OTT Movie Review: Johar – Emotional Rollercoaster.!

Johar, starring Naina Ganguly, Chaitanya Krishna, Eshwari Rao, and Subhaleka Sudhakar in prominent roles was released on digital streaming platform, ‘Aha’ today. The film marks the directorial debut of Teja Marni. Let us see what the film has in store for the viewers.

Story:

The lives of an aspiring sprinter Bala(Naina Ganguly), students rights leader Bose(Subhaleka Sudhakar), a depressed mother Gangamma(Eshwari Rao), and a prostitute Jyothi ( Esther Anil) take unforeseen turns after the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Vijay Varma(Chaitanya Krishna) decides to erect a huge statue of his father. How does the chief minister’s decision affect their lives? What are its consequences and how does it impact the state? You might have to watch the film to know the answers.

How about on-screen performances?

The casting for this film is absolutely spot on. The actors fit their respective roles perfectly and they shoulder the film effectively. Of all the characters, Eshwari Rao bags the meatier one and she delivers big time. The mother-daughter episodes leave the viewers teary eyed and the emotional connect is pretty strong. Subhaleka Sudhakar, Esther Anil, and Chaitanya Krishna deliver subtle performances. Naina Ganguly, who was mostly seen in glamorous roles gets an author-backed character and she grabs hold of the opportunity.

How about off-screen talents?

The film is backed by an excellent technical team and their good work provides the impetus for this social drama. Dialogues by Ram Vamsi Krishna are of top quality. He deserves to be applauded for penning hard-hitting dialogues that perfectly portray the theme of the proceedings. Also, music and cinematography are exquisite. Priyadardhan’s background score is scintillating and it carries the mood very well. Gandhi’s art work is neat.

Sandeep Marni picks a story which has a great premise. It deals with the greedy and selfish nature of current-day politicians and the way in which it affects the lives of commoners. The film stays true to its theme and never goes off track, thanks to the conviction of the debut director Sandeep. The first half is smooth and fast-paced but predictable sequences in the second half dampen the mood to an extent. But the climax is appealing and it evokes interest. The CGI shots which were used to showcase the huge statue in the film look very authentic. The film is technically sleek.

What’s hot?

Performances of the lead cast
Emotional connect
Dialogues
Basic story
Music and Cinematography
First half and climax

What’s not?
Predictable second half
Screenplay
Lack of entertaining elements

Verdict?

The film highlights the greedy and self-centred nature of politicians and its effect on commoners. The film has excellent performances from the lead cast and some excelptional work by the technical team. However, predictability plays spoilsport in the second half and also, the film lacks entertaining elements which are expected by a regular movie-goer. That said, the film rides high on emotions and leaves the viewer moist eyed, all thanks to the strong plot.

Watch or not?

Those who love concept-based films can watch it and commercial cinema lovers can give it a skip.