Jagga Jasoos (2017) User Reviews

A brave attempt by Anurag Basu and Ranbir Kapoor

[sushant0406 · 6/10 · 15 July 2017]

Acting by Ranbir Kapoor , Saurabh Shukla,Saswata Chatterjee and even Katrina Kaif(who seemed to give her career best performance, not that she had set the bar very high).The cinematography is outstanding.The entire concept of making a full fledged musical.The songs are a treat to the ears. The music by Pritam is good(Not sure if it is original).

Jagga Jasoos has an engaging first that manages to peak your interest towards both the content and the presentation. However, it is in the second half that the narrative loses a little steam. At the end, Jagga Jasoos is about a boy's search for his missing father-like figure. Perhaps I was expecting a lot more from it despite being aware of what the core plot was and the lack of any real mystery seems to have been a turn off for me.

However, the end of the movie left me asking for more. Much more. But based on the kind of movies that we Indians are used to , I don't expect Jagga Jasoos to be a commercial hit and consequently, don't see there to be any valid reason why the producers should opt for a potentially engaging sequel.

This movie is a one-time must watch, in the theaters. Such movies need to be encouraged. Jagga Jasoos may not be the perfect movie, but it is a bold move in the right direction.

Encouraging attempt to adopt a Comic Character on screen.

[kinshuk-gaur · 7/10 · 15 July 2017]

First thing straight Jagga Jasoos might not be one of the most magnificent movies made. But it still stand apart because it give you a sense of Nostalgia and those who have been born and brought up in late 80 and 90's will understand the comic book style imparted to the movie. Comics were craze during that era.

The movie is heavily inspired from the Iconic comic character Tintin created by Herge. The protagonist Ranbir aka Jagga is smart , Intelligent , young and cheerful , depicts all the qualities courage when he sets out in the hopes of finding his father with a fellow companion .

He considers his father alive and well against all odds, no matter who tries to tell him otherwise . Also, shows character of a pure friendship while helping Katrina in one of his ventures. These are the similar qualities depicted by Tintin in numerous of his comic characters. To relate to this movie you have to be a bit of a comic book fan. Though the movie depicts a serious message but still it shows the event with a witty flair. Jagga Jasoos is different in its treatment as here Jagga does all bond style histrionics but does not have any tact in doing whatever he does. He is no macho who will beat several guys or some high profile spy who has all the smartest gadgets to get his work done. The simplicity of the character will charm you.

You can watch Jagga Jasoos due to the following strengths. The cast is is very well balanced and all the actors have done what was expected out of them. Ranbir and Shashwat Chatterje are a step ahead among st the characters. The Cinematography is excellent and gives you a great visual treat. CGI is good. Some sequences are exactly a reproduction of few Iconic Tintin comics. Those who have read will get it.

The movie where it struggles is due to its varying pace in the first half,pathetic editing (some scenes you realize are just repeat while explaining to the viewer) I have watched such bad editing after long. Direction is not that great. Movie becomes monotonous with the sing song tone that it carries throughout though understandable the lead stammers.

To sum up Jagga Jasoos is a good and different attempt and is encouraging to see that we can also adopt comic characters may be not with the exact astuteness. Watch it for Ranbir as he shows his spark after few fiascos in the past. This will remind of the finesse of Ranbirs ability last seen in Rocket Singh and Rockstar. This might also give a lease of life to Katrina as well.

Genius but not for general audience

[ashleshbhati · 7/10 · 25 May 2020]

I think it was the first musical film from Bollywood. I really enjoyed the film. It doesn't seem like Bollywood at all. Anurag Basu has done a fantastic job. But it does have it's flaws. The film was a huge failure at box office and I can see why.

The film is really twisted and strange. The story is hard to understand. It's not really a 10/10 at all but I gave it anyway. This film is only meant for a certain type of audience. It's not everyone's cup of tea. You either love it or you hate it. There is no middle ground.

I really loved the songs, direction Ranveer Kapoor's acting, Cinematography and filming locations. It was a great experience for me.

But Indian audience isn't used to musicals. And the Film's greatest weakness and flaw among many is it's length. Too long. It gets boring at some parts and is really hard to focus.

