Jaane Jaan review: ‘M’ is for Mathematics and Murder Mystery in this masterly movie

If there are five birds on a tree, and you shoot one, how many will remain? Well, only a few would instantly answer “zero”. It is because not all apply their logical minds, and rather stress on the mathematical problem.

This is the core essence of Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan, a murder mystery tale that was released on Netflix. The film marks the OTT debut of Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Now, let’s solve the “problem” with a little bit of logic as to why Jaane Jaan deserves appreciation for delivering a perfect solution for entertainment in the end:

Synopsis

The premise of Jaane Jaan is set in a hill station — quiet and surreal with a minimum population.

The film opens with a middle-aged man trying to kill himself in his house, but soon someone knocks on his door.

We soon get to know that the man who was attempting suicide is Naren, a Mathematics teacher. The woman who knocked on his door was Maya, a single mother living with her only daughter right next to Naren’s house.

Naren is a Maths teacher at the high school in the town and Maya runs a small restaurant.

For a murder mystery, a murder is a must, and it soon occurs when Maya’s estranged husband — a police officer — comes in search of her after 13 long years.

Within a couple of scenes, he is murdered. What follows next is a perfect step-by-step logical entertainment solved by director Sujoy Ghosh.

Also, this one is based on the novel “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino.

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The X factor

Those who love Mathematics or have ever solved a mathematical problem would be aware that it is usually about finding the value of “X”.

Some problems need just a few seconds, and some, years. But some remain unanswered for the brilliant mind to unravel the mystery behind it.

The film’s “X” factor is certainly the making of this murder mystery with a good sense of logical application.

On one hand, Maths helps the mystery, and on the other hand, Jaane Jaan comes attached with unanswered questions.

Sujoy delivers a mystery that relies on both Mathematics and creativity. For instance, truth always exists but we often fail to see it, even if it is right in front of us.

A brilliant show

When “A” equals “B” and “B” equals “C”, then A certainly equals C.

The performances of Kareena Kapoor Khan as Maya, Jaideep Ahlawat as Nareb, and Vijay Varma as Karan stand out in Jaane Jaan.

The trio is the main base of this cat-and-mouse game of finding “X” or who the real murderer is.

Wrapped with enough mysteries, Sujoy Ghosh and his technical teammates present a simple yet effective tale.

The story keeps the audience hooked to the film rather than skip unnecessary scenes by 10 seconds or more on the OTT platform (Netflix) that is being aired.

Kareena Kapoor is natural, but Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren — the brilliant yet practical man with a logical mind — leaves a mark on us.

Vijay Varma is on a dream roll with back-to-back beautiful performances.

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Verdict

To find the value of ‘X’ in Maths, one needs to understand the problem and the logic behind it. Jaane Jaan provides both the problem and the solution, with much-needed thrills and chills.

(Views expressed here are personal.)