Jazbaa review : Too much screaming, too little consequence

Ameet Bhuvan

Someone told aishwarya rai during her hiatus that hardcore acting involved screaming her lungs out. And looking weird with glycerine laden eyes. So all through jazbaa, all she does is the two. Then there is her running for no reason, literally. If one is able to get over this aspect of the official remake of Seven Days, Jazbaa is a mediocre thriller that does not kill you.

Anuradha is a lawyer whose daughter has been kidnapped by a goon who wants her to defend a rapist in court. Shabana azmi , whose daughter is the rape victim , and irrfan Khan , playing a cop , are the other two principal characters pitted against and with anuradha as she finds her way to her daughter back.

Director sanjay sticks to the originals pacing and theme pretty much, keeping the twists and turns coming in quick. What undoes the film though is his added touch : a weird stylization that worked a bit in kante but is too stale for today. Melodrama beyond imagination and serious b-grade territory punch lines , most of them mouthed by irrfan, take away from any seriousness or gravitas the situations and characters have in the film. Leaving one to concentrate on the utterly facile characterization on display.

While irrfan seemingly is having fun with his role and shabana hams her eyes out, aishwarya rai , who is the centre of this enterprise , is way out of sync with times.

She clearly believes Bollywood is what she left behind five years ago along with the director she creates a piece of work that might have worked in the early two thousands. As of today the film its pitch and the staging is dated and tired. She clearly needs to choose better and wiser.

Rating : 2/5