The Devotion of Suspect X

It is a prime example of a tastefully decorated ship smoothly covering all its due course, only to sink helplessly right before penetrating the premises of the destined harbour. It is a Story that did everything right and ticked every box only to underwhelm at the onset of its climactic segment!

Finales are highly critical for any film, let alone for a murder mystery feature because it is that particular juncture where threads get loose, revelations crop up on the surface, and even a single mistake could jeopardise the whole situation. I am afraid that was exactly what transpired in this case!

Mr. Ghosh, what the heck happened to you? This is the same person who made films like Kahaani, Badla, Bob Biswas, some of my absolute favourites. Where was that Sujoy Ghosh I knew and adored? I expected much better from him.

P. S. Regardless of the writing and its drawbacks, the performances were impressive. Bebo, Jaideep and Vijay, all three, had done great, as was expected from them.

Impressive. Unexpected plot twists. Excellent use of colors and cast.

Portrays the intensity of one-sided love and that too from an eccentric academic. A dark experience.

Naaru brought back memories of a guy from my school days who had an equally eccentric way of expressing his feelings, just like the character in the movie. It's not about judging but noticing the resemblance.

While the movie had a strong presence, the ending left me wanting a bigger revelation. Perhaps my anticipation for more depth in this film, beyond a short-story format, influenced my slightly underwhelming experience.

Now, this is the kind of film I'm sure many people like, and for a reason. Based on Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X, it is directed by none other than Sujoy Ghosh, a man who sure knows his stuff, especially when it comes to directing mystery films of this sort. The story is well adapted into an Indian setting, and the choice of Kalimpong is very refreshing, providing a nice insight into the local influence of Nepali culture. Technically the film is excellent. The cinematography is very dark and dim, contributing to the atmosphere the director seeks to create. Jaane Jaan benefits from a tight script and solid pacing, and its twists and turns help the narrative. It first gave me some Drishyam (2015) vibes, as it seemed to have a similar plotline of two women dealing with a man intruding their lives and then finding a way to clamber out of the situation with the help of a sophisticated, strategic man who calculates every step and is always a few moves ahead. Sadly, towards the end, it did start to strain credulity, and considering the unusual premise of the story, I wished for an alternative, more satisfying conclusion than the one we ended up getting, which had no justification whatsoever.

Still, the film remained a captivating and engaging watch through and through, enough to make an impact even despite its rather disappointing ending. Above all, it managed to make the characters relatable and even likable, and that's why you might end up wishing for a different outcome. The three stars work well opposite one another to create a nice team. Jaideep Ahlawat infuses his part with the right amount of stoic awkwardness to successfully create a rather shady and questionable man. Film after film, Vijay Varma appears to make a name for himself as a solid actor who can always be counted on to deliver the goods. He is excellent. It's been a while since I saw Kareena do something as worthy as this film. I even felt sorry she didn't use the extraordinary opportunities available to actresses in India to promote her artistic career. And I'm so happy she picked this film. Here, she looks very much a real person - raw and authentic, and never a star. She intelligently uses her sex appeal to a quiet, more implicit effect, and even though she appears a little indifferent and conscious of the situation in some scenes, she puts in an impressive turn overall. I hope she keeps doing similar projects. Very nice film, overall.

Story starts on a bad note (for that u need to watch it) as a audience I was like maybe Naren the teacher had a bad phase, but then the story makes a little bit curve. In few minutes u are going to make a little spicy story in ur head suddenly tudum villain came into the storyline. From now on full on planning and masala will entertain you . From my PoV the after the half part it is little bit slow but the story and grip needs that slowness. Also the kudos to the actors and the director who made this movie. A good a movie to watch if u want to do exercise for ur brain 😙 Xd , Kidding ! But it is a good a watch. And the salute to Jaideep ahlawat.

This film will be remembered more for the performances delivered by the actors than every other thing combined. All of them were phenomenal; especially Jaideep Ahlawat.

Sujoy Ghosh has done a good job in direction. He has directed all his departments pretty well. He kept everything tight and that keeps us glued to our seats; something rare these days.

Why 6 stars though and not 9-10?

Anton Chekhov, 19th century writer, advised the following once: "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there."

Vijay played his character brilliantly. A lot was expected out of his character 'Karan'. If only he had solved a few puzzles in the end, found the missing, and matched the brilliance of the great mathematician for once then perhaps....

A outstanding film to watch though.