Jai Bhim Review: Raw and Hard-Hitting!

Jai Bhim on Amazon Prime Video is a 2021 Tamil-language film starring K. Manikandan, Lijomol Jose, and Suriya in the lead roles with Rao Ramesh, Prakash Raj, and Rajisha Vijayan in the supporting roles. Directed by T. J. Gnanavel, the storyline of the film revolves around a tribal woman and a human-rights activist lawyer and their uphill battle in court to unravel the mystery around her missing husband.

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Based on a true incident from the early 90s, Jai Bhim explores and sheds light on a variety of subject matters from untouchability to inequality and police brutality in a very unforgiving way. A handful of scenes in the movie are uncomfortable, and director Gnanavel never backed down and did not sugarcoat the sequences to make them digestible for the viewer. They are raw and hard-hitting similar to the frequency of the crimes back then.

Also, Jai Bhim runs high on a ton of emotions from start to finish. And to portray the intensity of the story more effectively, T. J. Gnanavel relies heavily on scenes elevated with dramatic background score, slow-mo shots, and sequences that will demand some sentiment out of you. Now, the director could’ve let the depth of the story do the talking instead of dramatization, but his approach isn’t that criticizable on a broader scale.

Especially when you’re telling the story to an audience who are watching at home and not paying full attention to every single frame. The dramatic part of the film is needed, and as Akshay Kumar said around the release of his social drama, Pad Man, mainstream movies with a positive message are a much better vehicle to reach a bigger audience than a documentary.

When it comes to the performances, Lijomol Jose and Manikandan, who played the central characters of the movie, did everything they could to make the film look authentic through their impressive performances. On the other hand, Suriya, who played more of an extended supporting role in the movie, made sure that he isn’t the center of attraction as his one-dimensional character did not require him to pull out a performance like Soorarai Pottru.

And closing with the drawbacks, this film is 165 minutes long, and it sure feels like a long movie. It isn’t an intense courtroom drama like its recent counterparts and doesn’t involve the defense and prosecution one-upping each other with counterarguments or verbal assaults. T. J. Gnanavel is clear with his approach, and you can identify where the movie is going and who the good and bad guys are. So, in return, this movie might lose you at some point if you decide to dissect it from top to bottom.

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Overall, Jai Bhim on Amazon Prime Video is, without a doubt, an interesting film to watch. The raw and the relentless nature of the film does get a bit severe at times, but it is rather a decent reflection of the situations back in the 1990s. Watch ‘Jai Bhim’ on Amazon Prime Video here.

‘Jai Bhim’ Rating – 3.5/5

Images via Amazon Prime Video