PremiumJaat review: Sunny Deol fights for a ‘sorry’ in violent film that should say one first
Sunny Deol’s Jaat is a violent Ramayana retelling where “sorry” becomes a running gag. Despite strong performances, the film’s excesses leave viewers craving an apology instead.
Last Updated: 04.37 PM, Apr 10, 2025
Jaat story:
Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district is home to the little seaside town of Ramayapatnam, where the vicious criminal Varadaraja Ranatunga (Randeep Hooda) instills fear in the people. As a stranger on the road, Bhaskar Singh (Sunny Deol) meets with his troops and learns of the villagers' plight. He decides to do something about the pervasive corruption and danger in the town. With the truth and justice in his possession, he prepares to confront Ranatunga and his forces.
Jaat review:
Indian movies have mercilessly redefined violence in recent times. The days of watching Game of Thrones and its brutal violence towards men, women, children, and animals are long gone, and we no longer believe anything can surpass it. When we consider aligning the content standards of movies with international or even domestic ones, the script no longer plays a significant role; instead, violence has emerged as the dominant factor.
Jaat is another film where the hero and the villain exhibit such gruesome violence that it's difficult to determine who is more merciless. Of course, the hero responds to the villain's actions with equal severity, indicating that the antagonist is indeed at fault.
The film begins in 2009, when a smuggler named Ranatunga, a Lankan resident, steals gold bricks and reaches Andhra Pradesh, where he bribes a cop and becomes an Indian resident in no time. 15 years later, we see that Ranatunga, along with his wife Bharathi (Regina Cassandra) and his brother Somulu (Vineet Kumar Singh), have terrorised the village they are living in; the answer to even looking into their eyes is beheading.
The heinous act is shown so unapologetically that I wonder why they would blur the faces after the beheading takes place. Isn't the act disturbing enough? Every other scene shows men being beheaded, women being stripped, and children being traumatised. The sequence goes on for half an hour, amid which a female cop, SI Vijaya Lakshmi (Saiyami Kher), dares to take charge and fight against Ranatunga and ends up getting stripped and abducted by his family.
We just feel that, yes, the Saviour is about to make an entry, and we would wonder how! Indeed, it's not a violent entrance, but it certainly marks the beginning of that. Deol makes his way into the frame with a backdrop of images of Lord Ram and the screaming of "Jai Shri Ram" throughout. Then we see him boarding the Ayodhya Express.
Oh well! The hero enters the presence of Lord Ram devotees, prepared to battle the Lankan villain living in India. Have we heard this story before? Indeed, we are witnessing yet another modern-day adaptation of Ramayana that displays no inhibitions.
Every year, we see a Ramayana adaptation on screen. Will we continue to tolerate it and accept the underlying agenda?
But the first half is all about getting a "sorry" because the soft-hearted Jaat was eating idlis at a secluded dhaba in Andhra Pradesh. Well, he asks for Dal Roti first (guts)! However, while relishing the piping hot idlis, a few gundas enter the dhaba, and one of them pushes Deol, causing the idlis to fall. He seeks forgiveness, and the goons clarify that in this area, apologies hold no value. Thus, to get an apology, he bashes them left, right, and centre. This strategy leads him to several connections while finally coming face-to-face with Ranatunga.
The idli story is repeated throughout that I can even say it now, but that was the intent. The "sorry" is the basic premise of the film and the more times Deol seeks sorry from the villains, the more I think he owes the viewers an apology for making us go through this messy experience in the name of mayhem.
The film brings obnoxious plot twists in the second half, which you do have to see coming, given the political climate we are living in. We learn the hero's and villain's backstories, only to see that the violence was totally unnecessary. No, it didn't make up for a massy entertainer where you showed that chopping off people is like doing your favourite hobby as a stress buster.
Jaat is directed by Gopichand Malineni, the Telugu filmmaker who makes his Bollywood debut. Indeed, the film's treatment is distinctly Telugu, and throughout, I couldn't help but feel as though I was watching a dubbed version of a Telugu film.
I have no complaints about the performances; Hooda's (who was last seen in Swatantrya Veer Savarkar) villainous act is eye-catching and terrifying. It's been a long time since I last saw the actor in this role. He is equally joined by Singh, who leaves an impressive mark as someone who matches the menacing brother who has no mercy, even on his face. On the other hand, Regina Cassandra took me by surprise. I think after playing a negative role in Vidaamuyarchi, which was released this year, the actor continued her streak, and it's a scary act where she has no remorse, just like her family.
Meanwhile, Deol headlines the film as usual, but the actor's stature, age, and calibre have proven that he has not taken this job for granted. If his fans expect him to deliver mass-level entertainment, they will undoubtedly enjoy it.
However, the creation of a template featuring a ruthless villain and a hero who merely employs his "Dhai Kilo" to deliver a powerful punch is futile; the 80s era can only be repurposed, not revitalised. Indeed, Deol honours himself by mimicking his iconic dialogue, from Damini to Ghayal.
Thaman S. composed the film's soundtrack, which appears to be a reworking of Baby John, a fact he attempted to conceal. Perhaps he believed that no one would notice!
If sorry really is the soul of this saga, then Jaat owes its viewers a thousand apologies served piping hot.
Jaat verdict:
Jaat tries to pack a "Dhai Kilo" punch but lands more cringes than cheers. It's a Ramayana retelling where the audience is left digesting a violent mess in the name of mass.