"Aap ungali uthaoo, Main awaaz uthaungi¡"
Over the years, Indian cinema has addressed social and taboo issues through its films. Janhit Mein Jaari is one such film And it is important that it reaches the masses.?
Unfortunately, it did not do wonders at the box office. However, thanks to OTT, the film is making the right noise. This movie isn't the only one to have a similar fate.?
Anek had a beautiful social message as well and performed poorly in theatres but was a success on OTT. Is the audience only willing to watch these films on their phones/small screens rather than on the big screen? While everyone is trying to find a legitimate answer to this complex question, the wider picture is that OTT has been a blessing for such films.?
Janhit Mein Jaari, starring Nushrratt Bharuchha, is a comedy with a social message. In the film, a young lady named Manokamna Tripathi wants to work, but like in several families that preach Shaadi to be more important than work or studies for a woman, she becomes a victim of the same.?To avoid the wedding pressure and stay employed, she ends up working for a company that manufactures condoms. The film is about her job and how it affects her life.
Based in Chanderi, the film delves into one of India's most taboo subjects. Even though we live in the twenty-first century, words like sex, condoms, and menstruation are still frowned upon by majority of people. We are not allowed to say these words in front of our parents or adults.?
The film's message is "Mardon Ke Liye Shayad Ye Sirf Ek Zaroorat Hai, Par Hum Auraton Ke Liye Ye Zaroori Hai," and Janhit Mein Jaari aims to popularise this. This film's beautiful social message is about safe sexual intercourse practices and the woman's right to say no if a man fails to use protection.?
Manu, the film's protagonist, is a strong-willed young woman who sheds light on contraception and its importance. The film aims to spark a discussion on usage of condoms.
According to statistics, 1.4 billion people are living in India. It is the world's second most populous country, with more than half of the population under the age of 25.
Did you know...
Abortion was legalised in India long before it became a matter of dispute in Western countries. However, the rate of unsafe abortion remains higher in our country. According to the United Nations Population Fund's State of the World Population Report 2022, unsafe abortions are the third major cause of maternal mortality in India. Over 8 women die each day as a result of unsafe abortions.
Janhit Mein Jaari is more than just a movie; it's a conversation starter about current social issues. But why are there unsafe abortions now that they are legal? The answer is simple: 'Lack Of Knowledge On Sexual Intercourse.' While one can't expect a movie to educate the masses on the same in detail, it is more than enough to kickstart a conversation. Janhit Mein Jaari has managed to do just that and it is vital that each person watches it and takes away the moral of the story.
There could be several reasons why it did not perform well in theatres, the first being that it is a sensitive subject that cannot be watched along with our Indian parents or families. Secondly, the cast may be lacking in big Bollywood names which couldn't drag the audiences to the theatres.?
Also, society is still not ready to accept a female talk about these social issues, just like in the film, how Manu's Father-In-Law was against her until the end of the film for working in a condom factory. It is frequently associated with societal shaming and people degrading women who have the guts to talk about it openly.
The failure of recent films like Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Anek, and now Janhit Mein Jaari in theatres suggest another possibility - the audience do not appreciate social messages. Or maybe, only a film with a social message starring Akshay Kumar can be successful!?
Padman, Toilet-Ek Prem Katha and OMG: Oh My God have been box office smashes. Has Akshay mastered the art of social comedies? There is no doubt that he is the face of many social messages, and people prefer to watch Akshay Kumar's socially conscious films over those of other actors. But isn't it time we treated the other films the same way and give them a chance as well?
The larger topic covered in Janhit Mein Jaari is - Safe Abortions and women's need for condoms.
Abortion is a polarizing topic and not many people are willing to talk about it. However, it's important to understand the side effects of unsafe abortion. Side effects of unsafe abortion include haemorrhage, infection, uterine perforation, cervical injury and incomplete abortion. Women can also experience emotional distress after an abortion which is called Post-Abortion Syndrome. Many anti-abortion folks would quickly jump in to ask - why abort? Well, in many cases, keeping the fetus can be life threatening for females and sometimes lead to other abnormalities.
The lack of knowledge on sex education can lead to high rates of sexual violence and teen pregnancies, which are already high in India, especially among girls aged 10-19 years old.
Though the film does not directly address menstruation, we do see Manu's husband Ranjan offer her hot water bags and chocolate to alleviate period cramps in a few scenes. Male sensitivity towards menstruation is also a small yet significant aspect of this brilliant film.
Janhit Mein Jaari gets brownie points for using a woman to tell the story of women's sufferings. It's also interesting to see Manu, the protagonist, who doesn't fit the stereotypical moral woman stereotype, but she is sankari in the sense that she values her family.
The film also introduces the hero figure in Ranjan played by Anud Singh Dhaka, who is unemployed and, shockingly, lacks the male ego, while his wife works to support the family. Though it takes some time for him to stand up to his conservative father, he eventually takes a stand for his wife and supports her in her job.
The writer of this film Raaj Shandilyaa is known for his witty one-liners and punchlines. He has done a fabulous job with this film.? The narrative of the film addresses the relevant issues with funny and heavy punchlines and the director of the film Jai Basantu Singh did an amazing job as well.
Nushrratt Bharuccha, Vijay Raaz, Tinnu Anand, Anud Singh Dhakat, Brijendra Kala, Ishtiyak Khan, Sapna Basoya, Ishan Mishra, Paritosh Tripathi, Sukriti Gupta, and Satyam Aarakh are among the cast members.
You can stream Janhit Mein Jaari on Zee5.?
(To?read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading?Indiatimes BINGE)