Jayeshbhai Jordaar Movie Review: Ranveer Singh starrer gives an important social message with a tint of humor and satire

A scene from Jayeshbhai Jordaar has Ranveer Singh 's Jayeshbhai having a breakdown and telling his wife Mudra ( Shalini Pandey) that it is he who's unable to give her a son, contrary to the belief otherwise. He is perplexed by the ordeal and trauma that his heavily pregnant wife is been put through due to the couple not being able to conceive a son. The movie brings the serious issue of female foeticide and gender discrimination with a blend of satire and humor making way for a light-hearted watch.

The movie revolves around Jayeshbhai being trapped in a patriarchal and superstitious community with his family desperate for a male heir. His parents ( Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah ) who are also the Sarpanch of the village have already caused Jayeshbhai’s timid and suppressive wife Mudra to miscarry six times in need of a son. Jayeshbhai and Mudra’s only solace is their fiery and spunk 9-year-old daughter Siddhi ( Jia Vaidya ) who is always spearheading for her parents to come out of their deplorable situation. It is how Jayeshbhai prevents any harm to come to his wife and unborn child that forms the main crux of the story.

Debutant director Divyang Thakkar’s attempt to bring in an extremely important subject under the garb of humor and satirical inter-play is applause-worthy. Apart from the issue of female foeticide, Jayeshbhai Jordaar touches upon the subject of toxic patriarchy and deep-rooted superstition. Be it the Sarpanch banning women from using soap or the male members of the village getting panicky about the onset of ill luck due to a black cat passing the way, there are these subtle moments in the movie that paves the way for the overall message of the film.

Also Read: Ranveer Singh on Jayeshbhai Jordaar: ‘It holds up a mirror to some of the ills that are in our society’ 

The writing by Divyang Thakkar and Ankur Chaudhry furthermore adds a narrative of a ‘Pappi’ (kiss) which is not exactly meant as a sexual connotation but more as a warm and honest display of love. It showcases the dearth of love, intimacy, and warmth that the women of Dhavalpur village face where the plotline is based. The recurring narrative also plays an important role in accentuating the romance between Jayesbhai and his wife Mudra. There is no compromise in the humor and the message of the movie despite it having its own share of shortcomings. 

Also Read: Jayeshbhai Jordaar box office prediction: In the era of larger than life heroes, will Ranveer Singh's comedy sink or swim? 

Where Jayesbhai Jordaar falters is that it relies too much on a melodramatic satire in some parts. The significance of Ladopur consisting of men deprived of women in their life sends out a strong message but loses its impact due to an excess of caricature within the characters and storyline. The narrative surrounding the ‘Pappi’ and the soap could also have been showcased in a more realistic manner. The climax of the movie is a little too over-the-top in the parts but fortunately does not lose the message or the theme of the movie. The storyline of a heavily pregnant woman embarking on a cat and mouse chase from the village elders seemed ambiguous in some parts. The screenplay thus goes haywire in the second half of the movie.

Ranveer Singh once again steers the ship in an efficient manner. The man is truly a chameleon who can delve deep into the nuances of his character. Be it pretending to hit his wife or threatening to castrate himself, it will be safe to say that the actor delivers a ‘Jordaar’ act with this one. He also nails the Gujarati accent to the T without sounding caricaturish at all. Shalini Pandey makes an impressive debut with this one even though her timid expressions seemed very one-note but that was only because of the manner, in which her character was written. Boman Irani and Ratna Pathak Shah do full justice to their characters and there is never a dull moment with them on-screen.

However, it is debutante Jia Vaidya who plays Jayeshbhai’s 9-year-old daughter Siddhi who totally steals the show. She is such a visual delight to behold in all of her scenes and there is truly a star in making within her. Deeksha Joshi who plays Jayeshbhai’s sister is another force to be reckoned with in the film.

The cinematography by Siddharth Diwan is convincing to the plotline. The music fails to create a very strong impact. Except for Vishal-Shekhar’s ‘ Firecracker ’, none of the other soundtracks make a strong mark.

Overall, Jayeshbhai Jordaar has its heart in the right place with an important social message to deliver along with honest performances. The movie should have been backed up by a stronger screenplay. We give the film 3 out of 5 stars.