Janaki Jaane
Introduction
It is still a Tuesday but we do have a midweek OTT release! With that, I finished watching the new Malayalam film Janaki Jaane that made its way to the OTT platform Hotstar after its prior theatrical run. One of the best Malayalam films that I have watched this year was the film 2018 but post that things have been a little quiet for the Malayalam film industry. While their content continues to be head and shoulders above the content from other film industries, their own high standards haven’t quite been breached, like was the case with every other film. Yet, my love for Malayalam films hasn’t receded one bit as they have been trying out so many different subgenres. But off late, one such sub-genre has been explored is the feel good genre which is often combined with say a romantic genre or even with bouts of religion. The film Janaki Jaane did exude similar vibes, does it manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Janaki Jaane follows the story of a woman suffering from a panic disorder whose life changes after her marriage. Will she overcome her fear? The story here has a breezy little vibe that definitely does keep things light and frothy. There are conflicts along the way but the story doesn’t get too melodramatic. The screenplay standing at a shade above 2 hours does form some warm moments that will put a smile on your face in a feel good kind of a drama with shades of self discovery.
The drama does open with the introduction of the protagonist who is always afraid of the dark or even being alone(in a scene she is scared to walk to her house alone during the day). The writers give you feelers about a certain trauma which is cleverly injected in the screenplay through background voices. Soon, she meets her to-be better half, a very caring and considerate man who does plan to marry her. While they eventually do, there is an interesting subplot about a political rivalry taking place in the vicinity. This did seem to be unrelated to the main plot and I was keen to know on how these two plot points comes together. And they do in the form of an interesting conflict.
The proceedings are engaging and float at a leisurely pace, a trait that I absolutely love in Malayalam films that allow the world building and character development to take center stage. This is often half the battle won as the viewers are invested in the journey of the characters. And the writing here is no different by taking a unique route with respect to the conflict that kicks in a chain of events that leads to a change in setting for the couple. A beautiful second hour ensues that have plenty of heartwarming moments. In between the humour does also put a smile on your face which is symbolic of how breezy the screenplay is.
My one complaint about the writing was that it did focus a little less on the self discovery path in the second hour, all of which comprise of just three to four scenes. These were the heart of the film and ideally I would have wished that part to be a little more fleshed out particularly when the setting was beautiful. It kind of felt a little too rushed for my liking. This is not to say that the drama is bad, it is still beautiful and culminates into a nice little journey of self discovery while facing your demons. Overall, the writing here is impressive and it would have elevated the film even further with a slightly more fleshed out second hour.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are well intentioned and make for a great viewing even with the conversations that unfold between the characters. The music is good but slightly off tuned and that didn’t quite make the emotions land. The BGM is subtle and effective in most parts. The cinematography once again captures the area beautifully with some wonderful frames. The editing is quite smooth. The costumes also add value to the characters. Director Aniesh Upaasana does a wonderful job with the proceedings by opting for a lesser treaded path. And I quite liked his control to the proceedings by not allowing the drama to get overdramatic while keeping its frothy consistency intact!
Performances
The performances are quite good by the ensemble cast. Johny Antony is quite endearing in his character. Vidhya Vijaykumar as Treesa has her moments to shine. Sharafudheen and Anarkali Marikar are brilliant in their respective roles that infuse the much needed warmth to the proceedings. George Kora is assertive in his character with a nice little presence onscreen. Kottayam Nazeer is quite good as well. Saiju Kurup as Unni is simply fabulous to watch, a quitely charming character who is so caring and supportive. He is simply excellent here. Navya Nair as Janaki is brilliant in showcasing her vulnerability which might come across as humourous but it was quite traumatic from her point of view. She brings restraint to her character in a very dignified performance.
Conclusion
Janaki Jaane is a sweet little film about anxiety with dollops of positivity that makes for a pleasant watch. Available on Hotstar.