Jagga Jasoos is worth watching musical adventure where the music part scores high but adventure doesn't.Ranbir's stellar performance and Ravi Verman's DOP deserves applause.

[shobanchittuprolu · 7/10 · 31 October 2017]

Jagga Jasoos (2017): When all the filmmakers takes inspiration from Hollywood action films and thrillers,Anurag Basu chose an entirely different path.He got mesmerized by Hollywood comedies and magical adventures and by taking them as inspiration he weaves his own plot.His previous film Barfi! has lot of scenes inspired from several Classic Hollywood films especially Chaplin's.Now Jagga Jasoos is like an Indian adaptation of The Adventures of TinTin. After much complications, several re-shoots and one very public breakup between the lead pair later,Jagga Jasoos came into theaters but became a commercial failure.

Plot: The journey of Jagga (Ranbir Kapoor) who is an amateur detective and someone who has a stammering problem the film essentially revolves around Jagga's search for his father Tutifuti (Saswata Chatterjee) who deserted him at a very young age. Shurti Sengupta (Katrina Kaif) is a senior correspondent who is trying to bust an illegal arms racket and crosses paths with Jagga while both of them are trying to crack the same case.

My Review: For a film industry that got its own certain rules of using music, Jagga Jasoos is an undeniable experiment. The screenplay is structured as chapters from a comic book; the movie uses a classroom full of kids and their teacher, Shruti as its main storytelling device. The films unfolds as she narrates stories from the book, and we're pulled into Jagga's world of makeshift houses, merry characters and rhyming dialogue.

Entire first half is engaging with Jagga's two chapters in his life where he solves two murder mysteries with his detective skills.His musical methods of unravelling mysteries are the most exciting bits.The entire childhood episode of Jagga is dealt emotionally and entry of Katrina at the crucial part and her investigation which was taken into hands by Jagga,all such scenes bring us a real TinTinesque adventure.

But what really went wrong is that Second half which is the main mystery for Jagga is dealt rather childishly than the murder mysteries in first half which was dealt in a mature way.Anurag Basu lost his vision in second half by confusing whether he was making a childish adventure or a matured one because lot of scenes in second half looks outright silly.Even though the film deals with sensible issue like Weapons drop,the way it was dealt looks so rushed.

The major baggage of the film is carried well by music director Pritam. The film is a musical, thus heavily dependent on its music and Pritam has surely justified Basu's hard work with his enchanting scores which is the narration style of the film. It is a standalone success that's cleverly written and perfectly choreographed with foot tapping Bad Lucky, Tukka Laga, Chocolatey Chunnu and Khaana Khaake Daaru Peekey Chale Gaye.The numbers, born effortlessly out of situations in the screenplay, are comical and catchy. Amitabh Bhattacharya, who is credited with lyrics and "rhyming dialogue," is at the top of his game.

Ranbir once again proves his acting prowess as a stammering yet confident Jagga. His animated expressions suit the setup of the film and at no point does he feel too dramatic or over expressive.He manages to make you laugh and tugs at your heartstrings by being goofy and gloomy as suddenly as required.Katrina too is fine as Shruti, and in fact, evoke chuckles as a clumsy yet impressive investigator. Saswata Chatterjee as Tuti-futi Bagchi is brilliant in his role. He is impressive with his emotions and more than his words, it's his eyes that do the talking. Saurabh Shukla as one of the many villains is impressive in his part.

Shining aspect of the film is its cinematography. Ravi Verman's frames feel right out of a storybook and the colours just pop out like any other Hollywood feel-good Disney film. VFX of the film is too bad as I had expected a lot from seeing the trailers.

I think Jagga Jasoos could have been perfect as a TV show with the possibility of Jagga being our own TinTin.

So,Jagga Jasoos is worth watching musical adventure from Bollywood where the music part scores high but adventure doesn't.Ranbir's stellar performance and Ravi Verman's DOP deserves applause.

My rating 6.75/10

Misleading Reviews

[paularjyarishi · 10/10 · 7 September 2018]

I really don't understand what the celebrity critics were smoking when they trashed this gem of a film.

I agree, it's not perfect. It's flawed.

