New Delhi: 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' starring Nawazudding Siddiqui and Neha Sharma is an outdated romantic comedy mixed with a tinge of women-companionship, but brewed in the same old formulaic structure of such films. Directed by Kushan Nandy and written for screen by Ghalib Asad Bhopali, 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' is the poorest of poor adaptation of the overexploited storyline about a young woman wanting to break free from small-town mentality until she meets someone who matches her madness and angst. The wedding trope is the easiest and most desi version to sell and wrap such a romantic comedy in. Neha Sharma is this woman who wants to break free, Nawazuddin Siddiqui does not want to get married because he doesn't want another addition to the all-women mad household, he seems to support single handedly, that seems to get on his nerves every time he enters his house.
'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' opens in Bareilly at a wedding where the lead pair--Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Neha Sharma-- are introduced in the most typical opening sequence. The opening sequence song 'Torture' happens and the film gets into a tone of a slow-burn, never-ending pace with a few funny punches thrown here and there to help you sail through the film.
What really is worth watching in 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' is Nawazuddin Siddiqui breaking into dance. Despite all earnest efforts, his moves blend well with the comic tone of the film.
As for performances, Neha Sharma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui try to do justice to their parts and yet, some of their sequences feel stretched, forceful and cringy.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui doesn't look convinced with what he seems to be portraying or perhaps, the image of the actor stamped in our minds in a certain way does not help me see the actor out of his comfort mold. Neha Sharma is given dialogues in places not needed and the extra effort to make the rebel-modern woman smoke beedis, use slangs, do what she wants and say what she wants is way too Bollywood cliche. Can we ever get over this in desi Bollywood films?
Sanjay Mishra, seems to belong to another world altogether with a poorly sketched character that can make a veteran such as him look bad, while Zarina Wahab has a cosmetic presence in 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra'.
The background score suits the genre and the breaks into occasional songs here and there are a great respite from the tell-tale, monotonous, predictable stash of romantic comedy.
The screenplay of 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' seems to say something else and point towards something else. For instance; weird kidnapping sequences are followed by romantic songs. One moment, a character is in a certain state of mind and in another, something out of the space. The writing is all over the place with a filmmaker trying to add too much, and unnecessary plot twists which only confuse the matter and character arcs and relationships. The Choudhary gang angle is really twisted and poorly developed!
The production design looks locally imbued. Seeing Sanjay Mishra in only a waistcoat, playing carrom under a tree, in the outskirts of the city is a delight. The small-town sequences also fit well into the storyline of 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra'.
There is also hardly any experimentation with the form and the 'image' as the filmmaker is too busy trying to say too many things, sell the same plot again and again. This is especially true in the second half for which one might need some patience to get through. However, I did like the way 'Babua' was shot and choreographed. It nailed the small-town middle-class familial relationships angle in a practical way.
I, personally, was just waiting for 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' to end in every sequence when it kept going on and on with no motive and intent about why and what was happening in the film the way it was happening.
'Jorgira Sara Ra Ra' follows a three-act structure, the shadi-template, the same 'modern-rebel' woman who speaks her mind, is stuck in small-township needing a man to rescue her and act as a foil when circumstantial comedy prevents that to happen.
There really is nothing worth noting in 'Jogira Sara Ra Ra' barring the scenes where you get to see Nawazuddin Siddiqui dance and the companionship between women and maybe even the 'Babua' track. All in all, this romantic comedy is too old for post-pandemic audiences, so much more exposed to quality content today.