Review: 'Joram' is an acting masterclass from Manoj Bajpayee while being a difficult yet essential watch

Joram

There are only a few ways you sign up to feel unsettled when you're going in to watch a film. One way is by going in for a potboiler actioner like Animal that does so in a very different manner and one way is going in for a film like Joram. 

Both polar opposites but both sure to unsettle you in unprecedented ways. But let's talk about Joram, as it arrives in theaters day after tomorrow and even though it might not have a fighting chance against the box office tsunami that Animal continues to march on, it deserves a mention, it deserves appreciation. Having had the chance to see Joram beforehand, here's what I thought about it-

A Survival Cat-and-mouse Chase With An Overarching Theme

There's a consistent eerieness about Joram even when it displays the more subtle moments (which are few and far in between). Dasru aka Bala (Manoj Bajpayee) cannot be called an ordinary man because he isn't. He belongs to the majority who struggle to fight for existence on a daily basis. Happy and content initially in his village of Jhinpidi, Jharkhand with his wife, Vaani (Tanishta Chatterjee), situation forces them to come to Mumbai where they are working for an under construction building as daily wage labourers. They aren't happy but they aren't sad either. 

Using unused wood to light up fire to cook food, thinking about the next day and how will they get through it, Bala and Vaano are powering through - more so for their three-month old daughter, Joram. The instant indication of capitalism where greedmonger private firms are trying to capture land becomes the base for a cat-and-mouse chase that even Bala did not anticipate. One incident leads to Bala being on the run with the aforementioned three-month daughter and just fighting for survival and pretty much escaping everyone - not just in Mumbai but in his home in Jharkhand. 

The economic divide between different stratas of society, the facade of development that propels big scams is all an overarching theme for a helpless, loving and determined father. Parallely, you have Sub-Inspector Ratnakar (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) an underpaid, overworked cop who gradually understands what he's gotten into. Battling with righteousness, he is the only one with some empathy for Bala even though he doesn't know the reality. The survival odds gets bleaker and bleaker as more authorities get involved and that's where Joram shines. Instantly establishing a protagonist that you not only empathise with but root for, even though the more questionable developments feel partially understandable in the setting.

Manoj Bajpayee - That's It

Just how can you find any more superlatives to describe Manoj Bajpayee that haven't been used before. One compliment that I can give him which might not have been conveyed to him so far - is that inspite of tasting money and success the way he has in these past few years, Joram reminds you what Bajpayee was, is and will always be capable of. He lives, breathes and feels Bala to an extent only he could. Few actors are able to do the job incredibly well inspite of having minimal dialogues and Bajpayee probably tops the list. 

His anguish, his helplessness, his motivation and survival instinct for his adorable three-month daughter is infectious and the glue that holds a sluggish second-half throughout most of its runtime. And then there's the adorable Joram. A three month kid, who isn't acting (obviously) but looking at her every time just has your gut wrenching and somehow willing to just take that kid into your arms and love her.

Ayyub might not have much to work with on the outset but he still manages to play Ratnakar with a subtle tiredness and nonchalance that make you feel for him as well. And he is just the right break you need from the atrocities and struggles that Bajpayee is going through.

The Verdict

Joram is disturbing, slow and taxing even - but essential and a masterclass in acting and cinematography from Piyush Puty. Writer and director Devashish Makhija has created a world that might not be everyone's cup of tea but still needs to be tasted and admired for what it presents.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)