'Pooja Meri Jaan' review: Mrunal Thakur's drama is underwhelming
What's the story
Director Navjot Gulati's Pooja Meri Jaan, which wrapped in July 2022, finally hits ZEE5 on Friday. Co-directed by Vipasha Arvind, it is led by Mrunal Thakur, Huma Qureshi, Vijay Raaz, and Sunita Rajwar. Rated 'A,' the film deals with the timely issue of fragile, toxic masculinity and men's struggle to accept romantic rejection. However, it feels incredibly underwhelming because of its patchy execution.
Plot
A woman is blamed for her lover's suicide
The film follows Pooja (Thakur) and her longtime friend, Aniket (Vikram Singh Chauhan).
When Aniket proposes to her publicly, a shocked, uncomfortable Pooja turns him down.
Crestfallen, Aniket is unable to face the reality and hangs himself, and Pooja is booked for abetment of suicide.
Qureshi plays Pooja's friend and lawyer, Sana, while Raaz essays the prosecution lawyer, Jatin.
#1
Tragically wastes a good idea and cast
With its profound themes and promising, experienced cast, Pooja Meri Jaan could have been another Assi, Pink, or Babita Singh Reporting.
Alas, the bland, mechanical, and heavy-handed storytelling drowns the project.
Gulati isn't interested in letting the scenes breathe, and everything is needlessly fast-paced.
The film is almost always in a desperate rush, yet it's ultimately on a journey to nowhere.
#2
Story is predictable and devoid of intrigue
Once the premise is established, you can figure out the climax, and there are no surprises along the way.
Even the courtroom portions fail to elicit any thrill.
Supporting characters (most of them weirdly overact) randomly enter and exit the frames, and there is nearly no backstory for the primary characters.
The film feels hollow and incomplete, and everything is dialed up to eleven.
#3
Needed sharper, more memorable dialogues
Pooja Meri Jaan's dialogues sound like the posts that populate X.
You get the film's intent here, but the overall rhythm remains broken.
Words like feminism, gender wars, alimony, and gold digger exist in every second line.
What if you somehow forget the themes?
The movie doesn't want you to form your own thoughts; it consistently tells you what to think, when to think.
#4
Unnecessary sub-plots further harm the project
Qureshi is supposed to be the co-lead, but her character mostly remains in the shadows.
We don't know anything about her, except that she's friends with both Pooja and Aniket.
There's also a subplot about Pooja's dangerous jail inmate, who has murdered multiple people.
Like several other aspects in the drama, it's completely unnecessary and only prolongs the runtime.
Verdict
Good premise, but not much else; 1.5/5 stars
While Pooja Meri Jaan raises significant issues that demand urgent discussion, its scattershot presentation renders the film messy.
Law is closing in on Pooja, and her life has been destroyed, but the writing is so lifeless that our heart never aches for her.
Pooja Meri Jaan has a lot to say, but the narrative keeps choking.
An important idea stretched painfully thin.
1.5/5 stars.