Film Review- Music is the Soul of Jugni

February 01, 2016 Entertainment , Movie Reviews. 1 Comments

I was invited to attend the music launch of upcoming film Jugni. By the time, I could clear the confusion of right PVR venue and could reach the one behind Infinity Mall, Andheri. The launch event was over and the multiplex was agog about ongoing screening of masala pot-boiler by Rohit Shetty.

The PR handed me the music CD of the film to hear at leisure. I dismissed the album as “just another” song and music routine only to search for it furtively after watching the movie screening after few days.

Jugni is a simple, soft movie made by Shefali Bhushan in the backdrop of a village in Punjab and Mumbai. The film is about a young musician Vibhavari [Sugandha Garg] who wants to make big in music industry, lands up in a small, sleepy town of Punjab, searching a folk singer Bibi Swaroop [Sadhna singh].

Vibhavari AKA Vibs is a smart, no string attached, urban musician who ends up meeting Mastana, Bibi Swaroop’s son and develops a deep friendship with him. Mastana, very well played by Siddhant Behl is a flamboyant, young, dhinchaak singer who harness bollywood dreams of making it big. He is a happy go lucky, talented singer who sees a hope in Vibs and offers her all required support in her search of that one tune which will sail her setting career in right direction.

The twain meets and like any other cliché, became friends [friends with benefits] and end up sleeping together casually over a plate of rice and glass of gulabo. The sleepover rendezvous leaves an already engaged Mastana go dovey eyes behind the musician while she finds way to her listless relation with her live-in companion- Samir Sharma. To know what follows next, you need to see the film.

Performances: The cast is fresh and apt. Sugandha Garg does a good job as Vibhavari, a focussed, matured, practical and non-judgemental musician but still unwary of her “Jaane tu ya Jaane na” ways. Sadhana Singh as Biwi swaroop looked beautiful as always but went loud in many scenes unlike the character she looked. Samir Sharma looked tired but did his bit well. The star of the show was actor Siddhant Bahl who lived Mastana to the core and looked completely the part/character he played. So much that when we met him after the film, he looked nothing like the character he played and that is the beauty of it.

The Film- The first half of the film is based in Punjab, in a rustic background that has done to perfection. The choice of location and cinematography is brilliant. The director Shefali Bhushan did a good job in terms of paying attention to details like using those steel tea cups to traditional quilt and other props. What she lacked was in developing the core characters especially for Sugandha’s so as to make story progress in right direction.

There is one scene in the film where Mastana’s and Vibs hands accidentally meet each other at train but separates immediately without any foofraw was beautiful and fresh. Another scene that we loved was-the bus scene. Watch out for the character “Jeeta Jazbaati” too.

While the first part is essentially free spirited, musical and picturesque, the second half gets intense, sifting in to contrast of two worlds with a congruency in between.

Overall, the film, if you ignore the message it was trying to convey or the abrupt climax, is a good watch. It has tried to fight the clichés and you can see the effort very much there. It is a light watch and does not leave you with any heady feelings. Like I said earlier, the songs are the soul of the movie. The cast and crew looked sincere and enthusiast about the project. They were seating at same row as us in the theatre and their team spirit was to watch out for.

Verdict: Jugni, is essentially a carefree firefly who finds herself a suitable place to illuminate. Whether the movie lived with it or not, you have to decide only post watching it. We loved the freshness of the film and the music took us in trance. The Sufi tracks will leave you mesmerized too and you will hum Bulle Shah as am humming-

“hat mujhe apni tor manawan de

Hat mullah mein rok na mainu apni tod nibhavan de, apmi tod nibhavan ke ghar kanjra ke jaawan de”

Do not miss: Dugg Duggi Dugg and other songs. Clinton Cerejo is a musician to watch out for.

Music Rating: 5/5

Film Rating: 3.5/5