‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’: Cast & Crew
Director: Srijit Mukherji
Cast: Regina Cassandra, Barun Sobti, Sumeet Vyas, Mita Vashisht, Chandan Roy, Gayathrie
Available On: Zee5
Duration: 8 Episodes, 25-50 Minutes Each
‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’: Story
The story revolves around an IPS officer, Kavya Iyer (Regina Cassandra) braving odds as she leads an investigation into a bomb attack all over India. Will she be able to get to the bottom of the case before the terrorists blast the bombs? Or will she get suspended in the process and fail in her mission completely? Well, you’ll have to watch the show to find out.
‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’: Performances
Regina Cassandra is the pick of the lot as she carries the entire story on her shoulders. Considering that she comes from the southern film industry, her Hindi dialect is spot on. Baring aside a few scenes she is absolutely perfect when it comes to speaking Hindi dialogues. It’s the charisma and the power with which she pulls off the character that makes you believe that there must be so many women officers in the police force who exude similar bravery in the line of duty.
Till the 7th episode, you will be feeling why did Sumeet Vyas say yes to this considering he is barely there. However, in the last episode, he has an entire interrogation scene which will give you your money’s worth. Vyas is fantastic in that scene. He has deleted all your preconceived notions about such interrogation scenes, and he has presented something which is so quirky, and effective and makes you want to root for his character a bit. Brilliant execution by Vyas.
Chandan Roy comes up with another flawless performance. His Hindi dialect is as nonchalant as his calm and relaxed acting. He makes the character, which is technically so intense, look so casual and comfy. As good as he was in ‘Panchayat’s both seasons, he just holds onto a similar performance and makes you want to see more and more of him.
The rest of the characters have minimal screen time but have done decently. However, there is hardly any stand-out moment.
‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects
Shanu Singh Rajput’s cinematography is the best thing about this show. Hardly has any Indian film or show showcased Meghalaya so beautifully. The initial 3-4 episodes are so well shot that you would fall in love with those misty lanes and hilly roads of Meghalaya. Then, as if to show you a striking contrast, the next set-up is in the heat of Jaipur. So, from a green palette, you’re transported to a totally sunny palette for the next few episodes. He ends the show on a high note by showing the countryside of Kerala filled with chases in and around the famous backwaters. He has brilliantly used the overhead drone shots to show the chase sequences, which makes you feel like you’re standing right next to the cops. Masterstroke!
Srijit Mukherji’s direction is another high point of the show. In such patriotic storylines, you’re sure what’s going to happen at the end, but the way Mukherji has executed the show is what shows his brilliance. Usually, such shows have one terrorist attack which the authorities are trying to stop, and in the end, they’re able to do that. However, Mukherji has not shied away from showing multiple attacks and has not shown that the cops always end up saving the day. There are days when they miss and there are days when they end up nabbing the criminal. That’s a much more realistic way to portray the expectations of cops. Also, he has shown a side of how a female cop manages her family as well as do her job, and neither one gets compromised.
Where the show slightly lacks is the writing by Neeraj Udhwani and Ashish P Verma. The writing is predictable throughout and you know what’s going to happen next. There are very few unheard-of twists that come up. To add to that Akhilesh Jaiswal’s dialogues are too average. Usually, such patriotic thrillers have the characters dole out some of the choicest one-liners. Sadly, that’s not the case in ‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’.
The editing by Satya Sharma and Sumant Sharma is patchy. Generally, in web series, the episodes are somewhat similarly timed. However, in ‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’, some episodes went up to 50 minutes while some were around 25 minutes. There could have been some cuts and repositioning done in order to make all the episodes around 35-40 minutes each. Also, the montage shots in the opening credits are too much of a giveaway of what’s going to come in the show. For example, you don’t want to know in the very first episode whether or not the terrorist will get caught, but in the montage opening credits, you do see a shot of the interrogation scene, which leads you to think that the terrorists will get caught at some point. The montage shots shouldn’t have been such a killjoy.
The background score by Roshin Balu could have been better. It doesn’t bring in that josh of patriotism at times when it's actually needed for the scene. To add to that, the opening track ‘Fateh’ doesn’t suit Arko’s voice at all. Arko is a great singer no doubt, but for this song, his voice was a bit too heavy and didn’t elicit the emotions that needed to be dissipated to the audience through the opening song.
Lastly, the naming of the show is inappropriate. No one says ‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’. It should be ‘Hindustan Ke Jaanbaaz’ or simply ‘Jaanbaaz’.
‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’: Can Kids Watch It?
Yes
Outlook’s Verdict
‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’ is an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The characters are so well portrayed that they feel like they’ve been actually picked up precisely from real life. It does have a few flaws here and there, but it is definitely gripping and keeps you hooked on it till the very last scene. It’s surely a thrilling One Time Watch. I am going with 3.5 stars.
