JAWAAN (2023) : review

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And finally the much hyped, much awaited Jawaan saw light of the day ! Big stars, big budget( humongous budget actually), big music composer, everything super large. But does it meet the expectations of the average viewer? No it goes not. Read on.  A decorated jawan locks horns with a criminal called Kaali, this is in 1986 ( the year movies like Aakhri Raasta released, just for reference). Kaali gets him eliminated and send the pregnant wife to jail. The baby born in jail grows up to become the hero (look alike of the father) and decides to avenge the misdeeds done to his innocent patriotic parents. Well, isn’t it a masaaledaar full on Bollywood- Tollywood drama subject ?  And then the director Atlee also borrows ideas and references from various retro movies, some idea from Sholay (1975) as the hero assembled a gang of jailed Qaidis in order to form a team to nab the villain, then there’s an entire episode borrowed from Dhartiputra (1993), and the basic theme is copy pasted ...
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Talaash (1992) revisited

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Talaash (1992) from Doordarshan Archives 

Directed by- Hrishikesh Mukherjee 

Cast- Alok Nath, Moushumi Chatterji, Goga Kapoor, Vijayendra Ghatge, Avtaar Gill, Rajendra Gupta, Pallavi Joshi, Sudhir Dalvi, Dina Pathak, Sushmita Mukherji, Nishigandha Wad, Chandrakant Gokhale, Haider Ali, Neelima Azim,& others. 

There was a time when prominent novellas and literature would be very aesthetically adapted into feature films, state plays and TV series. We still wonder “those were the days”? One such authentic adaptation is Talaash(1992) directed by the immensely loved Hrishikesh Mukherji, this was a Doordarshan serial based on the novel ‘Sonar Kathi Ruper Kathi’ by erstwhile novelist Ashutosh Mukherji. 

The simplicity & authenticity of the concept is what attracts the viewer to this beautifully directed serial, 26 episodes. The pace and treatment may appear boring and dated for millennials and wannabe ‘modern’ mafias. The director stays loyal to the novel to a great extent with very few creative changes. Having ‘spirituality’ as it’s soul the story is about a celebrated writer hunting for his friend who had gone mysteriously missing few years ago, lands him in a town where he tries to engage the various loose ends to solve the puzzle & complete his ‘Talaash’. There’s mystery, romance, humour & an intriguing plot to hold your interest. Music by Usha Khanna has a distinct Indian folk flavour(there’s a song in a teenage Sonu Nigam’s voice). 

Nath gets the best role as the protagonist & he almost underplays it, and impresses. Gupta, Gill, Kapoor get strong author backed roles & do complete justice. Chatterji sticks out as an odd ball with her Rosogolla accented Hindi. 

What strikes distinctly is the depiction of women characters, strong willed, feisty, fearless & unapologetic. For instance there’s an important scene where the vivacious Neelima Azim is seducing a man, she does that sporting a Shalwar with full
Sleeved kameez, mouthing her dialogues in pure Urdu, no obscenity, no skin show yet you as an audience fall prey to her charm. Remember this is early 90s! And today leading ladies on Indian tv have to turn into Nagins, Daayans, Makhkhis and still fail to seduce !!

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