Jalsa review : Vidya Balan-Shefali Shah Crime Thriller Promises Nail-Biting Experience

By Aakruti Bagla Absoluteindia News

Cast: Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, Rohini Hattangadi, Manav Kaul, Mohammed Iqbal Khan, Surya Kasibhatla, and Shafeen Patel.

Streaming date: 18 March 2022 on Amazon Prime

Director: Suresh Triveni

Duration: 129 minutes

Ratings: 4/5

Maya Menon (Vidya Balan), a renowned journalist is trapped in the web of deceit, lies and the quest to find the truth after she hits an 18-year-old girl is hit by her car. The girl named Aaliya Mohammed turns out to be her maid Rukhsana (Shefali Shah’s) daughter.
While Shefali Shah plays the mother of the victim who refuses to give up on her daughter, Vidya plays a journalist who is looking into the story.
But, can anyone be trusted here?

The film keeps you at the edge of the seat with a fair blend of suspense, excitement and engrossing performances by the cast.

Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah are two of the finest actresses in our industry. Imagine the two powerhouses coming together for a movie, wouldn’t it be filled with a lot of thrill?

It is interesting to see director Suresh Triveni give Vidya Balan a complete change of image in his sophomore feature film. While she was a blithe singing housewife in Tumhari Sulu, in Jalsa Vidya is a different entity.
Vidya as a steely nerved and determined journalist proves yet again that she can pull off any role with grace delivering a phenomenal performance.

Talking about Shefali Shah, after seeing her in dominant roles in Humans and Delhi Crime, it might take a while to feel comfortable with the idea of Shefali playing a househelp. But by the end of the film you will find yourself rooting for her as she makes an impact as a brave mother Rukshana, who is in no mood to judge her daughter for being out late at night. After watching Rukhsana in Jalsa, every girl in Indian society will for sure yearn for a mother like her.

There is a third pivotal female character in Jalsa, played by Vidhatri Bandi, who is determined to unearth the layers of corruption that divide the bitter truth from numbing wealth.

Since the female leads occupy the centre stage, it doesn’t leave much room to shine for actors Mohammed Iqbal Khan and Manav Kaul. The child essaying the role of Vidya Balan’s disabled child Ayush puts out a fine performance and his bitter-sweet moments with Rukhsana and his Nani(Rohini Hattangadi) are some of the memorable parts of the film.

Talking about the technical aspects, Camera work of the film is great and the screenplay is fantastic. 

With a runtime of 2hr 2 min, the film plunges into the plot about a hit-and-run case without beating around the bush. The pace slows down a bit during the second half, but does not cease to leave an impact through fiery
dialogues and powerful moments.

Apart from shedding light on the perks of being privileged, the film also sensitively touches upon subtexts like gender inequality and corruption in legal system.

Final Verdict:
Vidya Balan-Shefali Shah Crime Thriller Promises Nail-Biting Experience