Jai Bhim Movie Review

Suriya has established himself as a star who thrives to do films that are close to reality, and he has paved the way stronger with Soorarai Pottru last year. Ticking things in the right fashion, the actor has returned with an even bigger impact with the 2021 release in Jai Bhim, an extraordinary film that is brimming with intensity throughout.

Jai Bhim is the true story of lawyer Chandru, who is known to have solved a huge number of cases in his lifetime, and out of which – a story about police brutality against a tribe turns out to be the most head-turning. The film catapults a superb case and travels with simmering excitement that keeps on increasing from stage to stage, leading to a flawless climax. There is absolutely no diversion from the storyline as TJ Gnanavel fills his narrative with interesting facts, true-to-life events, raw emotions and smashing courtroom scenes that do not divert our attention at all. The film treats its narrative in a chapter-based structure, which makes it neat and clear for people to understand, without using too much of a back-and-forth narrative throughout.

Jai Bhim has a phenomenal performance from Suriya, who takes the film by the horns and delivers what’s needed in full. Usually, stars would opt to enter the film only in the second half, but the way in which Suriya’s character travels in entirety is special to watch.

The film largely benefits from his spectacular performance, which includes pitch-perfect dialogue delivery in the courtroom sequences. The film also benefits from the performances of Manikandan and Lijomol Jose, who both come up with tough but influential acts. If not for the correct portrayal of their characters, Jai Bhim would have struggled to hold up with the narrative. The supporting cast is packed with solid names such as Prakash Raj, Rao Ramesh, Guru Somasundaram and more who all come up with good contributions to the film. Ramesh in particular is superb with his Tamil diction which comes off as a surprise.

The music by Sean Roldan is powerful in every sense of the word, understanding the weight of the film and also paying heed to silence wherever necessary. The film also has a couple of mass-friendly scenes for the star in it, and thanks to TJ Gnanavel for introducing it neatly. On the other hand, the cinematography and editing are both stellar, ensuring that the film has no lags and does not feel the actual length of 2.45 hours.

On the whole, Jai Bhim is a sterling film from Suriya and his camp, coming off much better than expected. The film’s strong narrative, closeness to real life and the impact that it creates are brilliant, making it one of the best films of the year. The only grouse would be on how it missed a theatrical release.  Jai Bhim Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas

Jai Bhim Movie Review Rating: 4/5