Jehanabad: Of Love and War review: Ritwik Bhowmik-Parambrata's series starts slow but comes together beautifully

3.5/5

Story:

Deepak bhaiya, a main member of the naxals, is imprisoned. His team puts in everything to get him out of jail. Will things fall into place?

Review:

Jehanabad commences with a wedding scene. Knowing the premise, you are sure there is a lot more to what meets the eye. The decoration and lighting is just a facade, a cover for what is about to come.

Harshita Gaur as a bride looks quite stunning. Her character Kasturi takes time to develop but once it does, there's no going back.

Harshita gets to live the dream of an actor through her role. She does action like a male lover, for her passion.

Ritwik Bhowmik has a complete look change as he turns a groom, Abhimanyu Singh/Ajay. Of course, this one is a constant when it comes to acting well.

As we told you before, the wedding was just a cover up for the dark story that follows. The build-up for this one is fair but works pretty well nonetheless.

Their chemistry is pretty cool. The two are the only ones who have each other's backs. Once you get over the cringe factor, the way their bond develops will warm your heart.

Parambrata Chattopadhyay's entry as Deepak bhaiya is powerful even before his entry. Of course, the entry is just as impactful.

His psychotic side comes alive. Unfortunately though, music does not aid his actions but rather dramatizes it. The same goes for the camera work which end with the face when the facial expressions don't even change.

It is commendable how this actor makes you believe his character. Parambrata even gets the accent correct.

One of the characters describes him as the Amitabh Bachchan of Jehanabad prison. It is actually apt since he is not only the angry young man but is also the voice of the common man and is pretty looked up to, at least among his gang.

Satyadeep Mishra is a pleasant surprise on the show. He fits in the role like hand-in-a-glove. His character is one of the most powerful on the show.

Rajat Kapoor is finally revealed in the role of Shiba Babu. Even though just a side character initially, he comes as the central lead eventually. His influence though, is clear from the very first scene, even before he enters the show.

The politics on this show gets darker and darker. It is about the government vs the naxals but entangled in one another's lives.

The story of Jehanabad is not such that it intrigues you instantly. If you give it time, the show tends to grow on you, even if you cannot understand it completely.

The hook missing throughout is revealed in episode 6. That is where the show turns and you constantly wonder what next.

The story still goes slower but does leave you wondering what next. Two characters on the show are constantly in doubt with themselves and one another.

The story treads on the lines of very real issues like casteism. The naxals fight in the show is explained but not very clearly. Only if you join the dots, can you understand what is happening and why.

The camera angles on this show work against it. Rather than making a scene impactful, it appears dramatized. The added music doesn't help the cause either.

Everything is just introduced till the last episode plays. In this episode, everything comes together and the suspense is almost never-ending.

How the first scene comes together in the last episode is beautiful. There's so much happening in the facade of the wedding and while you see it coming, you didn't know it would come together the way it does.

There's an Ishaqzaade moment on the show. Some of the most iconic scenes from 3 Idiots and Ishaqzaade come together in a way you probably never imagined.

Ritwik's angst in the last scene should be justified but is only to an extent. The way that scene comes to an end though is pure cinematic brilliance.

There's a twist on the show, one that will leave you confused. It is also a major hint for the next season of this series.

Verdict:

This Rajeev Barnwal and Satyanshu Singh directorial builds at a very slow pace. Many things happen and every episode brings out something new. It is only in the last episode that everything falls into place. These two have managed to keep the suspense alive from episode 6. Everything before that is just a buildup to the main premise, like in books. Some characters like Parambrata, Satyadeep and Rajat Kapoor definitely leave an impact on you in the first half. They make the ride worthwhile, at least in the first half.