BOTTOM LINE
A Hard-Hitting And Compelling Drama
OUR RATING
3/5
Platform
Amazon Prime Video
What Is the Film About?
Jai Bhim is an emotional drama set in the backdrop of police brutality and court in mind-90’. It focuses on the bogus arrests and cases made on Schedules Tribes and other downtrodden people and pronouncing them as convicts.
The core story of Jai Bhim revolves around the family of Sinnathally and Rajanna. They are tribal people who traditionally catch snakes for a living. Rajanna, however, decides to educate his kids. The movie’s primary plot is what happens when he and his close relatives are wrongfully arrested in a robbery case.
Sinnathally approaches lawyer Chandru (Suriya), who is known for standing for truth. How he brings out the fact and justice to the wrongfully arrested is the overreaching theme of the film.
Performances
Suriya is terrific, as usual. He puts in a sincere and intense act with no commercial trapping. There are no fights, romantic duets, or comedy – it is a straight-up righteous man act done to perfection by the star. Heroism is all through the work and words and not through physicality. Even in the courtroom sequences, there is no high pitch drama or war or words. The big emotional moments, too, are toned down. In that sense, it is a unique effort from Suriya. But, purely as a performer, he has many more memorable roles.
Analysis
One film old Tha Se Gnanavel directs Jai Bhim. He has also previously written Payanam (Gaganam in Telugu) and Dhoni. Jai Bhim is reportedly based on actual incidents that happened in Tamil Nadu during the ’90s.
The tone of Jai Bhim and the basic premise is set perfectly in the opening few minutes outside the jail. It has all the makings of a gritty and raw affair. Well, Gnanvel doesn’t disappoint on that count.
The story then shifts focus to the key track involving Rajanna and Sennathalli. They are tribal people. Their world and the work they do, the treatment they get are neatly established. A song feels unnecessary and adds to the length, but it adds to the emotional appeal when the critical incident happens later.
Meanwhile, Suriya, as a lawyer, and the courtroom proceedings are cinematic. Still, the director dials down the drama to keep in tune with the opening raw and rustic theme.
Lawyer Chandru perfectly puts the tone of the movie in his words when he first speaks to Sinnathalli. Just stick to the facts and don’t go overboard. It is what the director tries his best to do, barring a few moments here and there where the emotions run extreme.
What works for Jai Bhim all the way is the screenplay. Despite so much brutality and heavy emotions, there is undercurrent lightness to it at the same time. It is like the Radha Mohan movie tone, whom the director previously worked with (in the capacity of a writer).
The smooth flow of the proceedings balancing the hard-hitting theme and courtroom drama is where the film shines. As said previously, the court scenes are cinematic, following a formula. If it were to take place continuously, the formulaic approach to the proceedings in the court would have been undeniable.
The way the courtroom drama and police investigation are mixed up in the narrative is neatly done. The timely revelations, too, add to the impact. However, one can’t help but feel the director intentionally holding crucial pieces without presenting them upfront. While it is the right thing to do, after all, there has to be suspense; some don’t work as well as planned.
The entire final stretch involving Rao Ramesh (where a forensic expert is called or the scenes before and after it) gets very cinematic. After all the build-up, his character fizzles out due to dumb mistakes. It could be taken from real incidents, but the way it’s presented feels rushed.
Despite these shortcomings in the courtroom setting, the central compelling emotional drama involving the tribal community holds the whole thing together. Sinnathalli makes the heart melt with her flight. And when she gets justice in the end, our heart fills with happiness.
Overall, Jai Bhim is a hard-hitting tale that is told with conviction and emotion. The perfect casting, compelling drama, and star presence add to the impact and help overcome minor short-giving. It is a good watch if you like realistic tales and are not turned off by brutal depiction.
Others?
Lijo Mol Jose disappears into the role of Sinnathalli. Her emotional performance is the solid anchor on which the entire film rests. She starts slowly but gets the best moments during the whole duration. The scenes at the police station, the breakdown before the lawyer, a woman with integrity when offered a compromise and finally the tears of joy at the end – Lijo nails all the different moments compellingly.
Rao Ramesh makes his Tamil debut with Jai Bhim. He is good as long as his character has something to chew. Prakash Raj is alright playing a righteous highlight police official. Jayaprakash is adequate. After Lijo Mol Jose, it is the three police officers and the accused gang who shine. They all do justice to their parts. The rest of the cast plays bits and pieces roles, and they do the required with ease.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Sean Roldan is alright. However, when it comes to the background score, he delivers. It gets better as we progress towards the end. The cinematography by SR Kathir is superb. The raw and rustic police sequences are neatly blended to the rest without too much inconsistency in the tone. The editing is fine overall. However, some parts could be trimmed to make the narrative crispier. The writing, also by Gnanavel, is good. It is a vital factor in engaging proceedings.
Highlights?
Screenplay
Casting
Story
Compelling Drama
Drawbacks?
Length
A Few Cinematic Portions
Formulaic Bits During Courtroom Drama
Alternative Take
Apart from trimming and some balance in arguments in court, Jai Bhim doesn’t need much of a different take.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Jai Bhim Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
