Movie review of Jajantaram Mamantaram - J2M2 starring Jaaved Jaffrey, Gulshan Grover, Manav Kaul and Joy Fernandes and Madhura Vailankar

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Article Updated 01 June, 2003 05:33:36 PM IST

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Jajantaram Mamantaram - J2M2

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Credits
Producer/s:	iDream Productions
Director:	Soumitra Ranade
Cast:	Jaaved Jaffrey, Gulshan Grover, Manav Kaul and Joy Fernandes and Madhura Vailankar
Music:	Three Brothers & A Violin

You sink in the seat in cinema with expectations that Soumitra Ranade’s Jajantaram Mamantaram will be nothing less than a great answer to Hollywood’s excellent special effects films. But within few minutes after the movie is on, you are left with no choice but to shake your head in disbelief, “Oh! What has he made man?” J2M2, as the movie is called, is an average and mostly failed attempt of making above average film, in short.

Aditya (Jaaved Jaffrey) is a Mumbai tapori (street-type) guy who is lost in the sea. His destiny takes him to an island where the residents are Lilliputians. The island is called Shundi. Soon, he befriends all residents including the king or Bhupati, a young soldier Jeran (Manav Kaul) and others. Only Chattan Singh (Gulshan Grover), the senapati (leader) of the army, despises Aditya because he has mischievous plans to topple the king. His weapon to make true his dream is a full-size demon Jhamunda (Joy Fernandes). So, the film becomes a fight between the good and the bad, between the peace lovers and the selfish Singh. Add to that the love interest of Jeran, princess Amori (Madhura Vailankar) and you know what this so called children film would become in the end.

The problem with J2M2 lies in the script, written by the director himself. How can he think that a routine story with no real fascinating childlike highs and lows can become a nice film for the young ones? His film is inspired by the Gulliver’s Travels and a Gujarati folktale about Bakasur. But Bakasur was a real demon of giant size while Jhamunda is of a normal human size who is the puppet of Chattan Singh. And while all characters’ names are imaginative, the villain’s name Chattan Singh is highly Indian. Was this man transported from Mumbai or Uttar Pradesh to Shundi?

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