'Joram' movie review: Manoj Bajpayee is remarkable in this brutal tale of justice and survivial

For all those who have seen the trailer of Devashish Makhija’s Joram that stars Manoj Bajpayee, shouldn’t be surprised by just how many surprises the film throws at you. Even when the film commences on a cheerful and playful note, the moment goes dark seconds later and you’re left perplexed in rather discomforting ways. Maybe the film tries to show how life tests you the most when your need something the most, or protect something you cherish and love the most. There’s a moment when Bajpayee (who breathes life into the lifeless life of Dasru) stares at the sunrise, hoping the darkness he’s been thrown at to disappear soon.

It’s not just the expertise of Manoj Bajpayee in playing such crucial and complex characters, the camerawork does a fine job of conveying his helplessness and horror too. There’s both stillness and swiftness in its movement, blending with the mood of the narrative. And then there’s Zeeshan Ayyub, finally free from the clutches of playing the hero’s best friend. He plays a police officer but has his own share of struggles, he hasn’t been home since two nights and his morose voice and face suggest disappointment and not callousness.

A brutal letter to injustice and survival

Dasru, who later becomes Bala, migrates to Mumbai from a village in Jharkhand for a supposed better life, only to be swallowed by mayhem and miseries. A barbaric mishap forces him to be on the run from the law. This is a survival drama where Makhija blurs the line between the angel and the devil. What cannot be blurred is how innocence and helplessness suffer at the hands of the corrupt. A very effective and mysterious Smita Tambe, who plays Phulo Karma plays that very character, hounding and mauling Bala to meet her own needs. After a point, Bala’s battle isn’t only with injustice but survival too.

What is development?

Joram isn’t only a film about a man’s endurance, there’s equal spotlight on the calamity rural-urban migrations bring with them; Hansal Mehta did that with his 2014 Citylights. It’s also about how the ravening regime chews on livelihoods and cannibalizes on their torment after luring them into a world of comfort and employment. In one scene, a character says ‘Development isn’t math, everything doesn’t have to add up.’ It’s like the mouthpiece of the authority speaking and not a man who has been denied what he was assured by these very cruel monsters.

The holy trinity

Manoj Bajpayee and Devashish Makhija complete their holy trinity with Joram, after their earlier collaborations Taandav and Bhonsle. Few filmmakers understand Bajpayee’s grit and genius the way he does. It’s as if he creates a sea of intricate narratives and throws the actor into it to find his own feet and sail through. The pace of the story is purposely snail-paced, the intent is to let the viewers be informed how long it takes to find justice and be immersed in this torn individual’s plight.

The fight, and plight continue

The finale is marveling. If you look closely, there are no villains in the story, everyone has their own story and the motivations fit well in them. Right till the end, the cops are hot on his trail and Bala continues to run. After a point, even the camera movement looks jittery portraying this man’s exhaustion. The screen goes black but we can listen to his breathlessness. The film has ended, but his struggles have not. That’s the whole point of Joram, justice is the end of the story, injustice never ends.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)