Jalsa

 

Three talented women - Vidya Balan, Shaifali Shah and Rohini Hattangadi with their riveting performance have done full justice to Jalsa. As if it was not enough that the lead roles in the movie are being essayed by women, the envelope has been pushed further by the director who included a specially abled child to act in the movie, something that is rarely seen in movies. Not only has the ten year old Surya Kasibatla proven that cerebral palsy is not a limitation when it comes to acing, he even steals the show in many of the scenes featuring him.

Male actors like Manav Kaul and Iqbal Khan, although in supporting roles, they get noticed. Manav Kaul in fact proves why he is an actor to reckon with, because although he has a reel time of maybe, a couple of minutes, he leaves a mark. And Iqbal Khan as the protagonist's boss does a good job too.

Directed by Suresh Triveni, the movie has one main plot into which is woven several mini dramas - dramas playing out in the lives of the various characters in the movie and every unfolding drama adds to the thrill. 

On one hand, Shaifali Shah as Rukhsana portrays brilliantly the travails of a house help who begins to feel for every member of the household she serves in, be it Maya Menon, a leading media journalist who is her paymaster, or be it Maya's mom played by Rohini Hattangadi or be it Ayush Menon, Maya's son suffering from cerebral palsy, with who she is shown to have a special bond. Shaifali being the actress that she is has been able to convey every nuance of her character with very little dialogue delivery. She has brought out the conflict inside of her - that of a mother who is constantly worrying about her own two children including her own son- whether to leave him behind at home or take him to her place of work - and her daughter who is on the wrong side of the teens, shown as studying for her exams. Shaifali has also brilliantly portrayed the raging conflict within her to seek revenge.

On the other hand, Vidya Balan proves yet again how good an actor she is na dhow bankable a project can be with she in the lead role. Essaying the role of a media journalist and one who takes her career seriously even as she has a son with cerebral palsy about whom she worries no end, the conflict between being a mother wanting to be with her son and of owning up to her misdeeds and being a good human, she has been able to convey these emotions quite well. Adding to this is the anger spats arising from the conflict within and which are misdirected towards her mother, her helplessness at the situation that begin to unfold, the raging thoughts that are consuming her - everything has been conveyed beautifully through her acting. As the perpetrator of the crime, the movie's main plot - that of a hit and run case - she has given a gripping performance. She successfully makes the viewer relate to the myriad emotions in her - right from the shock of the incident to her conflicts about owning up, to the maternal instincts that well up within for her specially abled son. She has brought out the character’s vulnerability so well that the viewer could almost sympathise with her cause even when she is shown losing her cool at the very person who she has wronged - Rukhsana.

Each character has acted so well that it wouldn’t be wrong to state that the viewer is left feeling bad for both - the victim and the perpetrator. The plot revolving around the accident arising from a teenager abandoning safety rules and venturing into the night by herself and in so doing, taking advantage of her mother's trust in her and falling victim to circumstances that develop thereafter is also portrayed with much sensitivity as the teenager is somehow shown as falling prey to the phase of growing up. Kashish Rizwan who plays the role of Aaliya, the victim of a car-hit and daughter of Rukhsana, is for the most part lying on a bed in the hospital with a bloated and injured face, she too has done justice to her role as an 18 year old who falls prey to the hormonal rushes at play at that age to sneak out of the house at night ending up as the victim in a hit and run case. The parents, Rukhsana and her husband Salim played by Sharad Yadav, are left to answer uncomfortable questions even as they worry about their daughter's health.  

Rohini Hattangadi as the understanding yet strong mother plays her part like only she could.

The innocence and friendship among young children is showcased beautifully by Shafin Patel who plays Rukhsana's son and Maya's son Ayush.

The drama in the life of More, the cop, and his colleague  unfolds when while viewing the CCTV footage of the hit and run case, they view some damning footage of themselves, which could mean suspension for them. With his daughter's wedding around the corner, More can ill afford any suspension at this juncture given that he is also set to retire in a month. Srikant Yadav as More is extremely believable in the movie.

And then there is the trainee journalist Rohini played beautifully by Vidharti Bandi. Although wanting desperately to make it big and prove that she had it in her to do investigative journalism, the drama in Rohini’s life unfolds as she falls prey to the pressing need to get a 1 BHK apartment as her mom planned to vist her in a month for which she is falling short of 2 lakhs that was the deposit required for renting out a 1 BHK apartment.

With all the plots and dramas woven in, and some brilliant performances, the movie is a good watch. That it is on the OTT platform makes it that much more easier to watch the movie - at a click of a button, and at the time most convenient!  

Streaming on Amazon Prime.