൂടെയാണ് ഈ ചിത്രം പ്രേക്ഷകശ്രദ്ധയിലേക്ക് ആദ്യം എത്തുന്നത്. നാല് മിനിറ്റിലേറെ ദൈര്‍ഘ്യമുള്ള ട്രെയ്‍ലര്‍ അടക്കം, പിന്നീടിങ്ങോട്ടെത്തിയ ചിത്രത്തിന്‍റെ പ്രൊമോഷണല്‍ മെറ്റീരിയലുകളിലൂടെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നതില്‍ ചില സര്‍പ്രൈസ് എലമെന്‍റുകളൊക്കെ ഉണ്ടെന്ന് അണിയറക്കാര്‍ സൂചിപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നു. എന്താണോ വാദ്​ഗാനം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ടത് അതുതന്നെ സ്ക്രീനില്‍ തെളിയുന്ന കാഴ്ചാനുഭവമാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മന. അരവിന്ദ് സ്വാമിനാഥന്‍ എന്ന അഭിഭാഷകനാണ് പൃഥ്വിരാജിന്‍റെ കഥാപാത്രം. തുല്യ പ്രധാന്യവും കൂടുതല്‍ സ്ക്രീന്‍ ടൈമുമുള്ള സജന്‍ കുമാര്‍ എന്ന പൊലീസ് കമ്മിഷണര്‍ ആയി സുരാജ് വെഞ്ഞാറമൂടും എത്തുന്നു. വരാനിരിക്കുന്നത് നിരവധി ചുരുളുകളും പിരിവുകളുമുള്ള ഒരു കഥയാണെന്ന തോന്നലുളവാക്കിയാണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്‍റെ തുടക്കം. ഒറ്റക്കാഴ്ചയില്‍ വെളിപ്പെടാത്ത ചില ഫ്ലാഷ് ബാക്കുകളില്‍ നിന്നും ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന ചിത്രം തുടക്കത്തില്‍ ഒരു മര്‍ഡര്‍ ഇന്‍വെസ്റ്റി​ഗേഷന്‍ എന്ന തരത്തിലാണ് ഇതള്‍ വിരിക്കുന്നത്. കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടത് വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്ക് ഏറെ പ്രിയങ്കരിയായിരുന്ന ഒരു കോളെജ് അധ്യാപിക ആയതിനാല്‍ നീതി തേടി വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ തെരുവില്‍ ഇറങ്ങുന്നു. തനിക്ക് പറയാനുള്ളത് കേവലം ഒരു കഥയല്ലെന്നും മറിച്ച് കൂടുതല്‍ ആഴത്തിലുള്ള രാഷ്ട്രീയ പ്രശ്നങ്ങളും ചോദ്യങ്ങളുമാണെന്ന സംവിധായകന്‍റെ വ്യക്തമാക്കലാണ് മുന്നോട്ട് കാണാനാവുക. വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്ക് പ്രിയങ്കരിയായ ഒരു അധ്യാപികയുടെ കൊലപാതകം എന്ന ആദ്യ പ്ലോട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് ആരംഭിച്ച്, ഒരു സെന്‍ട്രല്‍ യൂണിവേഴ്സിറ്റിയിലേക്കും അവിടെ വിദ്യാര്‍ഥികള്‍ക്കു നേരിടേണ്ടിവരുന്ന ജാതി വിവേചനം അടക്കമുള്ള വെല്ലുവിളികളെക്കുറിച്ചും പുറത്ത് പൊതുസമൂഹത്തിലും ആഴത്തില്‍ വേരോട്ടമുള്ള ജാതീയവും മതപരവുമായ മുന്‍വിധികളെക്കുറിച്ചും ഏറ്റവുമൊടുവില്‍ അടിവരയിട്ട് തെര‍ഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് രാഷ്ട്രീയത്തിലെ പുഴുക്കുത്തുകളെക്കുറിച്ചുമൊക്കെ സംസാരിക്കുകയാണ് ഈ ചിത്രം.

വാര്‍ത്താമാധ്യമങ്ങളില്‍ നിറഞ്ഞ സമകാലിക ഇന്ത്യയാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മനയുടെ പ്ലോട്ടുകളിലും സബ് പ്ലോട്ടുകളിലുമൊക്കെ നിറയുന്നത്. എന്നാല്‍ ഒരു ഡോക്യു ഫിക്ഷന്‍ ആവുമായിരുന്ന, 2.43 മണിക്കൂര്‍ ദൈര്‍ഘ്യമുള്ള ചിത്രത്തെ ത്രില്ലടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന അനുഭവമാക്കി മാറ്റിത്തീര്‍ത്തിരിക്കുന്നത് ഷാരിസ് മുഹമ്മദിന്‍റെ മികവുറ്റ തിരക്കഥയും ഡിജോ ജോസ് ആന്‍റണിയുടെ വിഷനുമാണ്. പല സബ് പ്ലോട്ടുകളെയും ലെയറുകളെയും കൃത്യമായി അടുക്കി, പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍ക്ക് കണക്ട് ചെയ്യാന്‍ ഒരു ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടും ഉണ്ടാവാത്ത തരത്തിലാണ് ഷാരിസിന്‍റെ എഴുത്ത്. ചിത്രത്തില്‍ ആദ്യാവസാനമുള്ള വൈകാരികതയുടേതായ ഒരു ട്രാക്കിലൂടെയാണ് രചയിതാവ് ഇത് സാധിച്ചെടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നത്. 

