Story: An unfortunate incident turns renowned journalist-single mom Maya Menon (Vidya Balan) and her cook Ruksana’s (Shefali Shah) lives upside down. Through their predicament, Jalsa compels one to look within and challenges our notions of truth, morality and survival.
Review: Jalsa is a slow burn, intense drama that unfolds like a psychological thriller. It quietly observes the intricacies of human behaviour when pushed over the edge. Can humanity brave the storm of survival? Can circumstances override truth and conscience? Heath Ledger’s iconic line as the Joker comes to mind. “When the chips are down, these ‘civilized people’? They’ll eat each other.” Do they?
A gripping portrayal of guilt and self-reflection, Suresh Triveni puts inner conflict at the core of his story. He cleverly abstains from letting his two lead characters verbally confront each other and there lies its brilliance. One swamped with guilt, shame and remorse. The other, stifled with pain and anger. Between these two women, their deafening silences and muted chaos, we are compelled to find ourselves and their story.
Jalsa doesn’t resort to theatrics to get its point across. However, at one point, you do feel a tad restless wondering if this film might turn into a crime drama-police procedural. But despite certain loose ends on that front, Triveni sticks to exploring the psyche of his female leads, the everyday challenges of working women. They could be the privileged working class residing in high-rises, single moms or those from lower economic strata; everyone survives in their own way.
480p Download Free Single Link
720p Download Free Single Link