But even then, it's fantastic! Be it the lavish camera, the winding narrative, the incorporation of metafiction, numerous nods to Satyajit Ray, and there's so much more to appreciate in this film.

Saswata Chatterjee and Ranbir Kapoor are at the top of their game. A full fledged musical tossed with a Tintin flavour and grave undertones, sprinkled with elements of espionage, adventure, some hilarious lyrics.. JJ has a lot to offer. Including the beautiful track, Musafir.

Please give it a watch folks.

I have a feeling that it'll become a cult classic in the later years.

In an age of masala garbage and propagandist films, JJ was uniquely wonderful. We as an audience couldn't do justice to this film.

Basu breaks the storytelling norms!

[pentales · 7/10 · 18 July 2017]

Anurag Basu dares to take a road that no director will think of and through this attempt he takes us on a journey worth remembering. "Jagga Jasoos" with its musical take on comedy opens a different genre for Indian audiences and gives them a detective to root for. The tracks taking the story forward are funny and groovy and numbers like "Unlucky", "Ramu Kaka", "Raita" keep your feet tapping, other short tracks too are tad brilliant and I wish Jagga album would have released with a full movie soundtrack. Ranbir gives a stellar performance as the goofy detective and has Tintin swag throughout. The movie could have been reduced short by 15-20minutes to make it a more memorable experience but the cinematography and strong visuals make you forget that too. I don't know what one has to do to make the collection ticking at box office if not this, I wish it was appreciated to the level it deserves.

Haphazard plot and unrelatable characters make for a tiresome watch...!

[atiyaahsan · 1/10 · 28 February 2018]

I have always been a big fan of Anurag Basu. "Gangster" made me cry for days. I loved the intricately woven myriad of moving, personal stories in "Life in a metro", and "Barfi" gave me all the feels. So, even though I'm not really a fan of the lead pair in this flick, I still decided to give "Jagga Jasoos" a watch because of some of the positive reviews on IMDB; and I must say, they were utterly misleading, for I found the plot to be tedious, the story, confusing, the direction aimless and the movie dragging. At over 2 and a half hours, it could have benefited heavily from some much-needed editing.. Katrina Kaif was, as per expectation, dull, and uninteresting. Ranbir Kapoor was, as always, blank and inexpressive. He is utterly unconvincing as someone who suffers from a speech impediment; that is not how people with a stutter talk. I couldn't help but compare how Shahid Kapoor had portrayed the character of someone with a speech defect much more convincingly in "Kameeney". Furthermore, I'm growing increasingly weary of Ranbir Kapoor's incessant slew of one dimensional quirky characters that are supposed to be weird but likable, only they aren't. He was the same in "Tamasha," and pretty similar in "Barfi." Speaking of the latter, it seems that the director can't get out of whole mind frame of "Barfi." He has tried desperately to replicate the set design, the look, the soundtrack and the feel of the critically acclaimed flick only this one is not supported by an intriguing story, likable characters and crisp editing like the previous venture, and so what worked well for "Barfi" doesn't help here, and only works to make the plot even more confusing and meandering. Sorry Anurag, but this one was a "Swing-and-a-miss".

A brave, audacious and sometimes-flawed attempt that deserves to be celebrated

[ashwamedh · 9/10 · 15 July 2017]

Jagga Jasoos is many things, both good and not-so-good, but 'typical Bollywood' is a tag even the most die-hard detractors will not be able to bestow upon it. In fact, it is the opposite of that tag for the most part. It is a beautifully crafted, melodiously tuned and exquisitely shot story of Jagga that is essentially a comic book brought to life.

Watch it for director Anurag Basu's sheer audacity of attempting a film that is mounted on a scale so lavish and so large that it seems to lose its way here and there for short periods. Make no mistake, it will demand your attention, failing which you might lose track of what's going on. In return, it will reward you with breathtaking cinematography, rich music, a fantastic supporting cast and typical-of-Anurag-Basu-comic-moments. Katrina Kaif's Shruti does enough to carry off the role, but you can't help but wonder 'what-if' and think of other actresses who could have portrayed the role better.

The same can't be said of Ranbir Kapoor. His endearing Jagga has Kapoor in top form and leaves you convinced that no other current actor could have played this part.