2018ല്‍ പുറത്തെത്തിയ ക്വീന്‍ എന്ന അരങ്ങേറ്റ ചിത്രത്തിലൂടെ സര്‍പ്രൈസ് ഹിറ്റ് സ്വന്തമാക്കിയ സംവിധായകനാണ് ഡിജോ ജോസ് ആന്‍റണി. നാല് വര്‍ഷത്തിനു ശേഷം രണ്ടാം ചിത്രത്തിലേക്ക് എത്തുമ്പോള്‍ ഒരു സംവിധായകന്‍ എന്ന നിലയില്‍ ഡിജോ നേടിയ വളര്‍ച്ച അത്ഭുതപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതാണ്. രണ്ടാം ചിത്രം ചെയ്യുന്ന ഒരു സംവിധായകന്‍റേതായ ആശങ്കകളൊന്നുമില്ലാതെയാണ് ഒരു ​ഗ്രാന്‍ഡ് നരേഷന്‍ സ്ക്രീനിലെത്തിക്കാനായി അദ്ദേഹം പരിശ്രമിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. ആ പരിശ്രമം വിജയിച്ചു എന്നാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മനയുടെ കാഴ്ചാനുഭവം. സാങ്കേതിക മികവാണ് എടുത്തുപറയേണ്ട മറ്റൊരു ഘടകം. യുവ ഛായാ​ഗ്രാഹകരില്‍ ശ്രദ്ധേയനായ സുദീപ് ഇളമണ്‍ ആണ് ചിത്രത്തിന്‍റെ ക്യാമറ കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്‍തിരിക്കുന്നത്. കര്‍ണ്ണാടകയാണ് സിനിമയുടെ പ്രധാന പശ്ചാത്തലമെങ്കിലും കേരളവും ലഖ്നൗവും മലേഷ്യയുമടക്കം നിരവധി ലൊക്കേഷനുകളില്‍ ചിത്രീകരിച്ച സിനിമയാണിത്. എന്നാല്‍ കാഴ്ചയുടെ തുടര്‍ച്ചയ്ക്ക് ഒരിക്കലും വിഘാതം വരുത്തുന്നില്ല സുദീപിന്‍റെ ക്യാമറ. ​ഗ്രാന്‍ഡ് സ്കെയിലില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്ന ചിത്രത്തിന് വേറിട്ടു നില്‍ക്കുന്ന വ്യക്തിത്വം നല്‍കിയിട്ടുണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം. സമീപകാലത്ത് ഒരു മലയാള സിനിമയില്‍ കണ്ട ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച എഡിറ്റിം​ഗും ഈ ചിത്രത്തിലേതാണ്. നിരവധി പിരിവുകളും സബ് പ്ലോട്ടുകളുമുള്ള, രണ്ടേമുക്കാല്‍ മണിക്കൂര്‍ ദൈര്‍ഘ്യമുള്ള, ​ഗൗരവമുള്ള വിഷയം സംസാരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ചിത്രത്തെ ആസ്വാദ്യകരമായ അനുഭവമാക്കി മാറ്റിയിരിക്കുന്നതില്‍ എഡിറ്ററുടെ പങ്ക് ചെറുതല്ല.

തന്‍റെ കംഫര്‍ട്ട് സോണിലുള്ള കഥാപാത്രമല്ല പൃഥ്വിരാജിനെ സംബന്ധിച്ച് അരവിന്ദ് സ്വാമിനാഥന്‍ എന്ന അഭിഭാഷകന്‍. ഇത്രയും ഭാരമുള്ള മറ്റൊരു കഥാപാത്രത്തെ പൃഥ്വി സമീപകാലത്ത് അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിട്ടുമില്ല. അപ്പിയറന്‍സില്‍ നല്‍കിയിരിക്കുന്ന ചെറുതെങ്കിലും ഏറെ വിസിബിള്‍ ആയ ചില പ്രത്യേകതകള്‍ വെറും മോടിപിടിപ്പിക്കല്‍ ആവാതെ, ആ കഥാപാത്രത്തെ പ്രേക്ഷകരുമായി കണക്ട് ചെയ്യാന്‍ പൃഥ്വിരാജിന് ആവുന്നുണ്ട്. എന്നാല്‍ അതിനേക്കാള്‍ കോംപ്ലെക്സ് ആയ കഥാപാത്രമാണ് സുരാജിന്‍റെ കമ്മിഷണന്‍ സജിന്‍ കുമാര്‍. നായകത്വമോ വില്ലമിസമോ എന്ന് തീര്‍ച്ചയില്‍ എത്താനാവാത്ത ​ഗ്രേ ഷെയ്‍ഡ് ഉള്ള കഥാപാത്രത്തെ പതിവുപോലെ മികച്ചതാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട് സുരാജ്. വലിയ പ്രകടന സാധ്യത ഇല്ലെങ്കിലും പ്രധാന പ്ലോട്ടിന്‍റെ കേന്ദ്ര സ്ഥാനത്തു വരുന്ന മംമ്ത മോഹന്‍ദാസ്, അഭിഭാഷകനായി വരുന്ന ഷമ്മി തിലകന്‍, ജി എം സുന്ദര്‍, വിന്‍സി അലോഷ്യസ്, ധന്യ അനന്യ തുടങ്ങി ചിത്രത്തിലെ താരനിര്‍ണ്ണയങ്ങളും മികച്ചു നില്‍ക്കുന്നുണ്ട്.

മലയാള സിനിമ ആയിരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ത്തന്നെ പറയുന്ന വിഷയത്തില്‍ പാന്‍- ഇന്ത്യന്‍ സ്വഭാവമുണ്ട് ചിത്രത്തിന്. ഒപ്പം കഥാപാത്രങ്ങള്‍ സംസാരിക്കുന്ന ഭാഷയിലും. മലയാളത്തിനൊപ്പം കന്നഡയും തമിഴുമൊക്കെ സംഭാഷണങ്ങള്‍ സബ് ടൈറ്റിലുകളില്ലാതെ, അതേസമയം കാഴ്ചാനുഭവത്തെ അലോസരപ്പെടുത്താതെ കടന്നുവരുന്നതും ചിത്രം പകരുന്ന കൗതുകമാണ്. റിലീസിനു മുന്‍പ് പ്ലോട്ടിനെക്കുറിച്ചോ ഏത് തരത്തിലുള്ള ചിത്രം ആണെന്നതിനെക്കുറിച്ചോ അണിയറക്കാര്‍ അധികമൊന്നും വെളിപ്പെടുത്താതിരുന്ന ചിത്രമാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മന. അത് എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണെന്ന് ചിത്രത്തിന്‍റെ കാഴ്ചാനുഭവം പറയും. ഒരു രണ്ടാം ഭാ​ഗത്തിനുള്ള പ്ലോട്ട് കൂടി പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തിക്കൊണ്ടാണ് ചിത്രം അവസാനിക്കുന്നത്. ആദ്യ ഭാ​ഗത്തിനു ലഭിക്കുന്ന സ്വീകാര്യതയെ മുന്‍നിര്‍ത്തിയാവും ഒരുപക്ഷേ ആ തീരുമാനം. വേറിട്ട പരിശ്രമങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ടായിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന സമീപകാല മലയാള സിനിമയില്‍ ഉള്ളടക്കം കൊണ്ടും അവതരണം കൊണ്ടും ആ കൂട്ടത്തിലേക്ക് നീങ്ങിനില്‍ക്കുന്ന ചിത്രമാണ് ജന ​ഗണ മന. തിയറ്റര്‍ കാഴ്ച ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന ചിത്രവും.

