Jilla Review

Behind The Movie Jilla: Two of the biggest Super Stars from South Indian cinema Mohan Lal and Vijay appearing on one screen can be nothing less than a festival for Tamil movie lovers. Directed by RT Neason with Kajal Agarwal as heroine and Imman scoring the music, let us see how good is Jilla to hold the Box Office fort in Tollywood?

In the Movie Jilla: A ruthless and dreaded Vijayawada based don Shivayya (Mohan Lal) adopts one of his follower’s son named as Shakti. In no time, Shakti becomes real strength of Shivayya who continues his criminal activities unstoppably. Shakti is allergic towards Police department and a grown up Shakti (Vijay) lives in shadow of father like Shivayya obeying his orders. However, Shivayya plans to make Shakti a Police Officer so that he would be of use for their illegal businesses. Although reluctant early, Shakti becomes Police just to see his father happy. Meanwhile, Shakti also falls in love with sub-ordinate (Kajal Agarwal). 

A ghastly land mafia incident by Shivayya’s group leads to brutal deaths of many innocent people and Shakti is enlightened here to transform into honest, sincere Police. Automatically, Shakti is held in a complicated lock of whether to perform his Police duties or show his faithfullness towards criminal father Shivayya? However, he follows the earlier and is on a mission to reform Shivayya. How did Shivayya’s family of one daughter and a son (Mahat Raghavendra) enter into main story? How Adi Keshavulu (Sampat Raj) betrayed Shivayya taking story to climax are rest. 

Values of the Movie Jilla: For a commercial script, every element has to be balanced within an integral part of narration. In this regards, RT Neason came out a winner making ‘Jilla’ a perfect commercial entertainer with nothing new and nothing old. His screenplay was watertight and hasn’t left any loose ends which could have distracted the overall impact. There is a big span in the story starting from childhood of Shakti to his reunification with Shivayya. So, there is lots of space for summating as many sub threads as possible. Neason worked on each and every thread with nearing perfection. Despite simple boredom creeps in second half with lag in narration, Vijay and Mohan Lal’s magnificent screen presence counterbalances. Ganesh Rajavelu’s cinematography is super cool upholding the strengths in casting and their performances. Don Max’s editing could have been a little sharp. Yet, the way whole story is executed has left no big pitfalls. Dialogues are of decent quality for a dubbing film. Imman’s background musical score is reverberating concisely filling a soul. Songs were neatly packaged with couple of melodies and high energetic mass numbers. Vijay and Mohan Lal together in first song is a treat to watch. Production values of Kumar Reddy and Prasad are top in quality. 

On to performances, I am seeing it for the first time Vijay keeping up a distinguished show with variety of emotions exceptionally portrayed. Especially, the pre interval block displayed the best in him. Confrontation scenes with Mohan Lal are also well handled by Vijay. Obviously, dances and fights, Vijay tore apart. Mohan Lal is the real prestige of film. Clad in white and white, he commands the rest with a mind blowing grace in body language. Mohan Lal although becomes passive and negative shaded in second half, his metamorphosis into a good human being by climax isn’t properly justified. Kajal Agarwal is more or less left for glamour, songs although done good job in associating with Vijay in tough times. Soori and Brahmanandam’s comedy is not worthwhile. Sampat Raj fitted well in cunning character. Mahat Raghavendra’s tragic end took emotional note on peak. Pradeep Rawat as top cop added more to the ritual. Rest does not need big mention.

Out of the Movie Jilla: For all those formula movie lovers who enjoyed ‘Bahubali’ and willing to come out of B-Mania, here comes ‘Jilla’ at right time to entertain you. The film is made as a complete family, mass-masala package with action, romance, sentiment, melodrama, emotions and less humor. Without experimenting to supplement something new into script, Neason followed a beaten path and was hurried pulling the movie to climax without any rationale pretext. This could serve a drawback exactly like what we have seen in rushing climax for ‘Bahubali.’

Above all, if you enjoy a film like film impartial about the nature of being a straight one or a dubbed one, ‘Jilla’ is a worth to watch. Neason’s backbreaking work on script with logical connections taken care of can keep this movie above regular commercial principles. Despite a predictable story format, it’s the buoyant screenplay does the trick. Establishment of rift between Vijay, Mohan Lal in pre interval block is dealt supremely. That can be the real measure of character in Neason. Into second half, Neason became paltry with new sub plots opening at frequent intervals.     

It’s the strong content, adequate execution, uphill battle in scripting and fabulous Vijay-Mohan Lal pair made us to go for 3 stars to ‘Jilla.’ Well, our rating of ‘Jilla’ has no commonalty to compare with ‘Bahubali’ (we gave 3 stars for this one too). If the similar magic is repeated with a Telugu remake and with two Telugu top heroes, ‘Jilla’ would have been a real blockbuster. Tollywood missed a great deal.  

Commercially, ‘Jilla’ has fair chances to stand at Box Office if makers promote the film aggressively else another dubbing commercial entertainer is to go wasted. 

Cinejosh Verdict of Jilla: Commercial Entertainer. 

                                                            Cinejosh Rating: 3/5

                                                                                           Reviewed by Srivaas