Jagga Jasoos: A bowl of ‘Barfi!’ with a jug of ‘jasoosi’

Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif pack a punch in Anurag Basu’s latest adventure comedy

KARACHI: No matter how much one accuses Anurag Basu of plagiarism, you can’t deny the director knows how to create interesting, relatable and endearing characters. His latest opus Jagga Jasoos is just another proof of that.

Another thing we can’t deny (and it has already been mentioned countless times) is that Ranbir Kapoor is the best actor in this generation of Bollywood. You combine the two powerhouses and what you get is a magical, inventive and adventurous ride through the wild imagination of the director.

In this second collaboration between Basu and Kapoor (after Barfi!), the latter plays Jagga, a stammering Tintin-esque teen detective with the eyes of Sherlock and a fascination, even a habit, of jasoosi. His father bad-luck Bagchi (Saswata Chatterjee) teaches him to sing things out to speak without stammer.



After being left at boarding school, Jagga receives a videotape from his mysterious, travelling father every year. Amid various subplots and wacky adventures, he finds himself pairing up with Shruti (Katrina Kaif), a journalist plagued by bad luck, and investigating an international criminal racket. Together they set out to find Jagga’s lost father.

Jagga Jasoos catches the viewers’ attention because of its bright colours and gorgeous visuals but it holds them in the palm of its hands with Kapoor’s performance and Basu’s wild creativity. The director’s success shows in that not one moment feels out of its place in the nearly three-hour-long film. And he keeps feeding moment after moment that will put a smile on your face (unlike The Joker’s) and even make you burst out in laughter. Almost all the gags involving supporting characters (the policeman with multiple telephones, the enthusiastic shooter, and the always-hilarious Saurabh Shukla’s singing antagonist) are on point.

But the highest amount of praise must go to Kapoor and Chatterjee. Kapoor had a role which had the possibility of turning out as ridiculous as it may sound (a 34-year-old playing a teen detective, really?) and as believably fun as possible. It ended up being the latter.

On the other hand, Chatterjee’s character becomes equally memorable for his genuinely heartfelt methods: him encouraging the pre-teen Jagga to overcome his stammer, sending him videotapes on his birthday and reluctantly saying goodbye while leaving him at boarding school.

When it comes to production, it’s very difficult to find a fault in Jagga Jasoos. Art direction is meticulous and Ravi Varman’s cinematography a breath of fresh air, with each frame appearing right out of a retro photography magazine. The songs, which are 29 in total because of the film’s musical nature, are catchy and perfectly woven into the story. One would have never thought Khana Kha Ke Daru Pee Ke Chale Gaye would be the catchiest tune of the year. The track’s beauty lies in its quotable words and philosophical nature. It suggests that the world is a temporary place where people come to eat, drink and leave.

The only technical aspect of the film that tops the cinematography is the sound design, which elevates the experience and captures the director’s vision. Basu, undoubtedly has everything under control… Almost.

That ‘almost’ is where the narrative comes in. Basu establishes Jagga’s childhood well in the beginning. Up until the intermission even, the film is intricately woven. However, the second half loses direction and drags too long. While the film brilliantly connects past Indian events (the arms drop in West Bengal in the 90s) and raises some thought-provoking ideas about why we, as a society, should care about what’s happening in the world, Jagga Jasoos suffers from the same issue as Barfi!: it could easily have been edited and made 20 to 30 minutes shorter. That would have made for a more compact and clear narrative.

Despite that, the film works as a whole and is an ultimate thrill ride. After Kapoor’s successful comeback with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil last year, Jagga Jasoos has the potential to continue his streak. Also mind you, the film doesn’t only cater to children but also adults who like bitter pills covered in sugarcoated candies. And hey, who can say no to candy?

Verdict: Go watch Jagga Jasoos. Even with a three-hour duration, it is a complete cinematic experience with a substantial and entertaining story.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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