The film “Janaki Jaane” revolves around the life of Janaki, played by Navya Nair, who works at an offset press. She has been rejecting marriage proposals due to her fears and uncertainties about married life. However, Unni, played by Saiju Kurup, a contractor, persists with his proposal despite knowing about her problems. Their married life goes smoothly until they face a crisis related to the election campaign in their constituency. The director introduces a political angle to create a crisis that helps Janaki overcome her fears. Unfortunately, this political storyline feels underdeveloped and weak, and it becomes one of the movie’s weakest aspects. The film also has other weak spots, including unsuccessful attempts at humor. While there are effective criticisms of voyeuristic media channels, the movie mostly offers one-sided criticism of certain political fronts, similar to many recent films. Despite an interesting premise, the script and execution fail to engage the audience and make them empathize with Janaki’s feelings. Some of her panic attacks, like the one she experiences when left alone on a street, come across as failed attempts at comedy. The frequent shifts to the local political story don’t contribute positively either. Focusing solely on Janaki’s story and deriving conflict from her personal life would have made the film more effective. The explanation for her fears, connected to childhood traumas, is revealed late in the narrative. Navya Nair’s performance doesn’t have much scope to shine, while Saiju Kurup’s recent roles have become somewhat repetitive. Overall, “Janaki Jaane” fails to fully utilize its promising premise.
