Jhansi, the latest Disney+ Hotstar entrant, is a classic example of the Telugu digital space's inability to understand the grammar of a web show. Spanning six episodes, the show, in most parts, feels like a bloated feature film that pays no attention to detail and relies on a few cinematic liberties disguised as thrills. While the story is very thin, the narrative moves aimlessly at a frenetic pace. The characters are cartoonish, the treatment is woefully old-fashioned, and the acting is largely lacking.
Star cast as the titular Jhansi, Anjali leads as the lionhearted female lead of the Telugu Disney+ Hotstar original special series which has six episodes with a running time ranging from 28 to 39 minutes. Premiering on October 27, 2022, the series also features supporting cast such as Chandini Chowdary, Aadarsh Balakrishna, Raj Arjun, Samyukta Hornad, and more, and has been directed by Thiru, while production was handled by Krishna, who also gave rise to another thriller. series previously.
Stars: Sriram Reddy, Anjali, Rajsekhar Aningi
Through a mostly action-packed format, the series brings to light the myriad crimes that seek to victimize women and children. Her trafficking and drug supply terrain form the inspiring and inspiring foundation of the show with the character of Anjali right at the epicenter of such suffering and violations.
The show revolves around a patient with amnesia who has lost track of her past and is trying to connect her dots through some images that repeatedly haunt her. She is unable to accept her present without finding answers to her past. Jhansi touches on topics such as trafficking, child abuse, sexuality, and crime as she unravels vignettes from her titular character's early years. However, it is a half-hearted effort in which the absence of conviction never lets you immerse yourself in her world.
When we say conviction or seriousness, we are talking about the way Jhansi is written. Jhansi never feels like a true female-centric show at any point because there is no effort to understand a woman's mind and her tone is condescending in several instances. When Jhansi's underling says, "The boutique is for those insignificant women who find happiness in fancy clothes rather than marriages," it's very obvious that the line comes from a man.
Another man judges his wife when she drowns at work and has no time for her child. The man makes his partner feel guilty for giving him everything to work for. A middle-aged woman who is busy watching television is portrayed as an example of a mother who cannot raise her children well. Amid these inconsistencies, it's hard to buy a so-called "empowering" story of a female lead standing up for her class who are trafficked.
The depiction of the traffic mafia and the constantly over-the-top performances make Jhansi seem like a botched feature film trying to pass off as a web show. There is also a homosexual angle to the protagonist, but director Thiru struggles to get it right. There are several gaps in the narrative and the filmmaker hopes that we will buy into them in the name of artistic freedom.
Jhansi has a range of subplots, from a man fighting for his activist girlfriend to a prisoner trying to avenge the death of his father, though none of them strike a chord. The antagonists come straight out of 1970s Hindi masala movies: loud, comically flamboyant parts donning jarring costumes and pulling catchy phrases out of their pockets. Creators have little understanding of the nuances of web scriptwriting standards and take audiences for granted.
It's extremely disappointing to see competent artists like Anjali and Chandini Chowdary trying to find any purpose in such a clueless setup. Chandini Chowdary as Barbie has a poorly written role and the creators always can't get away with the "we wanted to tell her story in season two" excuse. Get the first season right and take care of the rest. Aadarsh Balakrishna, Aberaam Varma, Talluri Rameswari and Devi Prasad barely make an impact.
Samyukta Hornad is misunderstood as a policeman from Telangana. Raj Arjun's loud and over-the-top performance ensures a bit of unintended humor, while Chaitanya Varma Sagiraju is passable at best. Surprisingly, Mumaith Khan leaves his mark in an intriguing role. While Jhansi may not have an original story, it could have been a better show with a sensitive writer/director who made a sincere effort to understand his material and paid attention to the nuances of it.
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