It has already become mandatory for the OTT movies to be murder mysteries. So, extradoses of blood, gore and violence are the prime contents than a convincing storyline or arresting performances.

I watched ‘Jaane Jaan’ by Sujoy Ghosh for three reasons.

1.    The song ‘Aa Jaane Jaa’ was a famous cabaret number from the movie ‘Inteqam’ (1969) when I was in college.

2.   To watch Kareena Kapoor in an unconventional role

3.  The writer director’s track record of ‘Kahani’ and ‘Badla’ two sterling movies on murder mystery

The main story is said to be an adaptation of 2005 Japanese novel ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’. The narrative is quite fast; the protagonist is a sales girl of a small eat-out in a remote but beautifully landscaped hill station Kalimpong in West Bengal.

The serene life of Maya D’Souza is disturbed terribly by the appearance of her husband, a policeman but cruelty personified. He comes back to her to blackmail and take money. Maya’s teenage daughter Tara, Maya and the vagabond husband enter into a scuffle in which the man is killed. The twist comes here. We are shown Naren the aged looking Math teacher as her admirer and neighbor in addition to his obsession for Mathematics. He volunteers to rescue her in a very intelligent manner from the felony. But, surprisingly, Karan, the police officer who comes from Mumbai to solve the case corners both Maya as well as Naren.   

Jaideep Ahlawat as the Math Teacher Naren, Kareena as Maya and Vijay as Karan have given commendable performances. Gore and violence? Yes. They are there; but, for a few minutes in the nearly two-hour movie. The backbone, of course, being the dialogues and twists, those who can follow can watch. 

PS; The famous song's few lines come in between the narration and there is no connection to the theme of the story, unfortunately.  

Streaming in Netflix.