Films on police violence against voiceless have come in plenty in Tamil cinema. But here comes T J Gnanavel’s ‘Jai Bhim’ based on real-life incidents that is hard-hitting, raw and real.
It not just sticks to untold sufferings that the oppressed face but also stresses on the need to treat them on par with others with care and courtesy. A poignant tale of human emotions and the legal battle to ensure justice, ‘Jai Bhim’ ends as a film that voices for the unheard.
Call it guts on the part of an actor like Suriya not just to play the lead but also produce the movie. Unlike mass movies where heroes are glorified than the cause, ‘Jai Bhim’ finds every character including Suriya form part of the story and travel within the script. The razor-sharp dialogue brings out helplessness of those sidelined in the society. The journalist in director Gnanavel brings out his better understanding on such issues. Ably assisted by the star cast and the technical crew behind his efforts, Jai Bhim ends as a lesson told in the right way at the right time.
Jai Bhim is based on real-life events that happened in 1990s. Three Irular (a Scheduled Tribe) men are wrongly arrested in a theft case. Cases are foisted against them for there is an urgent pressure to solve the crime.
Rajakannu (Manikandan), Mosakutty and Irutappan are not just detained but brutally harassed by police. Rajakannu’s wife Senganni (Lijomol) helplessly runs around to rescue them. One fine day, the three are reported absconding by police. They claim the trio fled from prison.
Coming to know about advocate Chandru (Suriya), a selfless comrade, through a social worker, Senganni reaches out to him. Now Chandru resolves to fight for their justice.
Very easily such films can be made mass with overloaded punch dialogues for the hero and some gravity-defying action scenes. But the director chose to be within the script.
If the first half belongs to Manikandan and Lijomol, Suriya cakewalks the latter part. Manikandan has lived the character while Lijomol’s emotional outbursts are strength. Suriya does a stellar job underplaying his character. Prakash Raj as IG Perumalswamy and Rajisha Vijayan as teacher Mythra also turn in with good performances.
Sean Roldon’s BGM adds strength to the scenes. A courtroom drama need not be over-the-top. It can be real and engaging too. Gnanavel has executed it well making it a movie to cherish. It not just engages the audience but raises several questions. Flaws in the legal system and police excesses are dealt well. Cop versus law is the backbone of the film. ‘Jai Bhim’ deserves a red carpet welcome.