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JANA GANA MANA MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

With the uproar "Inquilab Zindabad (Long live the revolution)," Jana Gana Mana, vigilante action thriller, reached theatres today. Starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu in lead roles and with Mamta Mohandas, Vincy Aloshious in important supporting roles, the film is directed by Dijo Jose Antony.

The film is written by Sharis Mohammed, edited by Sreejith Sarang, and cinematographed by Elamon. It is the first of two cinematic parts, with the end of this film setting up the events of the next installment.

Jana Gana Mana focuses on ACP Sajjan (played by Suraj Venjaramoodu), who is asked to investigate the rape and subsequent murder of a professor, Saba (Mamta Mohandas). The movie opens with Saba's burning body being discovered and the resulting student protests at Central University, Bangalore. Sajjan leads a team to investigate the case in the aftermath. The events during and after the investigation forms the crux of the story.

First off, one must appreciate Sharis Mohammed for the gripping nature of the screenplay. It is everything a thriller can be: edgy, interesting, and whistle-inducing dialogues. Mohammed has successfully weaved a compelling story using fictionalised versions of real-life events that make one give a serious thought about the world we live in.

The lack of unnecessary songs disrupting the flow of the story adds to the effect of the film. Speaking of music, Jake's Bejoy's score gives the support the screenplay needs to leave the audience at the edge of their seats. However, the same score evokes sympathy, rage and the feeling of hopelessness when the scene demands it.

Along with a tight screenplay, what carried Jana Gana Mana throughout its 2 hours and 43 minute–runtime were the actors. Suraj Venjaramoodu as a smart, determined, and helpless ACP and Prithviraj Sukumaran as a jaded, just, and limping lawyer were a marvel. Supporting cast members like Mamta, Vincy, Shari, and Ilavarasu were equally, if not more, effective with their performances.

Jana Gana Mana raises important questions about law, justice, politics, and bias but above all, the impact of sensationalized media in our country. It covers a lot of different issues and constantly keeps the audience hooked. Moreover, with some unexpected twists and extended sequences, the movie sets up for the sequel. But this is where the problem arises.

In its attempt to leave people guessing, the timeline of events becomes convoluted. Adding the confusion are all the flashbacks towards the end of the film, which takes little away from the impact the film had until then. The courtroom scene, as riveting as it was, felt drawn-out and unrealistic with back-to-back monologues but that's to be expected in a thriller like this one. And in all honesty, the monologues did have the desired impact, and ultimately Jana Gana Mana drove home all its points, so it's a win.

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REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

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Jana Gana Mana Movie Review (2022)

• Jana Gana Mana

Dijo Jose Antony's 'Jana Gana Mana' is a well-performed drama (Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu) about the slipperiness of truth

Jana Gana Mana Movie Cast & Crew

Dijo Jose Antony's Jana Gana Mana opens with a voiceover that says truth always triumphs. That is what we are taught to believe, right? But is that statement itself true? Because, today, aren't we surrounded by so many lies and manipulations and so much militant wokeness that the "truth" is no longer tangible. Take the case of a married woman who died while eloping with her lover. The news appears on the last page. Take the case of a college professor who is murdered. That becomes the headline. Both are women. Both are dead. But isn't there a discrimination being made based on the "assumed character" of the individual? Take another instance. Let's say we are asked who is likely to be a criminal: a  fair-complexioned, middle-class looking man vs. a dark-skinned, lower-class (and possibly oppressed-class) man? The film includes us in these situations. It points a finger at not just its bad characters but also the audience.

The audience consists of those armchair critics who become the judge and jury whenever there is a newsworthy event. The audience includes our media, which revels in sensation: whether it is Sushant Singh Rajput or Rohith Vemula. The audience includes organisations that claim to fight for a gender or class or whatever cause, but with their own agenda. The audience includes students who protest and are labelled anti-national and urban Naxals. Most of us think we are doing the right thing, but are we really? Do we have all the facts? And if we don't, are we ensuring that "truth always triumphs"?

This is a fantastic premise, and I wish Sharis Mohammed's writing and Dijo Jose Antony's direction had been equally fantastic. Both these aspects are merely functional and very broad, very A-for-apple. Adding to the feeling of being hammered on the head with the film's emotions is the huge background score by Jakes Bejoy. I don't want to complain too much, because this is an effective and very watchable movie. I am just wondering how much better things would have been if the form had matched the powerful content.

The screenplay does not know how to hold back (especially towards the end, where it tries to do too much) – but there's no denying that the writing has bern thought through. We are in 2014. We see a bit of Prithviraj's story, during what a journalist calls a "sensational case". We then move to 2019. This is another "sensational case," but this time the actor on screen is Suraj Venjaramoodu. At another point, we cut to a hospital with an ailing little girl. We see her grandfather. We are told he is in some kind of problem. But before we can find out what this problem is, we cut away to something else. This is the back-and-forth structure, and we spend a lot of time in the aftermath of the crime. We see the reactions of students, the media. We even get a politics professor who urges his students to join the nationwide protests.

