Synopsis:Nothing much celebratory in this film about an aspiring singer caught in a tangle of relationships.
After ripping off Hollywood hits in their previous two movies (‘The Train’ and ‘The Killer’), a presumably reformed director duo Raksha and Hasnain come up with something that’s original but not breathtaking. ‘Jashnn’ is a film dotted with a few touching moments and a charged-up climax. Mind you, it’s not about a rock band like ‘Rock On’ was. Save for the protagonist ( Adhyayan ), who’s the singer and guitarist of the band, the remaining members are reduced to hired props that remain in the shadows. The story focuses more on the complex cobweb of relations between the hero, his sister, his lover, and his detractor.
Akash (Adhyayan) strums his acoustic guitar in nightclubs and empty stadiums with the hope of becoming a big star someday. But when you hear him sing and strum, you understand why the stadium is empty. He’s yet to find a voice that comes from his deepest core. And most of all, he and his band has yet to find a lucky break.
An orphan, Akash is dependent on his elder sister Nisha (Shahana Goswami), who makes ends meet by being the mistress of a rich businessman Aman (Humayun Saeed). Now, by a chance coincidence, Akash falls in love with Sara (Anjana Sukhani) who turns out to be (no pats for guessing) the doted sister of Aman.
As Akash realizes the sacrifices his sister has made to let him have the luxury of realizing his dream, he transforms into a mature man who both loves and loathes his sister for having made those choices. And even as Aman, who doesn’t approve of Akash’s relationship with his sister Sara, puts many a hurdle in his way, Akash, with love and support from the two women in his life, makes his dream a reality.
There are many confrontational moments between Akash and Aman and Nisha. And there are sequences that reflect Akash’s despair and dejection – how he hits the bottle and resorts to theft when he sees his dream dying. And even though the climax, set in a music competition, is predictable in the sense you know beforehand who’ll win, it still makes for an interesting watch because the build-up in the story prior to that creates momentum for the film to hit the crescendo. It’s these touching moments that make ‘Jashnn’ an above-average film. Otherwise the film’s elongated and over-stuffed second half, and not to forget the thanda love track between Adhyayan and Anjana, almost grates on your nerves.
Adhyayan has a long way to go before he’s nominated at the awards, but the lad does show a sincere earnestness in his performance. Shahana is easily the scene stealer in the film, even though she gets less footage in the second half. Pakistani actor Humayun Saeed is very promising. Anjana Sukhani shows a few flashes of good acting but mostly ends up looking pretty.
The script by writer Shagufta Rafique has a few holes here and there, the film’s music glosses over it with melodies that strike an instant chord.
Overall, not a bad film.
