Reviews

Film Review: Jugjugg Jeeyo (Long, happy life)

Kinjal Vernekar

Starring: Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Manish Paul, Prajakta Koli, Tisca Chopra

Director: Raj Mehta

The Dharma Productions universe brings in another Punjabi tale, this one holding back on the classic Bollywood storyline of a never-ending love.

Behind all the dhols (drums) and wedding extravaganza, father and son with unnurtured marriages are on the brink of divorce. Raj Mehta and his writers recreate a tragic-comedy out of dysfunctional relationships.

Married couple, Kukoo (Dhawan) and Naina (Advani), have grown out of their childhood love and the Canadian cold is not the only bitterness in their surroundings. Kukoo’s fragile male ego comes in the way of his wife’s flourishing career, making him insecure. Without respect and faith, love can seem to evaporate.

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Bhim (Anil Kapoor), on the other hand, has drifted away from his wife of 20-plus years, Geeta (Neetu Kapoor), and found solace in the arms of Kukoo’s schoolteacher Meera (Chopra). It doesn’t stop just here; the daughter of the Saini household Ginny (Koli) is all geared to leave aside her love interest and get married to a boy of her parent’s choosing.

All the drama is neatly tied up with rounds of situational humour evoking a few hearty laughs here and there. Apart from the intense mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bonding over heartbreak scene in the second half, the film seems to have lost its principal focus, diluting the theme of infidelity.

The ever young and handsome Anil Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have once again kept the audience invested throughout. Adding grace to her character, Neetu Kapoor has made a splended comeback.

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Is it just me or are we seeing too much of Kiara Advani on the screen lately? Well, I must admit that it is a pleasant sight to watch her play Naina. Manish Paul has the most perfect comic timing while portraying the Punjabi munda (boy) Gurpreet.

A fun one-time watch, not least for some of the foot-tapping beats.

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