In other words, everyone is convinced they know what the "truth" is – or at least, they think they are on a mission to find out what the "truth" is and punish the people responsible for the crime. And the second half becomes a courtroom drama: in other words, it is set in the actual place where the job of finding out the truth is done. Suraj is a single father. Prithviraj walks with a limp. No one is "perfect". And the facts of the case are not "perfect", either. Just like the truth is evasive in real life, the film, too, keeps pulling the rug from under our feet just as we think we know… the truth. 

Jana Gana Mana has two star performances, but because of the ultra-broad filmmaking, Suraj's subtleness fades in front of Prithviraj's sensational and very controlled flamboyance. It's not easy to play to the gallery and yet not do so in an overt fashion: Prithviraj does just that. In every scene, we sense his inner fury, and every second he is on screen, the film goes up several notches. The dialogues, the direction, the writing – everything feels better. Even the pace feels less flabby. And of course, the content is so strong that the film hits hard in the latter portions. There's a line about a Dalit sweeper. There's a passage which repeats the word "rape" and "shock". Had the whole film worked at this level, we would have had a classic, but despite my reservations, I am not complaining. This is a solid drama that makes us think about the nature of truth.

About Author

Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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Jana Gana Mana

As a college professor's brutal murder sparks student unrest, a cop launches an investigation while a lawyer seeks justice in the the courtroom. As a college professor's brutal murder sparks student unrest, a cop launches an investigation while a lawyer seeks justice in the the courtroom. As a college professor's brutal murder sparks student unrest, a cop launches an investigation while a lawyer seeks justice in the the courtroom.

• Dijo Jose Antony
• Sharis Mohammed
• Prithviraj Sukumaran
• Suraj Venjaramoodu
• Mamta Mohandas
• 214 User reviews
• 9 Critic reviews
• 6 nominations

Top cast 29

• Aravind Swaminathan

• Sajjan Kumar

• Saba Mariam

• Pavan Shetty

• Raghuram Iyer

• Anitha Nair

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• Trivia A virtuos movie with blatant propaganda. First half has story building and in second part only one community is shown as villain.
• Goofs When Prithvi Raj is questioning the editor of the newspaper, on the back of the news paper, COVID-19 related incidents are present. Since the movie is taking place in June 2019 COVID would not have existed.

Aravind Swaminathan : Instant tea, instant coffee, instant justice!

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• indianature
• Jun 21, 2022
• How long is Jana Gana Mana? Powered by Alexa
• April 28, 2022 (India)
• Magic Frames
• Prithviraj Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• ₹100,000,000 (estimated)

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• Runtime 2 hours 42 minutes

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Home » Review » Jana Gana Mana movie review: Prithviraj’s socio-political drama poses relevant, thought-provoking questions »

Jana Gana Mana movie review: Prithviraj’s socio-political drama poses relevant, thought-provoking questions

When you consider that Jana Gana Mana also aims at showing how the storytelling elements play out in forming the perception of a larger social conscience, the way its director Dijo Jose Antony and scriptwriter Sharis Muhammed have narrated the tale is masterly 

• Sanjith Sidhardhan

Last Updated: 08.26 AM, Jun 01, 2022

Story: After a college lecturer’s body is found burnt, it becomes national news when students seeking justice for her murder are confronted by police brutality on their campus. This forces the government to handover the investigation to ACP Sajjan Kumar, who promises the lecturer’s mother that he would apprehend the culprits and see that justice is served within a month. The measures he takes, however, has him battling a legal case with the Human Rights Commission.

Review: Right at the interval of Dijo Jose Antony’s socio-political film Jana Gana Mana, one of its protagonists stares at a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place.” It’s almost antithetical that the quotation finds a place in a court of law, but that’s what Dijo and the film’s scriptwriter Sharis Muhammed do in Jana Gana Mana – challenge personal and social bias and put forth questions to the audience to get them to take note of various factors – manipulated or genuine – that shape up their perception.

The movie’s core story is about a mother seeking justice for the death of her daughter Saba Mariam (Mamta Mohandas). However, various trials - by the media, cops and then later in a courtroom – reveal different versions of the truth about what actually transpired the night that the college lecturer was killed.

Dijo, who is only directing his second film after Queen, uses a clever approach to narrate the tale, which despite being socially relevant and filled with hard-hitting truths is ultimately packaged as an entertainer. The filmmaker has mainly divided the film into two chapters – one that follows its lead investigating officer Sajjan Kumar, who has been appointed to probe the case after it captures the attention of the nation and the second, while he is on trial. Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Aravind Swaminathan features in the latter half as a lawyer, who also has a past – glimpses of which appear sporadically in the beginning and is then quickly shown in the third act, more as a prologue to a sequel.

Jana Gana Mana is one of those rare big films where all departments fire in equal measure. While Sharis’ script and dialogues are the strength of the film, Jakes Bejoy’s music elevates the movie, by ensuring that all the characters and their plight emotionally connect with the audience. In fact, Dijo has used the music to influence the emotions of the viewers so well. When you consider that the film also aims at showing how these elements play out in forming the perception of a larger social conscience on ‘instant justice,’ it’s almost a masterstroke – where the director uses the very same tactic to prod the viewers to question the factors that manipulate their emotions.

The movie, while set in Karnataka, has a mix of dialogues in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, thus allowing the audience to get the sense of its vast canvas. But it also serves to accentuate that the story could happen anywhere in India – and not just in territories defined by a particular language. The core story is a mix of several real-life incidents that have shocked the country at large in the recent years including the 2019 rape and murder of a veterinarian doctor in Hyderabad and its aftermath. The movie also conveys that just because equally appalling horrors that happen every hour in the country go unreported as they are not ‘news-worthy’ enough, it doesn’t mean they deserve any less anger. In fact, it stresses multiple times that the perpetrators use “your silence as their licence”. The makers also shine the spotlight on the media for being the judge, jury and executioner in several cases and influencing the outcome of a larger populace.