On the whole, Jagga Jasoos is a must-watch. It is a film that deserves the large screen, and it is an attempt that, I think, will age very well. As a sometimes-flawed movie that's full of heart, I would take it any day over synthetic, formulaic 'Bollywood' fare that we are served week after week. This is a good sign of the things to come for the Hindi film industry.

9/10 for me.

The movie is a beautiful experience. Would have been a 10 if not for 2 major issues.

[aryaditya · 6/10 · 27 November 2017]

A beautiful movie. Must watch because of a few marvelous performance and brilliant cinematic experience. One of the few films to take place in the North-East India, which must be seen more. If these two major issues were removed, it is a brilliant movie.

Issues for me - Katrina Kaif's awful dialogue delivery & expressions. Declines the overall movie experience as she is the orator. Big thumbs down.

Secondly, not justifying the character of a senior school student just to add a happy love story. A child in love with or attracted to an aged journalist is fine. But just neglecting the age of your lead character to show it in a relationship with the journalist is idiotic. Many other story plots are forced and do not justify the character or continuity of the character.

Movie Very Boring .

[laughlikelight-84476 · 3/10 · 17 July 2017]

Please , think before someone invests in movies like this . Do not love these kind of films . Acting of Ranbeer is like OK . But The Story is such that It is Easy to lose interest in acting or movie itself Quickly , in seconds . Conclusion , I really will be happy if there is a scheme where I get my Money Back , for the ticket I Bought .

Intriguing and heart-warming

[Zack_US · 9/10 · 13 July 2017]

The film seems like one of those musicals Bollywood was waiting for so long. The director has created a dream-like environment in which Ranbir Kapoor plays a man-child with extraordinary deduction skills. The film is told mostly through songs. The cinematography will have you glide through this fairy-tale. It is a compilation of many stories that build up to make Ranbir's character. Finally all I can say is that Jagga Jasoos a journey worth taking. Enjoy this amazing flick!

Good attempt, but a disappointment in the end.

[digDeeper92 · 6/10 · 14 July 2017]

Jagga Jasoos reminded me of my academic year in high school..it started off with a bang, but gradually turned out to be massive letdown. The effort at putting together a smart and funny action adventure could be spotted throughout the stylized comic-bookish tone of the film, which is a really unique attempt by Anurag Basu. But the tone is all over the place. The idea of putting together an action-musical is executed well, but at parts, the songs feel forced and the singing unnecessary. It eventually turns from smart and funny to stupid and silly, and by the time its over..you are left with nothing but expectations for a better sequel, which is made evident by a guest appearance at the very end. Its a very fast-paced movie, with creative visual choices and without any boring elements. But the action lacks originality and feels choppy. The visual effects are not so bad. Overall, its a good attempt but a big disappointment.

??? Detective movie

[rubysraj-76930 · 1/10 · 29 March 2018]

Ok, it is supposed to be a detective movie. As expected , detective movies should be serious and exciting. I don't expect anything from Ranveer Kapoor as he is a horrible actor but i'm big fan of detective movies , so decided to watch. well about 5min into movie, i realized what a cheesy script. This a musical movie.......I mean come on. I was hoping it will get better but it is horrible. I couldn't watch it past 20 min. i don't know what they were trying to do but its not a thriller, not comedy, not romantic, not dramatic.....dont know what Genre I would classify it. DONT WASTE TIME. can ranveer do any decent movie ? he is seriously a blemish on the Kapoor family

Jagga is lovable, but i hated the editing

[saketsaurav-86828 · 7/10 · 16 July 2017]

I did not enjoy it fully, yet would rate it 10/10 just because we don't get such movies often. Bollywood deserves to grow and should make movies that are out of the box even if they do not fit with the audience taste. This film Jagga Jasoos is missing the line of perfection by a small margin only because of editing. Many are claiming that it loses connection with the audience in the second half, and I agree with that. I was with the movie throughout trying to connect scenes but could not succeed due to jumps between scenes. This must have been indeed a very longer movie and the director Anurag Basu could have chosen to release it in two parts like Gangs of Wasseypur. That could have served better. Ranbir Kapoor and Saswata Chatterjee have done excellent job. Saurabh Shukla is very good. I don't expect anything from Katrina Kaif, but she somewhat managed to surprise me. What hurt me was the role of Sayani Gupta. She hardly had a dialogue, don't know why she was wasted. Same was with Rajatava Dutta. All the characters seem to have a story of their own but looks like all those scenes were chopped off.

