Intriguing court scenes and power-packed dialogues always elicit audience interest in theatres. And when the scenes are handled by a director and scriptwriter who know their craft, the movie gets an edge.
'Jana Gana Mana' directed by Dijo Jose Anthony and scripted by Sharis Mohammed, is a lofty experiment dissecting the conflict between truth and perception. Is truth always what it seems to be, does law have no place in matters of conscience and why does selective outcry happen in a society are questions that are explored in the movie. Power politics also form the crust of the film.
'Jana Gana Mana' with its mass dialogues and unexpected twists reminds us a lot of the times we live in. By touching on topics like casteism, anti-nationalism and infiltration of hooligans in college politics, the makers have tried to stay as realistic to the present day issues as possible.
Prithviraj, who always promises to deliver a brilliant performance in every film, is seen playing a different role in the movie. Though his dialogues have been well-written, only a few sides of his story are revealed in the movie. The rest may only be answered in the sequel which was announced by the makers last month.
Suraj Venjaramoodu plays Sajan Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Karnataka, who is deputed to solve the rape and killing of a strong and socially-responsible college professor, played by Mamta Mohandas, from the Central University in Ramanagara. Suraj, who had played a motor vehicle inspector in 'Driving License' which was his earlier collaboration with Prithviraj, shines as the determined police officer with different shades in 'Jana Gana Mana'.
Though there are several sub-plots in the movie, the makers have crafted the movie deftly without leaving loose ends. However, there is a lag at certain parts but this is compensated quickly with the twists and turns in the movie.
Vincy Aloshious as the fiery Gouri does justice to her role. Shari, who plays Sabha's mother, Azhagham Perumal who plays the home minister and Shammi Thilakan also play their part convincingly. The movie has the scope to be labeled as a pan-Indian film because the issue it explores is not limited to one state, but India as a whole. The movie characters speak in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English.
The shots have been brilliantly captured by Sandeep Elamon. Though there are very few songs in the movie, Jakes Bejoy has compensated it with some quality BGM. Sreejith Sarang is the editor of the film. 'Jana Gana Mana', Supriya Menon and Listen Stephen, is a delightful, must-watch movie with an intense portrayal of the present times.