Despite being on screen only in the second half, Prithviraj is exemplary in his role as a cynical lawyer. He brings a mix of gusto and anguish to his character’s defense arguments, shaking you to the core and then some. Dijo has also used his character to show the voice of resolute defiance armed with truth, thereby making it stand apart from that of the dissent of the youth. Suraj Venjaramoodu as ACP Sajjan shows he is an actor capable of seamlessly playing any shade. While the reason for his casting becomes apparent, it justifies the character’s overall arc. Mamta Mohandas plays the role of Saba with relative ease, and shows once again why she’s a capable performer in her scene where she confronts the college authorities. Vincy Aloshius and Shammi Thilakan put on surprisingly brilliant performances in the film as a college student seeking justice and a senior lawyer defending a protagonist, respectively.

The technical aspects of the movie – be it Sudeep Elamon’s cinematography or Sreejith Sarang’s editing – serves to magnify the scope of the movie, while never releasing the audience once it gets you hooked, right after the college protests. The film’s casting department too deserves special mention with actors such as Pavan Shetty and Raja Krishnamoorthy being cast in roles that exude power – but of contrasting kind.

That said, the movie isn’t without its flaws. The third act is sloppily pieced together, mainly because it falls for the sequel trap like some of the recent big-budget, star-driven Malayalam films. The past of Prithviraj’s character is almost retrofitted to the story, which would have been better if it was contained in a single film. Also, the pieces of what the viewers get to see from his past isn’t coherent enough until viewed in the second movie and thus only serves in prolonging Jana Gana Mana, which is at 162 minutes long.

Verdict: Wrapped as a gripping entertainer packed with brilliant performances, Dijo Jose Antony’s Jana Gana Mana puts forth thought-provoking questions to the audience and makes for a must-watch, if you are a fan of socio-political thrillers.

Jana Gana Mana is available to stream on Netflix from June 2.

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Jana Gana Mana Movie Review: Prithviraj, Suraj anchor an epic, high-impact political thriller

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

One of the most remarkable qualities of Dijo Jose Antony's Jana Gana Mana is how it maintains a sense of urgency throughout its entire duration (close to three hours). It behaves like an extended third act of a suspense thriller. When it opens, a grave event has already occurred. Emotions are already running high. It dangles what passes as truth in front of you, and for a while, you buy it. But whose version of the truth are you being sold? Is it that of the media, cops, or lawyers?

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mamta Mohandas, Vincy Aloshious, Shari

Director: Dijo Jose Antony

It's only when a barrister, Aravind Swaminathan (Prithviraj Sukumaran), shows up in court and starts busting one 'truth' after another that your perceptions begin to alter gradually. Jana Gana Mana is like a Rubik's cube whose 'true' combination changes every few minutes. It follows a Rashomon -style way of seeking the truth without emulating the Akira Kurosawa classic's screenplay structure.

The other impressive quality about Jana Gana Mana is how it feels like three or four movies rolled into one. As each layer comes undone, one imagines all kinds of tangents the film can go in. I can't recall the last time a Malayalam film did that to me. (If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned anything about the story yet, then I have to tell you that I'm trying to find a way to write this review without giving away any major plot points.)

Jana Gana Mana brings together Prithviraj and Suraj Venjaramoodu again after the immensely successful Driving Licence (currently being remade in Hindi as Selfiee ). Naturally, you expect great things from any film involving them after that. And Jana Gana Mana doesn't disappoint. I don't know if it would be fair to say whether one film is better than the other. Both actors deliver what is expected of them. Their characters in Jana Gana Mana are miles apart from those in Driving Licence .

Do I need to mention Suraj's impressive range at this point? The first hour is devoted entirely to Suraj's police character, Sajjan Kumar, who is assigned to contain a violent JNU-type situation at a large university in Karnataka. I'm not going into all the spoiler-ish details because this movie is packed with plenty of information. I would rather the viewer approach this film the same way I did -- with as little information as possible. It uses various picked-from-the-headlines incidents from recent memory as inspirations to make piercing statements about many ills currently plaguing the country.

And among the contemporary superstars, I can't think of anyone better than Prithviraj to deliver piercing dialogues that reverberate across the courtroom walls and everyone sitting in the movie hall. And Shammi Thilakan seems to have much fun being the rival litigator. He is, I must add, the primary source of humour in the film -- and I don't mean the unintentional kind.

Yes, certain areas in Jana Gana Mana get slightly theatrical and loud, but why should one expect the vibe of a Dileesh Pothan or Rajeev Ravi film from it? Jana Gana Mana is a big-scale, mass-appeal entertainer in the vein of the political thrillers that Renji Panicker wrote for Shaji Kailas in the early 90s or what Dennis Joseph wrote for Joshiy or Thampi Kannanthanam in the 80s. Parts of Jana Gana Mana evoked the spirit of films like Thalasthanam (1992), Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar (1987), New Delhi (1987), and Pathram (1999) .

But where Jana Gana Mana stands out is how, in terms of the statements it makes, it dares to be bolder than the above films. As much as I hold the writers and filmmakers of that era in high regard, I don’t think they would have addressed issues like marginalisation and sensationalism to the degree that it is done here. I’m glad that we are no longer living in the 80s and 90s.

By the end of Jana Gana Mana , we get a sense of the personalities of Aravind and Sajjan. But it's not over. The film opens up the possibilities of exploring more sides to them that we haven't seen before. We are told, through Aravind, that the story has only begun. (The makers had already announced the sequel plan.) This approach is refreshing because, unlike the other epic two-parters like Baahubali , KGF , or Pushpa , Jana Gana Mana dares to be epic in terms of topicality. It is indeed an epic but in terms of storytelling ambitions, not the visuals. The first film opened many cans of worms, and I hope its successor opens many more too. And as a fan of Prithviraj and Suraj, I can't wait to see what surprises they would spring in that one.

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Jana Gana Mana - A focused and fulfilling thriller!

Published date : 30/apr/2022.

Jana Gana Mana Review

Jana Gana Mana is a social crime thriller starring the lovely Driving License duo Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu in the lead roles. The film is directed by Dijo Jose Antony, whose previous and debut film was Queen [2018].

