Jaane Jaan is an engrossing murder mystery, with a difference. And that difference is in the way it is packaged. At the centre of the story, obviously, is a murder, but woven around it are compelling narratives of obsessive, possessive love, flirtatious romance, betrayal, friendship, and loads of suspenseful drama. This is a love triangle cum crime thriller-cum murder mystery, based on the famous and very gripping novel ‘Devotion of Suspect X’ by Keigo Higashino.
The entire narrative is led by three main characters, all of whom are significant and integral to the story. First, Kareena Kapoor’s character Sonia/Maya D’Souza is that of an estranged wife and single mother of a teenage daughter. She runs a cafe in the picturesque small town of Kalimpong. She left her abusive husband of 14 years to lead a peaceful life in this quaint town. But things turn awry when the husband returns to find her and threatens to exploit their daughter for money. That night, in self-defense, D’Souza kills her husband. Helping her dispose of the body and dodge police enquiry is Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren, a math professor who is in love with D’Souza. He stalks her, eerily listens in to her everyday conversations by plugging in a microphone through the walls, and visits her daily at her cafe but never directly expresses his feelings towards her. That is until he sees her murder her husband. Then comes in the police in the form of the very talented Vijay Verma, whose job is to look for Dsouza’s husband who also happens to be a sub-inspector.
Now, as the investigation proceeds, newer details come to light, and at all times we remain with the characters; engrossed and waiting to see what happens next.
Jaane Jaan is a very interesting film which is worth a re-watch. The cast has given stellar performances and each one of them is believable and relatable.
Movie: Jaane Jaan
Directed by: Sujoy Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma
Rating: 4 on 5