Jai Simha Movie Review

Movie Review: Jai Simha          2.75/5

 

12 Jan 2018

 2 hrs 45 mins | Drama | Action

CAST

Balakrishna, Nayanatara, Hari Priya, Natasha, Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam, Asutosh Rana and others

Director - KS Ravi Kumar
Producer - C Kalyan
Banner - CK Entertainments Pvt. Ltd.
Music - Chirantan Bhatt

STORY: 

Narasimha (Jai Simha) is a man on the run with his one-year-old son. He reaches Kumbakonam and stays at the house of the village temple's dharma karta's house. But while there, he bumps into Gowri (Nayantara) who seems to dislike him for some reason, despite being his childhood friend. A death row inmate Rami Reddy (Ashutosh Rana) also seems to hold a grudge against Narasimha. Who is Narasimha and what did he do to make so many enemies?

Performances:

Balakrishna appears in two different getups yet again. He is at his ferocious best in action scenes. His performance in the Brahmin episode stands out. His energetic dances in Amma Kutty will impress fans. Nayantara played an emotional character and she is fine with her character's limitations.

Hari Priya and Natasha characters are badly written. Prakash Raj got a very passive role and Brahmanandam's comedy is so boring and stale. Prabhakar and Ashutosh Rana as the bad guys are very loud.

Technicalities:

KS Ravi Kumar's screenplay and execution make it feel like we are watching a twenty-year-old film. He follows the old school techniques to elevate the drama and that doesn't appeal to the tastes of current generation audience. His direction in the first half is passable, but the second half puts the patience to test.

Chirantan Bhatt's background score is very loud. Only Amma Kutty song is catchy. Dialogues by Ratnam lacked spice. Cinematography has nothing to rave about. Editing could have been crisp. Production values are just okay as the film is made with a moderate budget.

Thumbs Up:

Balakrishna

Amma Kutty song

A couple of scenes

Thumbs Down:

Story and Screenplay

Dated Direction

Boring Second half

Review:

One would expect a roaring and powerful mass entertainer with 'Simha' in the title, but all Jai Simha offers is a tear-jerking melodrama where the protagonist keeps on sacrificing everything for his love. There are a few elements to please fans and B and C centers audience, which should help the film to sustain until the festival period is over.

Ratnam came up with an eighties setup and characterizations and Ravikumar's old-fashioned execution made it even worse. It starts off with a typical Balakrishna's film as the protagonist keeps on suppressing his anger. We expect Samarasimha Reddy kind of backstory for him, but in the flashback, there is a love story that is stretched too far between Balakrishna and Nayanatara.

There is a villain and action part too, it is however restricted to few scenes as the director focuses too much on the 'sacrifice' part. None of the episodes between Balakrishna and Nayanatara has that emotional connection and Haripriya's scenes are straight out boring. There is a comedy track on Brahmanandam which is a rehash of Vadivelu's track from Chandramukhi. It will leave you disgusted to see the ace comedian desperately trying to make the stale comedy work.

The first half is passable to an extent with a lengthy episode on Brahmins and the pre-interval sequences. The second half is a total let-down with a series of cringe-worthy scenes. The director focuses too much on the sacrifice part in the climax, but it doesn't make any impact due to poorly etched characters and badly executed emotions. On a whole, Jai Simha is a disappointing film from the veteran superstar that may appeal to his diehard fans and the B and C centers audience. Moderate costs and festival period should help it on the commercial front.

Final Verdict: Sentiment Simham