J.S.K - Janaki V v/s State of Kerala

Rating - 3/5

A courtroom drama portraying the investigation procedurals but missed on hooking the audience on right notes.

The crux of the story is about Janaki and her fight for justice against the State over the untoward event in her life and will Judiciary and the system stands by the plaintiff unfolds through the story.

Pravin Narayanan has penned a sensitive story portraying the life of physical abuse victims and the emotional and mental agony they face from the society through their empathetic eyes. The screenplay slips in few places where the audience misses the spark in the story giving a conclusion of a cliche survivor story. The story inspired from multiple incidents has been synchronized and portrayed on screen but fails to make a lasting impact altogether rushing through investigation and onset proceedings.

Good performance by Suresh Gopi through his power punch dialogue modulation and delivery. Anupama has given a stunning performance in the movie conveying the right emotions demanded by the character. Askar Ali, Yedhukrishnan,Vaishnavi & Divya Pillai made impressive performances. Madhav was giving a stone looked face struggling to say the dialogues felt preachy in few sequences.

Good music by Girish blending with the storyline added with Ghibran's background scores.

A watchable drama with decent performances ruling out the minor flaws.

Why did they even made such a stupid logic less movie. This is worst movie I watched ever in my life, no story, no sense dragging around 3hrs. In the beginning she wants to retain baby and suddenly she wants it to abort it, I don't see the logic here.they dragged this movie without any solid twist. Total timewaste.

Super movie. Fight against the crime and the current situations. Moreover the casting is excellent. Brilliant plot twists and a haunting atmosphere - this movie kept me guessing the entire time . Incredible pacing, intense performances, and a story that grabs you and doesn't let go. This film deserved way more attention. The direction and suspense were brilliant, but unfortunately, political enemies trying to stop the success. A standout performance by SG, making a powerful comeback after years in his right version, we were waiting for. Above all Janaki, you won this battle😍. Everyone must watch.

The movie talks about the atrocity that happened towards Janaki & how with the help of the judiciary she fights for her justice is all about shown in the film.

Performance wise SG & Anupama had given justice to their roles. In the 1st half we could see the fire brand performance of SG which raised the expectations to watch for 2nd half. Another lead role was of Shruti Ramachandran which came late in the 2nd half but she also gave a notable performance in her screen presence.

Director Pravin Narayanan who also penned the story had done a good research in legalities aspect which made the courtroom sequence interesting but speaking of the content, it's been too old to discuss.

The path at which the 1st half which made it interesting & raised the urge to watch for the 2nd half, but when comes to the 2nd half it was a nose div. It was a mixture of investigation and drama & at one point it became bored as it feels repetitive.

Performance space of SG was not much in 2nd half which further lowered the interest. Climax fight sequence was well choreographed but the excess of drama had overshadowed.

Ghibran's score had given some escalating moments. Cinematography was not captivating.

Another major drawback was of casting of Madhav Suresh. The worst performance in this movie. If given an electric shock, still there would be no expression coming from his face.

Well as a whole JSK is not a movie where we would be forced to leave in mid way but it also doesn't quench the thirst we were looking for a SG Film.

I watched JSK, a film headlined by none other than the legendary Suresh Gopi. The story and direction are credited to Pravin Narayanan, but unfortunately, the film struggles to deliver on both fronts.

Story and Screenplay

The storyline is weak, and the screenplay is disjointed. The film is cluttered with too many subplots and an overwhelming number of characters, making it difficult to follow the narrative. At times, it's hard to tell which plot thread is being discussed or where the story is headed. To make matters worse, the film includes several unnecessary songs and dance sequences that add no value to the plot-just filler to stretch the runtime to a bloated 2.5 hours.

Performances by the lead characters:

* Anupama Parameswaran, who plays the titular character, was given a grand buildup before the release. But shockingly, she barely appears on screen for more than a few seconds at a time and has virtually no dialogue. Her most notable contribution is a few screams of frustration-perhaps reflecting her own dismay at being cast in such a marginal role.

* Suresh Gopi, as expected, dominates the film. He starts off as a lawyer arguing against the rape victim, gets the case dismissed, then has a change of heart and decides to fight for her. He brings in his sister to argue in the High Court and eventually joins in with a lengthy closing argument. True to form, the film delivers the expected monologues and action sequences, including a moment where Gopi single-handedly subdues a villain the Kerala Police couldn't handle. Classic.

* Madhav Suresh, Suresh Gopi's younger son, makes an appearance but doesn't get a single line of dialogue. He does, however, get a fight scene. His performance lacks expression-perhaps a sign of inexperience.

My Verdict

JSK attempts to tackle a sensitive subject-a rape case and its legal battle while raising the question about her rights including to abort - but fails to do so with coherence or emotional depth. The film leans heavily on Suresh Gopi's star power, but even that can't save it from its structural flaws and poor execution.

The rape victim is an adult, educated, moneyed, unmarried and orphaned, with literally no one to stop her from doing what wants. And yet she decides to wait for 7 months (of the gestation period), before going to court for the right to abort! Has the Director/Writer forgotten that we live in India - and this story also happens here - where every woman has the right to get an abortion - unlike the grand USA where women, including rape victims cannot get an abortion!

**Rating: 3/10**

A disappointing watch, even for die-hard Suresh Gopi fans.