64. Jaanu; movie review

JAANU
Cert PG
151 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild sex references, language

Already, I am lagging behind on my Indian film intake and I face ten days of seeing none because we are going on our winter break to the Canaries - so I darted from football to Nottingham Cineworld for Jannu.
The increased number of regional Indian films being shown in Nottingham has been something of a Brucie Bonus - I can only hope it continues.
This is not just because it gives me the chance of ticking off more films but also because the quality of Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam movies has risen so sharply in recent years.
Indeed, all three have rather left Bollywood (Hindi) and Punjabi movie-makers in the shade, in my opinion.
Jaanu is an unusual romance, starring Sharwanand as a travel photographer and strict college lecturer who is inspired to take part in a school reunion.
This conjures up myriad memories of the past but particularly his tenth-grade romance with the title character, Jaanu (Samantha Akkineni).
As soon as she appears, he goes from a man bristling with confidence to a jibbering wreck.
Thus, C. Prem Kumar's flits from the present to the past and back again to play out the story from their youth and adulthood.
I'm not usually one for romances but this is better constructed than the average, sprinkled with some neat plot twists.
But the key is the chemistry between Sharwanand and Samatha. I can see why she thinks this is her best performance to date.
When their characters first meet at the reunion, it seems far-fetched that they might still hold a candle for each other after 17 years but, as the evening progresses into the early hours, high emotion is stirred.
And then there is the question of will they or won't they get together which lures the audience to the edge of its collective seat right until the end.
Am I going soft? Maybe. But I thought that Jaanu was good enough to be turned into a Hollywood let alone Bollywood movie.
I was thinking I would not be at all surprised to see the rights being bought up and then discovered it is a remake of the Tamil film '96!
It may not have ended its journey.

Reasons to watch: Engaging and unusual romance
Reasons to avoid: Some will find it way too soppy

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Samantha Akkineni founded the charity Pratyusha Support in 2014. Since then, it has served the underprivileged by delivering some unparalleled medical support to women and children and fulfilled wishes of children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. 

The final word. Samantha Akkineni: "I have given my heart and soul for this film and feel that this is my best performance to date in my career and hope that the audience will feel the same when the film releases." 123Telugu.com

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