Awesome Movie...Must Watch

[soniakapoorsoniakapoor · 10/10 · 14 July 2017]

First day first show. I really loved this movie.A Delightful Story Straight Out of an Adventurous Comic Book.All class of people will like it.For Ranbir Acting will give 5 star. Katrina 4 star. Children will love it.Another shining aspect of the film is its cinematography. Entertaining, experimental and adventurous to the core, Jagga Jasoos is definitely a stepping stone towards a genre not yet explored by even the biggest of Bollywood filmmakers

A good attempt

[arif-syed660 · 6/10 · 9 September 2017]

This movie could have been successful at the box office.But it failed,because there were too many musical elements in the movie which,after a certain point made the movie excruciatingly boring.Also the makers should know for a fact that the Indian audience is not accustomed to such films.Other than that, it was a pretty decent attempt by the director to do something new with his film.

Awful movie, don't waste your time

[rockyrakesh1331 · 1/10 · 16 July 2017]

The director thinks we haven't seen TINTIN when we were kids. Such dumb people needs to understand we know this stuff already.

Ranbir is really dumb and should give up acting.

Katrina has acted like she always does, no complaints there.

The plot is not at all interesting but tries to portray our protagonist as TINTIN but the level is way lower than common sense.

Quirky and Fun, Unlike Anything You've Seen in Indian Cinema

[nandidot · 8/10 · 15 July 2017]

Hurray, it finally released! There has been a lot of debate about whether Jagga Jasoos would see the light of day. It was in the making for 3.5 years surrounded by countless controversies: the infamous Ranbir/Katrina breakup, production setbacks, endless delays, and rumors of the movie being shelved. Regardless of its fate getting here was no easy feat. Jagga Jasoos is a quirky film, no two words on that. It's highly unusual and targets the child in all of us. I'm impressed that such a high-concept and risky film was okayed in the first place and that Ranbir chose it as his debut production. Well done to the team on that front. And I'm happy to say I found joy in Jagga's peculiar world.

Young Jagga, played by Ranbir Kapoor, is a novice detective whose sharp mind allows him to question everything and search for answers where there are none. When his father mysteriously disappears one day Jagga, with the help of a journalist (Katrina Kaif), begins a quest to track him down. But this is only part of the story. Much of the first half is made up of understanding Jagga's world and watching him solve mysteries. There is fun to be had here if you can embrace the madness.

Jagga constantly stutters. To deal with his communication woes the young jasoos sings his thoughts. Hence, the musical nature of the film. And mind you, this is a musical in the truest sense. Much of the dialogue is conveyed through song. Ranbir says very little out of tune. I found myself getting used to and enjoying this interesting approach to storytelling about 20 minutes into the film. After which I didn't expect anything else. The movie is packaged as a children's story. The canvas is colorful and you'll be tapping your feet to most of the songs especially Dil Ulu Ka Patha Hai.

Anurag Basu, of Barfi fame, has creatively conceived a film that couldn't have been easy to imagine. His mind like Jagga's is one of a kind. But his execution, also like Jagga's, has its share of flaws. The first half needs trimming and the script should've matched the intellect. Also, the slight dubbing issues (probably) caused by production delays bothered me. But you can overlook these mishaps if you're invested in the plot. What works wonders for the film is the humor. It's gentle and graciously sprinkled throughout the narrative. You will laugh yourself silly at several points. Jagga trying to fly a plane is not something I'll easily forget.

Ranbir Kapoor's talent should be studied. He's miles ahead of his contemporaries. He hardly speaks in the movie yet every emotion and thought going through Jagga's mind is conveyed in such a poetic manner that you're left in awe. The 34 year old star is playing a teenager here and not once can you imagine anyone else in his place. I continue to be a fan, Mr. Kapoor. Katrina Kaif fits the character to a tee. You can't say she is a particularly good actor but she's a charmer and impresses once more with the innocent act she's managed to own over the years. The chemistry between the leads is also one for the books especially since it's not based in romance. I'm not sure if we'll see them together again but it was delightful while it lasted.

