Jalsa (2022) Review: A Serviceable Thriller!

Jalsa on Amazon Prime Video is a 2022 psychological thriller starring Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah in the lead roles. It is directed by Suresh Triveni, who is known for his commercially victorious debut, Tumhari Sulu. The story of the film revolves around a hit-and-run case that impacts our lead actors’ lives inside and out, and the remainder of the narrative details how they get through this phase mentally.

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Opening with the positives of Jalsa, I have to commend Suresh Triveni for taking a complete 180 in terms of the genre when compared to his debut venture. Tumhari Sulu (despite me not enjoying watching it in the theatre) is a happy and enjoyable drama. Jalsa, on the other hand, maintains the grim and melancholic vibe throughout its runtime and will give you nasty road-accident nightmares. I’ll say this, the next time I’m taking the wheel, it’s not going to be a mental-free drive.

However, it’s a direct credit to Suresh Triveni and the four-person writing team of Jalsa for keeping me engaged and involved with their story. Not only the writing, but the director is also very keen on making his film look gloomy, and that takes precise detailing in the production design and the camera work that I appreciate. The jump cuts and the glitchy editing style were a bit much at times, but I liked how the final execution, which is miles better than any Indian horror debacles.

On to the performances, Vidya Balan, in her third straight-to-OTT release on Amazon Prime Video (Shakuntala Devi and Sherni being the first two), is once again strong and makes you connect with her character. Although her characterization is a tad similar to what we’ve seen in Kahaani, she managed to not make it feel repetitive or boring. Shefali Shah, who’s on a roll lately with Human on Hotstar, Delhi Crime, and many more, impresses once again, this time in a very distinct role from what we usually see from her.

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Although the third act is a bit uneven and rushed, Jalsa managed to not make me pause at any given moment, thanks to the strong performances from the entire cast and the decent screenplay. It is an ideal film to watch at home on a weekend as it doesn’t leave you dissatisfied. I did not press the play button expecting a masterpiece, and the end result just reaches that ‘watchable’ territory. Watch ‘Jalsa’ on Amazon Prime Video here.

‘Jalsa (2022)’ Rating – 3/5