Mamta Mohandas, is a college professor who is very attached with the students of the campus. Unfortunately, she is found dead and the reports say that she has been raped. Students go on a strike for justice and it becomes a National headline. Suraj Venjaramoodu is the ACP who takes charge as investigative officer to this burning case. Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the role of a lawyer.

Writing/ Direction

The entire first half takes a sweet time to set the mood of the film and establish the story at an unhurried pace. The investigative plot points in the initial portions are middling that felt as a disadvantage while watching, but there is a purpose behind it which is revealed in the later half of the film. The engagement is a bit on and off till the break-out, but the parts that are on the bright side are too good. Also, taking a deeper look at the flow, certain angles are kind of predictable even before they are conveyed to the audience, so there’s no big shock value in the proceedings. Prithviraj is introduced at the interval point and the whole second half flies high. His opening arguments in the court are so unique and fresh, deserves a big round of applause as each and every statement he submits is like fire, instantly relatable and thought-provoking at the same time. The courtroom drama takes the story forward and we get to witness a neatly written script that’s narrated in a fascinating way. The character placements, logical reasoning at most places are perfectly etched to deliver a striking cinematic experience. Not all the angles of the subject are convincing as in a major situation where one of the central characters all of a sudden voluntarily initiates a master plan isn’t justified well. Second half is superb and it hides the flaws that exist in the early stages of the movie, and ends with a bang too.

Performances

Though there is no scope in the story to provide a goosebumps face-off sequence between Prithviraj and Suraj like in Driving License , both have been given equally important roles and both have done their best. Apart from them, Mamta Mohandas plays a major role as the story revolves around her death, her characterization is good and motivating, she impresses in the flashback portions. Kudos to the casting choices, meticulously done and thus even the smallest of roles get a fine portrayal on screen. Plenty of experienced artists have come together to bless and give a soul to the characters written. Sridivya who plays Prithviraj’s wife hardly appears for five shots and no clue why she was cast.

Technicalities

A couple of emotional songs are touching as the tunes are impressive. Background score is a mixed bag, some portions are okay but many scores resemble the music of some other language films like Tenet , etc. Camera work is neat, night shots have been captured with a good amount of frame depth and detailing. Editing helps the narrative at a lot of places, despite the story going back and forth at a bunch of places, the presentation is crystal clear mainly because of the editor’s contribution.

Though the first half clearly registers the subject and the characters involved that sets up the stage for a courtroom drama, it wasn’t tight in terms of engagement. But an engrossing second half with very minimal complaints overshadow the flaws and the end product is largely satisfying.

Rating - 3.25/5

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Jana Gana Mana Review: Suraj Venjaramoodu Shines in Dijo Jose Antony’s Second Shot at a Social Justice Film

(Spoiler Alert)

Courtrooms in Indian mainstream cinema are akin to theatre. There are artists and an audience, rendition of the hyperbole and abandonment of objectivity. The actors belt out long dialogue, while the camera impassively records the faces and the proceedings.

The courtrooms in director Dijo Jose Antony ’s films – Queen (2018) and the latest, Jana Gana Mana – are loud and explosive, headlined by a lawyer, the superhero in a black coat, who is immune to character development. He lashes out at everyone in the room and the audience, occupying a moral ground so high that one would need a telescope to sight them from the earth. In Queen , Salim Kumar played an angry lawyer who turned the entire latter half of the film into a tirade. In Jana Gana Mana , Prithviraj trembles in rage and terrorises the courtroom. The film, centred on the death of a college professor Saba ( Mamta Mohandas ), argues against media trials in high-profile cases. It asks the viewers to not succumb to sentimentalism but look for what lies beyond the obvious. Ironically, Jana Gana Mana uses the same language of hyperbole it warns the audience against.   

The film unfolds in the fictional town of Ramnagara in Karnataka, in a central university that eerily resembles Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The scenes of student protest and subsequent police violence on the campus take cues from the press reports on the incidents that unfolded in JNU in January 2020.   

Subtlety, clearly, is not Dijo’s strength. The narrative teems with expository dialogue and scenes. In an early scene set on the college campus, at Saba’s memorial service, the chairman of the university takes the podium and delivers an offensive speech, blaming Saba for stepping out at night and terming the student protests in connection to her death part of a larger anti-national movement. Not just him but all the villains in Jana Gana Mana proclaim their villainy and reveal their carefully chalked out plans in casual phone calls or on public platforms. The film’s audacity to speak up against India’s dangerous right-wing nationalism and the ingrained misogyny of Indian society is rare and praiseworthy. But Dijo’s assumption that the evil likes to flaunt itself is a fatal error.  

Similar absurdities, contradictions and empty rhetoric are plenty in Jana Gana Mana . The background score ( Jakes Bejoy ) is relentless, loud and too passionate, a sonic equivalent of the film’s characters. The student leaders, played by Vincy Mathew and Dhruv, are simplified into wannabe revolutionaries whose courage is marked by their angry rants and valiant screams. In the final part of the film, the students and the audience at the court, who had been passionately listening to the lawyer’s arguments against mob justice, fling themselves into yet another act of mob violence, vandalising police vehicles and baying for the blood of the cops. The lawyer, whose superpower is his self-righteousness, berates the honourable judge and the witnesses for their hypocrisy and prejudice against people who come from a certain socio-economic background. Yet, Saba, who holds the film’s emotional narrative together, is always framed like a cliched angel, the camera highlighting Mamta’s glowing face, impeccable smile and upper-class demeanour. There are more victims in the film, who resemble people like you and me, but they get nothing more than a story lazily lifted from newspaper headlines.  

Dijo finds a great lead character in assistant commissioner Sajan Kumar, played by Suraj Venjaramoodu , but he gropes in the darkness about structuring a character arc for him. Great films conceal clues to create delicious plot twists, mediocre films put up charades. The viewer should feel betrayed by the big reveal in the climactic scene as the film had, until then, given them the feeling that they were privy to Sajan’s subjective point of view of the events. The hurried negation of this impression is the film’s weakest link.   

