Jalsa is the story of a hit & run accident which throws a lot of people's lives haywire. It forces and tests their belief systems, morality while being a character study of sorts. What happens when people are pushed to their brink, when it's about their survival? Is morality thrown out of the window or do you fight it? The film is a nuanced portrayal of all the above.
It stars arguably the two biggest powerhouses of acting in Indian cinema, Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. Vidya plays the role of a tough, ethical journalist while Shefali plays the role of her maid. The juxtaposition the films portrays through it's two female leads is laudable. Both are at polar ends of the societal class system, have their own set of problems and are bound by maternal roles & instincts. An unfortunate incident takes place which turns their world upside down and both are left to ride through the chaos that ensues their life. What follows is a taut thriller and a game of human emotions, psyche and morality.
The writing cleverly avoids any sort of melodrama to get its point across. While Vidya's character is more vocal and dialogue heavy (being a journalist), Shefali's gut wrenching silent portrayal of her sufferings is on another level. Suresh Triveni helms the director's hat along with Prajwal Chandrashekhar's taut writing. It translates to a slow burn screenplay giving ample time for the story to brew. The film does test your patience in some places but all the pieces and conflicts have been carefully orchestrated by the director and writers which pays off as the story gradually progresses. The support cast is also terrific especially child actor Surya who plays Vidya's disabled son. One of the biggest highlights of the show apart from the acting is the how to plot progresses and ends. Time and again and even through the trailer one might expect the film to turn into a regular run of the film cop crime thriller. But the film turns drastically away from this and there in lies it's monopoly.
With just a shade over 2 hours, Jalsa is a fascinating watch of complex human emotions, their inner conflicts and the instinctive fight for survival.
