‘Jaat’ Movie Review: A Mind-Numbingly Violent and Boring ‘Telugu’ Potboiler, Incidentally Starring Sunny Deol (LatestLY Exclusive)
Jaat Movie Review: Save for a few Hindi actors in the cast – and the fact that everyone speaks Hindi regardless of ethnicity – Jaat doesn’t feel like a Hindi film at all. It plays more like a mindless Telugu potboiler, filled with gratuitous and disturbing violence (despite the censoring), scenes that only exist to set up the next action sequence, and a hero with a saviour complex who, of course, is also the protector of women’s dignity. What’s missing is an age-inappropriate romance (see the director’s last film, Veera Simha Reddy), needless love songs, and comic tracks. But fear not, there is an item song featuring a skimpily clad Urvashi Rautela, who dances to lyrical gems like “Galon Ko Touch Kiya Balon Ko Touch Kiya Phir Bhi Tu Bach Gaya” and “Dil Tujhko Hi Dungi Pehley Sorry Bol“. ‘Good Bad Ugly’ vs ‘Bazooka’ vs ‘Jaat’ Advance Booking: Ajith Kumar, Mammootty or Sunny Deol – Who’s Leading in Pre-Release Ticket Sales? Find Out.
Directed by Gopichandh Malineni, the plot of Jaat is inspired by Western action movies, particularly those featuring Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name. A cluster of villages in Andhra Pradesh is ruled by Ranatunga (Randeep Hooda), who spreads terror among the locals with his barbaric acts of violence, backed by complicit police and government officials.
‘Jaat’ Movie Review – The Man With No Name But Big Caste Pride
Into this lawless land comes our protagonist – by accident, thanks to Indian Railways – who just wanted some idli from a local eatery. What begins as a scuffle with a politician’s henchman escalates quickly, and soon, he’s face-to-face with Ranatunga. What should have been a simple apology spirals into him becoming the saviour of assaulted female cops trapped in Ranatunga’s house and, eventually, of the entire village.
A Still From Jaat
So, who is this man, and why is he so undefeatable? The first question is finally answered in the third act – not exactly mind-blowing, and something you can guess since Sunny Deol plays the role. His character’s name is only revealed towards the end, but since Deol paaji is as North Indian as he gets, his self-introduction only includes his caste – and he bellows it out every time. And even then, I was left confused: is he Jaat or Jatt? The movie seems unsure too. There’s a Punjabi song playing in the background during a few of his scenes, and even in the end credits he’s referred to as Jatt. Everywhere else, it’s Jaat. Nolan-level confusion.
Watch the Trailer of ‘Jaat’:
As for the answer to the second question – he is a hero in what is a typical Telugu action film – what do you expect to happen to him?
‘Jaat’ Movie Review – Mass Cliches Galore
To be fair, there were a couple of fascinating touches in Jaat. Borrowing an idea from Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan, it’s oddly funny that the hero-villain clash starts because the hero simply wanted a “Sorry”. Also, the main events of the film unfold within a span of just 10 hours.
A Still From Jaat
But beyond that? It’s a greatest-hits compilation from the Telugu mass action movie handbook. Bloodthirsty villains with zero nuance – check. A hero who’s indestructible – check. Gratuitous beheadings and dismemberment – check. Corrupt cops and helpless villagers, both serving as fodder for violence – check. Sexual violence against women – check. Using said violence against women as a pretext to elevate the hero – check. A random flashback to explain the hero’s frivolous backstory – check. Excessive buildup around his identity, complete with over-the-top reactions from the supporting cast – check. At least one police station fight scene – check. Overlong slo-mo action sequences to prove our sixty-plus hero still has swag – check. Meta references to his past hits – check. Murali Sharma and Jagapathi Babu in the cast – check. A thumping background score to prop up flimsy scenes – check. A sleazy item song – check. A big-ass gun in the climax – check check check.
A Still From Jaat
If you’re into Telugu potboilers, this one has everything – except for the creepy romantic subplot involving stalking and coercion. And because Jaat stars a North Indian action hero whose last big hit pandered to majoritarian right-wing sentiment, his intro scene features a song praising Lord Ram, and he conveniently arrives from Ayodhya. The film also elevates him to a godlike status throughout. Makes sense, because the villain is from Sri Lanka. And if that symbolism wasn’t obvious enough, there’s even a scene where the villain worships Ravana, with a frame literally positioning him as the demon king. Subtlety, meet dhai kilo ka haath.
‘Jaat’ Movie Review – Desensitised Attitude Towards Violence of All Kinds
Of course, I expected all this when I went in, and I did have fun during the first three action scenes – at the eatery, the politician’s house, and a government office – largely thanks to the absurdity of the ‘Sorry’ premise. But once the hero storms Ranatunga’s house, I began to question why everyone, including the terrifying Ranatunga, was giving this random stranger such a wide berth – these are people who chop heads like they’re harvesting sugarcane! ‘Jaat’ Trailer: Did Thaman S Borrow From Anirudh Ravichander’s ‘Master’ BGM for Sunny Deol’s Actioner? Fans Spot Similarities! (Watch Videos).
A Still From Jaat
From that point, the action becomes repetitive, just as much as Sunny Deol reiterating he is Jaat. Upendra Limaye shows up for one of his now-trademark hammy cameos. More bodies get chopped, shot, hung – basically subjected to every kind of violence you can squeeze into a U/A-rated film and still get censored. By the end, it’s all so numbing. Because really, all this film has is violence. Oh, and a subplot about the villages harbouring a rare radioactive element – wasn’t that also in Ravi Teja’s Eagle? Ranatunga’s equally cruel wife Bharathi (Regina Cassandra) explains this in full to the captured cops, just so we, the audience, aren’t left out. Thanks for the exposition, lady!
‘Jaat’ Movie Review – The Performances
As for performances: this is classic post-Gadar 2 Sunny Deol – loud, fiery, occasionally mellow. At least he feels more in command than another superstar I saw last week in a film directed by yet another South filmmaker. Randeep Hooda is menacing enough as Ranatunga. I was genuinely disappointed to see Vineet Kumar Singh wasted in a glorified henchman role, where he mostly just gets thrashed around. Their casting also feels odd at times, particularly since they are supposed to be Sri Lankan Tamilians, and they are surrounded by Tamil and Telugu cast members.
A Still From Jaat
Regina brings the sass in yet another villainous turn. Saiyami Kher is alright in a role that’s basically ‘damsel in distress’. Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Makarand Deshpande, Zarina Wahab, Babloo Prithiveeraj, and Ajay Ghosh round out the rest of the star-studded cast.
‘Jaat’ Movie Review – Final Thoughts
By the time Jaat wraps up – after what feels like several rounds of the same fight scene copy-pasted with different backgrounds – I was left wondering what exactly I was meant to take away from it all. Is it a sermon on valour, a desperate attempt to cash in on South wave, or just a stitched-together reel of violent set-pieces with a vaguely nationalist flavour? Whatever it is, subtlety left the building long before Sunny paaji mentions his character’s caste for the first of the many times. If this is what we keep being served in the name of pan-India cinema, maybe it’s time to start panicking. Or has that ship already set sail?
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of Today News 24.)
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Apr 10, 2025 01:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