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Dijo crams several issues into the narrative. But he makes a daring move by pointing out the ingrained social biases in the media reporting of sexual harassment cases in a country that likes to consecrate its young rape-murder victims. By far, the best element of the film is Suraj’s portrayal of Sajan. His grey shades come through very well in his introduction scene when he negotiates with a group of protesting students and gains entry to the college campus. “They are just students, not an army of Taliban,” he remarks to his subordinate and walks to the student leaders, quickly concealing his contempt and switching to a position of empathy. In the end, the film is taken over by Prithviraj’s thundering speeches, but Suraj’s subtle mannerisms and careful body language stay memorable. The actor effortlessly turns Sajan into someone who deserves your pity and wrath.  

This Jana Gana Mana review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

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Jana Gana Mana movie review: Suraj Venjaramoodu rises above a script that lacks cohesion, clarity, depth, finesse and calm

Jana Gana Mana is undistinctive, notwithstanding its brave throwaway lines and moments that made my liberal heart sit up and take notice.

Language: Malayalam

The spotlight falls on the superstar of the new Malayalam film, Jana Gana Mana , only in the second half of the narrative. Once the camera rests on Prithviraj Sukumaran’s character though, it rarely moves away from him as he belts out speech after speech…after speech…after speech…steeped in powerful messaging that, despite the loudness and melodrama of those scenes, is largely well reasoned.

A film has to be more than the message/s it wishes to drive home though. And messages are conveyed by more than just speeches. Neither point appears to have struck director Dijo Jose Antony or writer Sharis Mohammed.

The tension pervading Jana Gana Mana is sparked by news of the rape and death of a popular college lecturer called Sabha Maryam (Mamta Mohandas). What follows is an apathetic response from her institution, student unrest, nationwide outrage, sensationalised media coverage and finally, a police encounter that sparks hysterical approval from the masses and celebrities. Sounds familiar?

The case of a doctor in Hyderabad who was raped and murdered after which the accused were killed by the police when they allegedly tried to escape is still fresh in public memory.

Jana Gana Mana draws on this and multiple other news developments and newsmakers from real life throughout the script in big and small ways. For instance, a point is made fleetingly about prejudice against Muslim women who cover their heads, a public figure says a person can be gauged by their attire while another cites outward appearance as his barometer, and a Machiavellian politician declares that he is willing to ban notes and even votes to retain power. All these are fitted into a script that ends up being primarily about caste oppression.

No doubt in the present Indian political scenario it could be argued that each of these elements is an act of courage and, therefore, laudable. Fair enough. But courage alone is not cinema, especially when these disparate components are not woven together into a cohesive whole.

Most characters in the film barring one - a policeman played by Suraj Venjaramoodu - are sketchily drawn and even his graph is unconvincing, the director relies too heavily on Prithviraj’s larger-than-life persona to sustain Jana Gana Mana post-interval, the script feels too crowded, and the narrative jumps from one point to the next to the next instead of flowing smoothly.

The bad writing extends to poorly constructed scenes and awkward dialogues, made worse by strained acting from several actors, in addition to unrelenting music.

The overall effect of the film is its high volume, not just in a literal sense but also in terms of its tendency to underline every point raised, through the use of its soundtrack and studied camerawork. An overly long epilogue announces a sequel to Jana Gana Mana , adding to the film’s already exhausting length.

The tacky direction and writing are combined with confused politics. Jana Gana Mana ’s title is drawn from India’s national anthem and alludes to the minds and will of the people, yet the film dithers in its position on mob justice. A college lecturer speaking to his class about their duty to fight the good fight appears to trivialise the Kiss of Love campaign started in Kerala to oppose self-appointed moral police. The incident that looms over the entire proceedings in Jana Gana Mana is a woman’s rape yet at the forefront of the script are two men - ACP Sajjan Kumar (Suraj) and advocate Aravind Swaminathan (Prithviraj). The woman herself, Sabha, is written as a rough outline of a kind soul committed to social welfare, and nothing beyond that. Caste bias, discrimination and atrocities are Jana Gana Mana ’s main concerns, yet the reins of the battle are not handed to the marginalised community in question.

The saviour complex should not come as a surprise for anyone who has seen the director’s film Queen with its deeply problematic treatment of rape; nor should the tackiness. In fact, in both respects, Jana Gana Mana is a vast improvement on Queen.

Prithviraj and Suraj teamed up not too long back in Lal Jr’s smartly written and crisply directed Driving Licence (2019). That film was an excellent addition to the Malayalam New New Wave from which has emerged some of the best Indian cinema of the past decade. Jana Gana Mana is undistinctive, notwithstanding its brave throwaway lines and moments that made my liberal heart sit up and take notice.

Despite the film’s limitations, Suraj manages to turn out a warm performance that rises above the failings of the script. Prithviraj’s charisma makes it hard to ever dislike him on screen, but it is just as hard not to wonder why a star who has directors and writers lining up at his door chose to back this film that lacks cohesion, clarity, depth, finesse and calm.

This review was first published in April 2022 when Jana Gana Mana was released in theatres. The film is now streaming on Netflix.  

Rating: 2 (out of 5 stars)   

Anna MM Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial  

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Jana Gana Mana Is A Cleverly Deceptive Political Film That Doesn’t Trade Entertainment With Its Importance

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mamta Mohandas, Sri Divya

Director: Dijo Jose Antony

Call it an overtly meta reading of what's essentially a simple scene, but there's something about the timing of  Jana Gana Mana 's release that made this stretch feel a lot more significant. With Sathyan Anthikad 's  Makal set to release a day later, we get a scene where Jana Gana Mana 's director Dijo Jose Antony appears as a college professor. It is set in Maharajas College and the lecture is on Indian Polity with a full strength of students in attendance. But his speech does not compliment the "good students" for attending his class. Instead, his big mass dialogue here forces them to get up from their benches and go out in protest against the murder of a professor in another state. He calls it the "practicals" of the subject he's teaching, but it feels like an event in itself with a filmmaker teaching his audience to be more political. When seen just a day before the release of an Anthikad film, it's a sign of how most makers today have rejected the apolitical stands of films like Sandesham and Priyadarshan's Cheppu to embrace full student participation. Given how the film comes back later to underscore this very point only adds to the film's cleverly deceptive writing.

