Jai Ho Review

2013 was an unusual year for Salman Khan fans. It was probably the first time that the Dabangg superstar didn’t have a release in a whole calendar year. So when he returns after 13 months with Jai Ho, you expect the film to be really good since it took so much time for them to make it. Salman’s last film was with Arbaaz Khan and now he is being directed by his youngest brother Sohail Khan. So does Jai Ho quench the thirst of all Salman fans? Will neutral cinegoers enjoy it too? Let’s find out.

Story: Jai Ho is a remake of the 2006 Blockbuster Telugu film Stalin which itself was a remake of the 2000 Hollywood film ‘Pay It Forward’. Jai Ho is about an ex-army officer Jai (Salman Khan) who gets suspended from the army because he refused to follow his senior’s orders. After his army stint he becomes a car mechanic and helps people in his city left, right and centre. He is the typical good samaritan who doesn’t care about the views of others. He has his sister (Tabu), his mother (Nadira Babbar) and his girlfriend (Daisy Shah) which makes life hunky dory for him. But life takes a turn when he is confronted with an evil politician (Danny Denzongpa) who spells doom for him and his family. The all out confrontation between the good and the bad culminates in the climax. You don’t need to think hard to know who wins!

Screenplay and Direction: As Jai Ho is the remake of an already successful film like Stalin, the writers needn’t have tinkered much with the story of that film. And they don’t. They only spruce up the action sequences by putting in typical masala, gravity defying action involving Salman. This was probably done to please Salman loyalists but the action sequences feel a little overdone even though the climax action sequence is well worth the build up. Sohail Khan does a decent job with Jai Ho because he has been entrusted with the difficult task of telling a meaningful story in the form of a typical Salman Khan film. It will be wrong to say he succeeds completely. But he doesn’t fail at it either. Sadly Jai Ho feels and looks a lot like Salman’s previous films. There is a déjà vu of been there, seen that.

Miscellaneous and Music: The technical aspects of Jai Ho are expectedly not as top notch as a Dhoom 3 or Ek Tha Tiger. It does not look as gloosy as those aforementioned films and it is not supposed to. The production design of Jai Ho is just about okay, the camera work is also fine but the action sequences have been choreographed well. The music of Jai Ho is a huge disappointment. The soundtracks of Salman’s last few films have all had major charbusters and Jai Ho doesn’t even have a single charbuster song. How and why did Sajid-Wajid go wrong this time around? Having said that – Photocopy, Baaki Sab First Class Hai and the two romantic songs can be enjoyed by few segments of the audience.

Acting: Jai Ho is all about Jai which means Jai Ho is all about Salman Khan. He makes the character of Jai charismatic and makes Jai Ho not just watchable but also enjoyable in parts. He rises above the film. If you are a Salman fan, you will of course love seeing him beat up baddies and stand up for the right things. Tabu makes a comeback with Jai Ho and she has a good role. Predictably she shines as Jai’s sister Riya. Daisy Shah doesn’t get too much to do and she looks okay. Danny Denzongpa is very good as the villain. The other ancillary characters have been played by known faces and they all put in good performances. The casting of the film is a highlight of Jai Ho since almost every scene has a famous person sharing screen space with Salman Khan.

Conclusion: Jai Ho is what happens when Rajkumar Hirani meets Prabhu Deva. The intentions of Jai Ho are very noble and that needs to be applauded but it could have done without those long drawn out action sequences. Lastly, Jai Ho will be loved by Salman’s loyal fans and audiences but the neutral cinegoers might not totally warm up to it. I enjoyed the film, give it a try you might enjoy it too.

Box Office: Jai Ho is not expected to open with record breaking numbers like Salman’s last few films but the opening will still be very good. Just don’t expect Chennai Express or Dhoom 3 type of numbers. Will it sustain after a good initial? It should, but crossing the 200 crore mark should prove to be difficult.

Positives:

• Salman Khan, Salman Khan and Salman Khan
• The noble and simplistic storyline
• The acting by other cast members like Tabu and Danny
• The climax is worth the admission price

Negatives:

• The overstretched action sequences
• The music is disappointing

Rating: