Anees Bazmee, A & N Cinema’s LLP and A3 Events & Media Services’ Jarann (Marathi; UA) is the story about black magic. Radha (Amruta Subhash) goes with her daughter, Saie (Avanee Joshi), to their family house in the village. Once there, Radha finds a doll and starts behaving weirdly. On their return, Radha continues to behave in a strange manner. Actually, Radha has behaved strangely since childhood and for that, she is under the treatment of Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni (Kishor Kadam). Radha now goes for treatment to Dr. Rashmi Pandit (Jyoti Malshe). Meanwhile, Saie now starts playing with the same doll. She tells her mother, Radha, that the doll speaks. Even the house help (Snehal Shidam) feels that there’s something eerie about the doll. Anyway, Dr. Rashmi Pandit contacts Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni when Radha tells her an incident about her childhood. That’s when Dr. Rashmi Pandit gets to know the whole story from Radha’s husband, Shekhar (Vikram Gaikwad), Radha’s parents (Rajan Bhise and Seema Deshmukh), and Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni. The story dates back to when Radha was a child. Right from her childhood, Radha feels that one Ganguti (Anita Date Kelkar), who used to stay on the first floor of their ancestral home in the village, had done black magic on her. She had been cured temporarily but the crazy spells started to recur after her marriage to Shekhar. Why, Saie is not even Radha’s biological daughter. Who is Saie? Does Radha get cured? If so, how? If not, what happens finally?
Rushikesh K. Gupte has written a story which does not engage the viewers. His screenplay is not half as interesting as it should’ve been. The audience often wonder whether Radha is actually possessed or it is all in her imagination. Why Radha changes her doctor is not clear. What purpose is achieved by narrating the entire story to Dr. Rashmi Pandit is also not clear. All in all, the drama is quite weak and inconclusive. Even the fear and thrill elements are missing. Rushikesh K. Gupte’s dialogues are ordinary.
Amruta Subhash does an excellent job in the role of Radha. Anita Date Kelkar is so-so as Ganguti. Avanee Joshi is okay as Saie. Rajan Bhise lends average support as Radha’s father and the same is true of Seema Deshmukh who plays Radha’s mother. Kishor Kadam is alright as Dr. Dhananjay Kulkarni. Jyoti Malshe is average as Dr. Rashmi Pandit. Vikram Gaikwad is ordinary as Radha’s husband, Shekhar. Durva Deodhar is average as little Radha. Amruta Modak (as Revati), Prajakta Datar (as Priyanka), Dhananjay Sardeshpande (as Upadhye Guruji), Rama Nadgauda (as Priyanka’s mother), Snehal Shidam (as the house help), Vaishali Rajeghatge (as Raut Kaku), Shrikant Prabhudesai (as Kaka), Vedant Prabhudesai (as Radha’s cousin) and Rasika Joshi (as Rasika) provide routine support. Bhargavi Chirmule and Sonalee Kulkarni lend star value in a (promotional) song-dance number. Others pass muster.
Rushikesh K. Gupte’s direction is below the mark. A.V. Prafullachandra’s music (there is only one promotional song) is ordinary. His background music is also not too impactful. Vaibhav Deshmukh’s lyrics are okay. Milind Jog’s camerawork is alright. Pradumna Kumar Swain’s action and stunt scenes lack thrill. Mahesh Kore’s art direction is good. Abhijeet Deshpande’s editing is loose.
On the whole, Jarann is a flop show.
Released on 5-6-’25 at Metro Inox (2 shows; in daily 1 show from 6-6-’25) and other cinemas of Bombay thru Panorama Studios. Publicity: so-so. Opening: poor.