Film Review - Jai Ho

It's All Jai Ho Hum

Film: Jai Ho
Cast: Salman Khan, Daisy Shah, Tabu
Directed by: Sohail Khan
Duration: 2 hrs 25 mins
Rating: * 1 /2

For fans of Salman Khan, it doesn’t matter if the review accords the film one or five stars, bhai’s films are critic proof. But for all those who care about cinema and sanity, get this straight – this is the worst Salman film in years (yes that includes Veer and Main aurr Mrs. Khanna) simple because the film maker (in this case his brother Sohail Khan) takes the audience for granted and dishes out a film that looks older than an Egyptian mummy on just about every count. Officially, the film is a remake of Chiranjeevi’s Stalin (2006) which in turn was inspired by Kevin Spacey’s Pay it Forward (2000)

If you must know the story, the superstar plays the latest flavor of the season, a common man. This common man has extremely uncommon powers though; he can beat up goons dime by the dozen without even so much getting a scratch. Maybe that Revital thing that he endorses, works after all. You’ve seen people kick start a scooter but bhai can even start an ambulance with a kick.

He is a good Samaritan helping people, including an amputee (Genelia Deshmukh) who needs help to write her college exams (the actress is only 27 years old and her character is that of a ‘bright’ student). When he was in the army, he also saved a bunch of children from terrorists and for not obeying orders he was dismissed.

For the life in me I can’t figure why and what was Tabu doing in the film. She plays the common man’s sister and when some good try to put a hand on her izzat he beats them to pulp.

Among other skills, he can also scare his opponents by roaring like a tiger, after all,  Ek tha you know what. Since a heroine is necessary for some song and dance routine, we have Daisy Shah to fulfill that quotient and since it is a Salman Khan film, actors need acting skills like a fish needs a Harley Davidson. 

The ‘humor’ comes mostly from jokes about the heroines pink underwear and other oddities include a kidney that gets damaged when a woman gets run over by vehicle and needs replacement (all other parts of the anatomy remain intact). But then who cares of logic or common sense.

There are plenty of actors here to remind you that they are still around – Mohnish Behl, Aditya Pancholi, Ashmit Patel, Mahesh Thakur, Mahesh Manjrekar, Nauheed Cyrusi, Tulip Joshi, Vatsal Seth and even good old Danny Denzongpa. If that is not enough, Suniel Shetty also pops up on an army tank. Enough endured.

Oh just one more thing, Salman also takes off his shirt and you could go to Mars and come back by the time the last fight can get over.

With such a hackneyed plot and antiquated plot there is nothing much you can do except grin and bear it in your seat. Technically, the films of the 80’s were much superior and as far as the music goes, it is pretty much like kids banging pots and pans.

The film exhorts the values of helping other people but it is repeated till the cows come home. Here’s my humble way of helping others- avoid this film and save your money. And please spread the word. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 26th Jan 2014

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