Release date : August 17, 2018
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Jyothika, G. V. Prakash Kumar
Director : Bala Pazhanisaamy
Producers : Rockline Venkatesh
Music Director : Ilaiyaraaja
Editor : Sathish Suriya
Director Bala’s Nacchiyar has been in the news since the time of its release as Jyothika was seen as a police officer for the first time in her career. The film has now been dubbed in Telugu as Jhansi and has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.
Story :
Jhansi(Jyothika) who is an assistant commissioner of police is all set to leave for her much-need vacation. She comes to the office to submit her leave letter to her higher officials. At the same time, a minor roadside worker called Gaali Raju(GV Prakash) is brought to the station for a raping and impregnating a minor girl. When Jyothika starts investigating the case both the minors say that they are going to become parents with each other’s consent. Why is Gaali Raju being framed in the rape case? Who is behind all this? and how does Jhansi investigate the proceedings? That forms the rest of the story.
Plus Points:
The premise of the film is interesting as the suspense drama is weaved around the love story of two minors. G V Prakash leads from the front and he is good as the roadside worker Gaali Raju. Be it his makeup or his rustic performance, GV Prakash has done an impressive job.
Coming to Jyothika, she has a tailor-made role in the film. She as the investigative cop does to the best of her capabilities. Debutante Ivana is a perfect fit as the minor mother. Her performance has depth and Ivana’s expressions are pretty good in the first half where a unique love story is showcased.
The way the suspense is slowly developed in the first half is good. Some scenes are realistic in true Bala style and showcase the mass effect in a hard-hitting manner.
Minus Points:
The second half of the film is where things go for a toss. What could have been a very interesting suspense drama is spoilt by some uneven narration. The dots are not connected properly and most of the pre-climax go for a toss.
Jyotika’s character is quite rude in the film but the Telugu dubbing makes it even more over the top and this can irritate you at places. The investigative scenes are very normal and could have been a bit thrilling so that the audience would get connected more in the later part.
As the theme of the film is dark, certain Tollywood audience who expect basic entertainment will surely be disappointed. Also, there is a lot of Tamil flavor in the film which might not go well with many.
Technical Aspects:
Background music by Ilayaraja is not up to the mark as scenes in crucial areas are not elevated well. Production values of the film are top notch as the mass setup is shown quite realistically by the cameraman. Dialogues are decent but the dubbing is a bit loud for Jyothika. Editing is perfect as the film has a very short length.
Coming to the director Bala, he has done a half-hearted job with the film. His story idea is good and he sets up the suspense decently until the first half and manages to extract good performances from the lead pair.
But he loses track in the second half as his narration has many flaws. The story is confusing and proper justification is not given to the actual twist in the plot.
Verdict:
On the whole, Jhansi is a suspense drama which works only in parts. The lead actors performance, realistic emotions in the love story work well in the first half. But it is the second half which has insipid and confusing narration bringing the film down in the end. This film has a dark theme and is not the regular dance and action film. So, all those who like serious dramas and are okay with the heavy Tamil flavor can try this film out. But the rest can opt for something else this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team