JAGGA JASOOS - POPCORN KHAAKE, PEPSI PEEKE CHALE AAYE

Like most of us, I was also excited about Jagga Jasoos from the word go. Ranbir Kapoor, Anurag Basu, the whole Barfi! vibe, decent music, Katrina Kaif—ok probably not so much. The point being, expectations were high and cut to, here I am sitting right in front of my desk, wondering how could I go so wrong with my instincts!

Having sat through 2hrs and 40mins of a world that is beautiful yet silly, dream-like, yet annoying, I am shaken and disappointed to the level that it might take days to get over what just happened to me.

But as they say, art is subjective. So bidding adieu to all the self-pity, here's my own small list of reasons why you must give Jagga Jasoos a chance and why you could give it a miss! And then it's all up to you, my lovelies!

Here's why you must take your chances -

1. Ranbir Kapoor has outdone himself this time too just like every other time that he's appeared on the big screen. Rockstar, Barfi!, Tamasha, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and the list goes on. He's one star who's never shied away from taking risks and that's what makes him one of a kind. With Jagga also, his performance brings life to the screen. You walk into the theatre being a Ranbir Kapoor fan and by the end, you’re in love.
2. Jagga Jasoos is a complete visual extravaganza. The frames are breathtaking, dream-like and every frame looks like a painting. No wonder cinematographer Ravi Varman received a congratulatory message from the legendary Wes Anderson. The visuals make you want to be a part of Jagga's world.
3. A big shout-out to all the singers! Being a musical, all the emotions are expressed through songs and the vocalists deliver to the acid test. The tonalities, the modulations, the emotions; everything is in the right place!
4. The film has some killer supporting performances, especially Saswata Chatterjee who plays the role of Jagga’s foster father. He is impeccable every single time he makes an appearance on-screen and you won't feel he's the same person who played a ruthless killer in Kahaani. Chatterjee lives his character inside out. Also, Saurabh Shukla shares an effortless chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor which gave us major Barfii! feels.  

And now, here’s why you must contemplate if you really want to do this -

1. The film lacks the most basic pillar of film-making, a story! Though Jagga Jasoos starts off on a high and seems promising in the first 15 minutes, it falters only because of some really sloppy writing which is so bad that the film never recovers from it. The screenplay is full of flaws and is all over the place!
2. Considering it's a musical, our expectations from the music were really high! However, Pritam fails to live up and leaving out a few songs, the music generally disappoints.
3. The characters are extremely poorly sketched out which results in a completely haywire experience. The story reaches a point where you’re left wondering if Jagga is a normal human being or a superhero because he can do stuff that a normal person can’t. Out of nowhere, he's flying planes, riding ostriches and what not. Yes, we understand it's a fantasy film but some logic, please? 
4. The second half gives you false hope and then takes a dip from where there is no coming back. To make matters worse, the VFX goes horribly wrong too. The last 20 minutes of the film are stretched for no good reason and the film almost gets unbearable

On the whole, Jagga Jasoos is an experiment gone horribly wrong and only Ranbir Kapoor is the sole saving grace but after a point of time, even he can’t rid you of your misery.