All said and done Jagga Jasoos is unlike anything you've seen before. I'm running out of ways to say unique but that's what it is. Many people in the theatre, myself included, clapped and cheered at the end of the film while the gentleman next to me woke up from his nap. Cleary the audience is divided so have a look for yourself and see where you fall. While that delicious ending deserves a sequel, I'm certain we won't see another movie (or a more natural actor) like this anytime soon.

https://stuffiwatchblog.wordpress.com

A must watch movie for ranbir's acting

[dheeraj-80122 · 6/10 · 20 July 2017]

It all started with a musical story telling, over all its a nice film, nice art work, beautiful editing, well directed, music yes and what made the whole films beautiful is ranbir's acting, such a great performance. I felt like the film is going to be a storm to feel in everyone hearts who watches but in few scenes lots of bumps which bored. when he solves a murder case of his teacher, i thought there will be more interesting investigation carries when he accepts new challenges(cases) but it just goes on. Viewers can think easily what is going to be the next scene. Its a good film to watch and enjoy.... i myself enjoyed a lot watching JAGGA's character in JAGGA JASOOS, even all characters are designed beautifully but still i felt somewhere not satisfied at some situations and about dance no one can judge his tempo or the way he applies a step with endless expression.. JAGGA JASOOS awesome to watch and enjoy, i love the movie and galti se mistake song.. i will be waiting to see more projects from anurag basu and many many more films done by RANBIR KAPOOR and i hope both of them entertain more with new mind blowing movies..

Horrible ....

[sajidarshad · 1/10 · 14 November 2017]

One Line Review: Torture movie, If you want to damage your brain .. watch this movie. otherwise PLEASE PLEASE skip it.

What's Good: Saswata Chatterjee

What's Bad: Too many.

Loo Break: Anytime you want

Watch or Not?: Only if you have extra brain cells and want to damage.

Awesomeness guaranteed

[royronit-51350 · 10/10 · 13 July 2017]

A really good movie with laughs and gags...ranbir at his best....Katrina really acts decent and looks damn cute......Disney again proved that it only produces good movies....overall Ranbir-Katrina chemistry proves to be pretty good....Good editing and songs(Galti Se Mistake is the best) ,stunning visuals...beautiful sceneries...So watch or not?? Yes I think you really got to watch this....films like this don't come often so grab the chance!!! Though made for kids this movie impresses all age groups!

A good attempt

[shariqkarim · 7/10 · 18 November 2020]

It was just like a fresh breeze.....only ranbeer kapoor could do this role to perfection..... The vision from Anurag basu was on the screen but length of movie should be shorten..... The movie could have been even better if no controveries were attached to it...... Full marks to basu for thinking out of the box and unorthodox way of story telling.... This movie is For those audience who still believe bollywood can do better

Awful. I could not sit through this

[gchiragg · 1/10 · 6 August 2017]

As a fan of Katrina kaif I was quite excited for this movie. But this ended up being so bad that I could NOT watch the whole movie. Haven't seen a more boring movie this year yet. They ruined it all by making everything through songs. The dialogues are sang. DO NOT RECOMMEND for general audience at all. This movie is all songs. Most of them aren't even good.

Awesome film with fresh content

[ettanfan · 7/10 · 9 June 2021]

The making of the film was promising. The duration of The film was 2hrs 41min but we never feel any lag on this film. And the director added some entertaining elements to the movie which are quite good.

Witness to a historical moment in Hindi films. Best Bollywood movie for this year so far

[shilpashamatanwar · 10/10 · 14 July 2017]

Ranbir Kapoor is the lifeline of Jagga Jasoos.He is what makes the film watchable and engages you on very level.He takes to playing jagga with such ease that you don't even think of it as an attempt to play a character. With Ranbir, Jagga jasoos wouldn't have been what it is. Bassu and RK have managed to create a fusion of perfect timing and the magic that is needed a film special.