Jaat Review

Jaat throws every popular sentiment into one pot and keeps it boiling with the hope that it will become a full-blown potboiler. It has the Army, terrorists, the LTTE, the Ramayana, smugglers, corrupt politicians, bad cops, oppressors and the oppressed, national security issues, nationalism, and even a superhero with a dhai-kilo ka haath. And they don't mix very well.

In the remote coastal village of Ramayapatnam in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district, a ruthless criminal Varadaraja Ranatunga (Randeep Hooda) terrorises the locals. He runs a parallel system where the police, politicians and local criminals all obey him. One day, a traveller (Sunny Deol) has a run-in with Ranatunga's men and learns about the villagers' suffering. Seeing the corruption and fear that grip the village, he prepares to confront Ranatunga and his gang.

Sunny Deol's Gadar was a massive hit. Decades later, he leaned on that nostalgia to deliver Gadar 2. And now it seems he's riding on the momentum of Gadar 2 to bring us Jaat. All three films follow a similar rescue-mission template, but with each installment storytelling takes more of a backseat while the over-the-top antics ramp up. And this time those often result in nothing more than a goose egg.

The script of the movie is riddled with holes. Some of these gaps seem intentional, as the plot is sacrificed to boost the film's promotional appeal. For instance, the trailer was released on Rama Navami and featured a portion of the song Oh Rama Sri Rama. In the song, people are shown in a euphoric state, hailing Lord Rama and singing with devotion, while the villain Ranatunga, a Sri Lankan, is portrayed as a worshipper of Ravana.

However, when you watch the film, it becomes obvious that the song was force-fitted into the narrative coinciding with the festive occasion. What's more puzzling is that no one seems to have vetted the script, especially regarding the portrayal of Sri Lankans worshipping Ravana. A friend of mine who holds a master's degree in tourism and has frequently visited Sri Lanka told me that most Sri Lankans are unaware of the Ramayana mythology, let alone worship Ravana. The Ramayana-themed relics you see there are primarily for attracting Indian tourists.

Next in the line of holes is character establishment - or the lack of it. By the time the movie ends, you're still left wondering who Ranatunga really is and why he's doing what he's doing. At first, he's shown as a daily wage labourer. Then he's suddenly an LTTE commander, later a powerful gangster with muscle and money, and finally, an international smuggler plotting to mine thorium from the Andhra coast and export it abroad.

Sunny Deol's character is even more confusing. His motives and actions remain unclear throughout. His name - Brigadier Balbir Pratap Singh - is only revealed in the final scene, leaving you puzzled the entire time about who he is and why he's involved.

The only mildly amusing parts are the introductions of each of the characters. Every character (except that of Sunny) is given a quirky mannerism and a distinct personality, which makes the first few minutes interesting. But that charm quickly wears off.

Sunny does what he's known for - delivering dhai-kilo ka haath dialogues, and smashing bones and furniture. At 67, he still tries to channel the energy of Arjun, Ghayal and Ghatak. But age is not just a number - it shows, especially in the stunt scenes.

Among the entire cast, Regina Cassandra as Bharathi Ranatunga is the real standout. She shifts shades like a chameleon - her transformation from a calm, composed presence to a fiery lady don is truly striking. Just when you're about to doze off, she jolts you awake with her performance.

Except for Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda, Vinit Singh and Anupam Kher, the cast is almost entirely from the South. And the way they interact creates an odd mash-up - like chhole bhature wali masala dosa.

The film doesn't hold up technically either. There are a dozen beheadings and countless action scenes, but the splatter resembles gutka spits more than gore. And let's not even get started on the songs and dances.

Yes, you've got better things to do than watch Jaat.