Title : Jana Mana Gana / 2022
Director : Dijo Jose Antony
Language : Malayalam
Genre : Legal Thriller
Written by : Eswandy
Jana Mana Gana is a 2022 Indian Malayalam legal thriller film. The title itself is taken from the actual name for the national anthem of the Republic of India. Following the latest trend in Indian cinema nowadays, Jana Gana Mana is a 2 part film where the sequel or the second part of the film has already been confirmed by the film studio even before the first part was released in cinema. The film builds a premise with characters in a university where it centres around the tragic death of a female lecturer named Saba that eventually creates conflict in the storyline that has shook the whole Nation. Jana Mana Gana delivers a courtroom drama in which a police officer’s morals and conduct are called into question to bring another tale to light, which leads to an unexpected finale and a hero emerging from the shadows. In the midst of the rape crimes reported and gender equality in education problems that can been seen increasing in India lately, the director, Antony, tries to tackle the root of the problems by using social commentary in his films to condemn the crimes that are still happening in India.
I truly enjoy watching this film. Especially right after the interval scene which delivers a lot of surprises. At this moment, the audience has to pay attention to the narrative of the story that is presented in a non-linear style to understand the plot of the film as a whole. But no worries, this is not a Nolan film where you have to dive into every layer of the story just to understand what is going on. Jana Mana Gana on the other hand has cleverly arranged the storyline that is packed with a lot of punches but yet easy to understand. The emotional play in this film is really effective. The actors play their roles brilliantly and for me this is the strength of Indian cinema. They know how to deliver emotions naturally without the act of exaggerating or trying too hard. This is probably due to the sense of realism that they practise in their films especially in those films that comes from Malayalam which frequently focuses on the harsh realities of life in their part of India.
With that being said, Jana Gana Mana is another good thriller film from Malayalam. For those who are not familiar with the Indian film industry or probably their knowledge is still stuck with Bollywood typical singing and dancing stereotypes, you should give Malayalam films a try. There are many hidden gems that you will probably like. By the way, please catch Jana Gana Mana on Netflix. Happy hunting, and watching!
*This article is written based on the reflection of the writer’s own personal view and expression towards the subject matter.
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