image source, @aishu_dil
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Sri Ranjani, Aadukalam Naren; Directed by: Kinslin.
While Aishwarya Rajesh’s earlier films Bhumika and Dhark were films that gave importance to heroines, the current release of Driver Jamuna is in the same style. Director Kinslin had previously directed Vattikuchi.
This is the story of Driver Jamuna: After her father is murdered, Jamuna (Aishwarya Rajesh) takes up her usual job as a call taxi driver to save the family.
The house is in dire straits with a younger brother who has run away with a mortgage and a paralyzed mother (Sree Ranjani). In this situation, a mercenary who is going to kill the former MLA Maragathavela (Adukulam Naren) gets into Jamuna’s foot taxi. Later, the police are chasing the mercenaries.
The rest of the story is whether the plan of the mercenaries is fulfilled and what is the connection between them and the murder of the heroine’s father.
The reviews of this film have started to appear in the media. Most of the reviews suggest that the screenplay could have been better in the second half of the film.
Is this a regular movie?
“Driver Jamuna tries hard to give a serious feel to the audience, but the lack of conflict within the film and superficial scenes combine to produce conventional cinema,” reported The Times of India.
“Director Kinslin takes time to introduce the characters and tell their motives. The story becomes interesting when the central character gets into a dilemma.
As the mercenaries get into Jamuna’s car, there is a commotion. But the biggest disappointment is that the thrill doesn’t last even half an hour.”
image source, @aishu_dil
“When you expect something big to happen, the storytelling weakens and the characters start behaving ridiculously.
For example, a mercenary assassin who could have easily killed the heroine, gives some reason and avoids killing her. If the important character of the story is to be sustained, the film needs clever visuals.
The twist in the climactic scenes is great. Jamuna’s backstory and her take on the job are acceptable.
But there are no incidents to do with the main characters. And it is not known what the police want to do. Like a film from the 80s, the police only come after the heroine destroys them,” said a review by the Times of India.
Kinslin’s movement is thought provoking
The India Today website has criticized the film for not focusing on the screenplay, even though the film had a good start.
“‘Driver Jamuna’ starts off great, but when he gets caught up with the killers, that greatness ends. The story after that has a lot of logical fallacies.
Directed by Kinslin, this film has many locations that are thrilling. It seems that they have overlooked all the biggest logic holes.
The police are looking for the killers. They might get stuck at some checkpoint. But looking at the direction the film is going, the murderers – the cops seem to be asking which of the two is the funniest. In the end, it is understood that we, the viewers, are the ones being mocked.
In a crucial scene, Aishwarya pretends to be in Rajesh Anniyan. But the opposite police officer does not understand what the heroine is trying to say. Many scenes have been moved at a fast pace. We have to keep our heads down.
But the climactic scenes save the film a bit. All the stories in the film come together at a point and give an acceptable conclusion. But the story is not enough to create an emotional connection with the film. India Today’s review says that if a little more attention had been paid to the screenplay, the film would have been more interesting.
“Beginning Viru, Viru – What’s in the End”
A review of the Hindu Tamil Vektik newspaper says that the film’s interest has decreased as the second half of the film, which starts briskly in the beginning, is bent to suit the scenes instead of scenes for the story.
“The director has tried to build momentum right from the start like a cart that starts and takes off with a single kicker.
The silence and fear in the car carrying the mercenaries on the Jamuna is perfectly conveyed to the audience. The screenplay keeps the interest of the audience as much as possible as they wait to see what happens next.
The director scores in the first half by using another character to ease the tension of the car traveling quietly with some fear, setting the audience on the emotional meter of Aishwarya Rajesh, who is traveling knowing that the people behind her may be in danger.
In the second half, when the story needs to be told, the screenplay starts to lose its ‘diesel’ a little bit.
There is no sense of bending the story to suit the scenes instead of scenes for the story. The reason is that the escape of the criminals from the surrounding police department, the mercenaries who cut someone else instead of the deliberate killer, and the escape of the main character shines a light on the logic holes that appear everywhere.
image source, @aishu_dil
The film’s twist, meant to surprise the audience, stands out without causing any major impact. The entire screenplay built on the basis of Tirupathi deviates from its nature and bears artificiality.
At one point, the lack of pressure in Jamuna’s character and the lack of sufficient demand for the character creates a gap between the film and the audience,” criticized Hindu Tamil Vektri.
Kudos to Aishwarya Rajesh
But generally all reviews have praised Aishwarya Rajesh’s performance and the performances of other actors.
Times of India review says that the only saving grace of the film is Aishwarya Rajesh and her sizzling performance. “The body language of Aishwarya Rajesh standing as a ‘Kethaka’ drinking tea and looking at the empty tumbler, her facial expression of being caught by the mercenaries, and melting for her mother shines in her chosen performance. Her menakedal acting without dope in the car sudden scenes is noteworthy.
Actress Sriranjani, who is afflicted with a strange disease, adds justice to the character. Apart from this, ‘Aadukalam’ Naren, standup comedian Abhishek Kumar, Ilayapandi ‘Bigg Boss’ boss Manikandan give the necessary performances,” says the Hindu Tamil source.
All the reviews say that the ‘cinematography’ is excellent.
Times of India gave the film two and a half out of five stars and India Today gave two stars out of five.
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