Jawaan - Movie Review

What’s it about!

Smart but evil person Kesava (Prasanna) accepts an offer from foreign forces to steal the new missile being developed by India’s DRDO. When a guy approaches a stamp vendor (Kota) to make stamp of DRDO, their plan is leaked. Jai (Sai Dharam Tej), the stamp vendor’s disciple at RSS camp, now vows to crack the villain’s plan. He successfully, thwarts Kesava’s mission. Now Kesava, who also happens to be Jai’s childhood buddy, comes down to stay at Jai’s residence. Even as Kesava threatens Jai over the phone to kill all his family members, Jai isn’t aware that the villain is just beside him. How Jai will find that his friend is actually the villain? Cat and mouse game begin. 

Analysis
‘Jawaan’, director BVS Ravi’s second film after his debut ‘Wanted’, begins with hero’s introduction – an RSS karyakartha who wants to be scientist at DRDO. A hero being RSS candidate is novelty (this is first time that we are seeing such bold proclamation). Story setting in DRDO office is also another novelty.
 
After such interesting setup, the movie treads in regular way spoiling the initial mood. Perhaps to cater to the mass audiences and wider reach, the director then includes a romantic track, songs, and hero saving missile-carrying vehicle from not falling in enemies’ hands. Well, all these are typical mass-movie scenes. Such predictable scenes coupled with loud background music (even when there is no need of music, Thaman has put high decibel of sounds) have made us not to expect much further. But thankfully, director BVS Ravi catches the rhythm just before the interval and creates tense moments till the end.
 
From the interval, he has made the face-off between hero and villain so interesting. Although it reminds us last year’s “Dhruva” (Surender Reddy’s movie starring Ram Charan and Aravind Swamy), Ravi has created some nice episodes and has given his own touch here.
 
Prasanna sitting right in hero’s house, sending him various video footage of his family members to the mobile of Sai Dharam Tej to scare him is interesting side of villainy. The situation of sleeping with the enemy is explored well.
 
But these scenes workout as long as you believe the logic that DRDO (India’s premiere Defense Institute) has such low protection system and a high-ranking police officer (played by Naga Babu) takes orders from a scientist instead of covering the protection to DRDO missiles. If you don’t delve much into logics, the second half, much-like “Dhruva”, engages you.
 
After playing many mass-hero roles, Sai Dharam Tej has played a slightly different role.  He has carried the mood rightly till the end. Prasanna as the handsome villain is perfect. Mehreen is too-overweight, and doesn’t have much to do except for dull romantic scenes and songs. Veteran actor Kota is at his usual best in small role.
 
The film carries certain visual flair and mood. It is all due to K V Guhan’s camerawork. He has lent his terrific talent to elevate many simple sequences. Of the songs, “Bangarooo” is shot well and foot-tapping too. Songs are catchy but the background score is too loud. The film has just 132 minutes of runtime but it still is overlong. It needs to be trimmed.
 
As writer and director BVS Ravi has shown lot of growth compared to his first film “Wanted” (big flop). He has incorporated some interesting ideas here and has created right tension.
 
Bottom-line: ‘Jawaan’ is an okay action entertainer that completely relies on face-off between Sai Dharam Tej and Prasanna.  If not for 'Dhruva', 'Lie', 'Spyder', this movie would have been worked. But the novelty has worn off now. Though initial set up doesn’t impress, post-interval sequences hold interest luckily.