Deceptive is the word one needs to keep coming back to because  Jana Gana Mana  plays this game even before the movie begins. The anti-smoking disclaimer, read out by Suraj Venjaramoodu, too is in sync with this vision. Like two sides to a coin, the film first gets you to buy into yet another argument on the benefits of encounter killing. A case is created and clues are carefully placed right through the first half to get us to align with one side of a debate, only for the carpet to be pulled from right under our feet. Like members of a jury, we're asked to take stands but the stand we end up taking only reveals our own biases. So when we're first shown a set of criminals getting captured from what looks like a colony, the deceptive writing gets us to point the finger right back at ourselves for assuming they've surely done the crime.

Such themes are explored right through the second half with several notions getting dismantled to reveal a lot about ourselves. Surprisingly, the film is fully able to hold its cards close to its chest because of its casting. What actors like Suraj and Prithviraj (the duo repeat their excellent equation from  Driving License ) have managed to do is keep their screen image wide enough to be able to accommodate any shade, which only makes the film even more engaging. All of these factors contribute a lot to what's also a film that uses several real-life events to make its political points.

It's also the engaging writing, which transforms into a courtroom drama, that separates  Jana Mana Gana  from a film like  Varthamanam . Apart from basic similarities like its college setting and students' politics, the latter felt very verbose in its attempts to counter fascism using incidents from real life. Jana Gana Mana runs the risk of becoming talkative too, but the courtroom setting gives it the context it needs to allow for this. It is also much smarter in the way it incorporates events from life. We feel this in the eery way a series of events unfurl, leading to the murder of the aforementioned teacher. It takes points from the murder of the veterinary doctor in Hyderabad to give us a context and that chilling feeling we remember from the way the accused were encountered.

The manner in which the life of a PhD student is introduced too reminds us of many faces (including Rohit Vemula's), but this is done seamlessly without any injustice to the characters in the film. These scenes present us with interesting insights into how an argument steeped in real events can help you make the larger political points without comprising on the engagement. It's like a well-written editorial in The Hindu being brought to life for a Tik-Tok audience.

In fact, the only portion that didn't do justice to the film's tight screenplay is the way it ends with a teaser of the second part. This stretched out portion is both difficult to follow with odd editing choices to reveal too much of a film that's not as interesting as the first part we've just finished watching. In what appears to only be a template revenge story, one wishes that Jana Gana Mana had just ended with a tease of a sequel. Yet as a lone standing film, Jana Gana Mana is a thoroughly engaging call to action against fascism told in the most entertaining manner.

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Jana Gana Mana

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In this Jana Gana Mana film, Prithviraj Sukumaran , Suraj Venjaramoodu played the primary leads.

The Jana Gana Mana was released in theaters on 28 Apr 2022.

The Jana Gana Mana was directed by Dijo Jose Antony

Movies like Hunt , Thaanara , Secret and others in a similar vein had the same genre but quite different stories.

The soundtracks and background music were composed by Jakes Bejoy for the movie Jana Gana Mana.

The cinematography for Jana Gana Mana was shot by Sudeep Elamon .

The movie Jana Gana Mana belonged to the Action,Thriller, genre.

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‘Jana Gana Mana’ movie review: Gets its politics right, not so much the execution

After a not-so-great debut in ‘queen,’ filmmaker dijo jose antony widens the scale of his ambition in his sophomore effort.

April 28, 2022 04:54 pm | Updated April 29, 2022 01:41 pm IST

A still from ‘Jana Gana Mana’

To make people question some of their deeply-rooted biases, no amount of speeches or hurling of facts and proofs at them can pay off at times. A better way to go about it might be to first appeal to their biases, and slowly start chipping it away from within. Filmmaker Dijo Jose Antony and screenwriter Sharis Mohammed go by this maxim in the film Jana Gana Mana.

In quite an interesting set-up, at the interval point, they get the audience to cheer for encounter killings — which is unfortunately quite popular in our society too — only to spend the next half showing why that whole idea is wrong. But, at least in cinema, people would like the rug being pulled from beneath their feet, which is why many ended up cheering both for the idea and the dismantling of it.

At the centre of the narrative is a University in Karnataka. The charred body of Saba (Mamta Mohandas), an outspoken professor who stands up against the administration for various issues concerning the students, is found near the highway, leading to major student protests. In scenes reminiscent of the real world, the police beat up the protesting students brutally. The trust in the police is abysmally low among the students when Sajjan Kumar (Suraj Venjaramoodu) takes charge of the investigation in a seemingly purposeful manner.

Jana Gana Mana

Director: dijo jose antony, cast: suraj venjaramoodu, prithviraj, mamta mohandas.

After a not so great debut in Queen , filmmaker Dijo Jose Antony widens the scale of his ambition in his sophomore effort. The contemporary debates in the country, around the growth of far right politics, which survives on constant stirring of the communal pot and dissemination of hate propaganda, must certainly have been playing in the screenwriter's mind while writing the film.

But despite its right intent and partly interesting structure, the making is quite uneven. Much of the treatment is loud and over-dramatic, especially the court scenes in the latter half. While it meanders pointlessly in the initial campus scenes, too much is said in quite a few rushed sequences towards the end. Much of this has to do with the mystery around Prithviraj's character, who re-appears only at the interval point, after an introduction in the prologue. The script also banks on all the incessant talking that this character does, not only to convey its political ideas, but also to reveal the twists in the tale.

Yet for all its cinematic flaws, the film does not hold anything back as far as the politics that it wants to speak. It raises uncomfortable debates on how those who raise questions are branded and targeted, how the media sets narratives at the behest of the establishment, how it plays into the inherent biases of the common people, and how the politics of identity is used to divide people for votes.

Jana Gana Mana is currently running in theatres

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Malayalam cinema / reviews / Indian cinema

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