Jugjugg Jeeyo Review: Unique Story Mismatched with Conventional Screenplay!

Dharma Productions’ 2022 family drama, Jugjugg Jeeyo, directed by Raj Mehta, stars an ensemble with Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Neetu Kapoor in the lead roles. But does it have the “it” factor to live up to its hype? Yes, and no! Mehta, who debuted with the super-hit 2019 comedy, Good Newwz, tells another unique story of concurrent divorce struggles of both the father and the son but fails to match the freshness of the topic with family drama.

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Jugjugg Jeeyo opens with the peculiar Punjabi family of Sainis. Kukoo and Naina are childhood darlings. Consequently, they get married and realize that the spark in their relationship faded away rather quickly. While Kukoo and Naina are on the verge of divorce, Kukoo learns that his dad, Bheem, is having an affair with Meera (Tisca Chopra), which leads to a whole set of problems to overcome with his mother and so on.

The story of Jugjugg Jeeyo is novel, but somewhere along the line, writer Anurag Singh surrenders and kneels to the almighty altar that is Dharma Productions. Half of the time, this movie feels like an overdramatic drama, and the remainder is a fantastic comedy that is entertaining for the most part until it gets repetitive. You can’t stop scratching your head at multiple scenes where an emotional sequence gets spoiled by forced wit.

Performance-wise, the biggest show-stealer in Jugjugg Jeeyo was Anil Kapoor, with his tremendous energy and comedic timing. On the other hand, Varun Dhawan, whose last film, Coolie No. 1, wrecked him into pieces, is very much decent as Kukoo Saini. Kiara Advani spreads the magic of her glamour yet again, but this time, even her performance is quite pleasant and Neetu Kapoor’s cine experience makes the character look mature. The songs were decent. Nain Ta Heere seem very out of place, The Punjaabban Song is a perfect dance number, and Dupatta was audibly average. However, Sacred Games star Elnaaz Norouzi makes it a visually appealing song.

Indian family dramas have evolved over the years. From the 1967 drama, Majhli Didi to the grand wedding film like Hum Apke Hai Kaun and to Dharma’s own film, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, our audience has seen every possible dramatic sequence already. Yet, Jugjugg Jeeyo tries the same melodrama to justify its modernity. Why? Writer-director Raj Mehta, who has a knack for thinking out of the box, bows down to the ordinary appeal of mainstream conflicts when there was a scope for progressive drama.

Did he forget that he managed to change the appeal of family dramedies with his previous film, Good Newwz? It seems so with Jugjugg Jeeyo. A unique story mismatched with conventional screenplay, which is why this film couldn’t move beyond being an average affair. Nevertheless, it is still a watchable family entertainer for the most part.

‘Jugjugg Jeeyo’ Rating – 2.5/5

Review by @samthebestest_
Edited by Surya Komal