Movie Review - Jhalle: There’s no method to this madness

Gurnaaz Kaur

Binnu Dhillon-Sargun Mehta duo was a success in Kala Shah Kala. Understandably, their fans were awaiting Jhalle. When its trailer was out, it created a lot of buzz. Everyone was excited to watch the love story of those with a psychological disorder. Jhalle was termed different by its cast and those who saw the trailer.

We will have to agree; it is different. Be it the concept or the treatment, it is quite unlike a Punjabi film. So, the film opens with Ballu (Binnu Dhillon) as a doctor, who is acting all queer and so is his team of paramedics. This sets the tone of the film—a mix of suspense and confusion. Coming back to Ballu, who is admitted in a mental hospital, was just being his crazy self. He is hopeful of getting a mentally stable certificate and getting out of the hospital confines. Doctors think otherwise. They have no hopes of his getting better. Once Ballu knows this, he jumps off the wall to start a new life. His support system in a foreign country is two friends played by Harby Sangha and Baninderjit Singh Bunny. Strange as it may sound but the very next day he meets Neena (Sargun Mehta), also mentally unsound. It’s a love at first sight. Song plays, they dance and the love story is build. Now, the next task is to convince Neena’s parents for marriage. In all this, Neena’s eccentricities are shown with her family and friends but she is normal (in comparison) with Ballu. The same applies to him. He says strange things and thinks nutty when he is with his friends but is in tune with Neena. All this leaves you guessing whether the two are really not of sound mind. Nevertheless, let’s get back to the story.

Ballu with his friends reaches Neena’s house and that’s when we meet a family that’s around the bend. Chaos begins. There is thrill too. The scenes that introduce the family are arresting. Pawan Malhotra and Jatinder Kaur give superb performances. The screenplay and background music score full marks as they add to the script and make it all the more interesting. As the story unfolds, it does lose its grip. Is the director trying to show two mentally unwell people in love or is he highlighting the madness of the family? And whichever of the two it may be, what is the purpose of it all?

Pawan Malhotra is an over-protective father who chops off people’s limbs who say anything about his family, kills boys who are rejected by Neena. This may create an air of mystery, initially, but soon one feels its overdose. There is comedy; the unique mannerisms of Neena and family are applaudable. When Pawan Malhotra explains the reason behind his family’s condition, which may be to evoke emotions or give a strong theme to the plot, you do think that was unnecessary or perhaps entirely out of context. And the story jumps from one point to another, every now and then. On finding out the truth of the family, Ballu and his friends start planning their run off. Then decide to stay back. Then there is a twist. Then there is Sargun Mehta’s surgery and finally a happy ending- all intertwined, haphazardly. The climax is rather an anticlimax and you step out disappointed.

Jhalle succeeds on two fronts—the performance by Sargun Mehta and its directorial style. Binnu’s performance is also good but together their age difference seems very visible.

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