Jana Gana Mana - reap what you sow

Jana Gana Mana 

2022, Malayalam

Director - Dijo Jose Anthony

Stars - Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mamta Mohandas, Shammi Thilakan, Shari, Rajah Krishnamoorthy

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are very few movies that say to you, "watch me again to learn more." Jana Gana Mana is one such movie.  It is a dark, sophisticated, multilayered courtroom drama that brings together fine actors and a brilliant plot to examine the complex moral issues plaguing India today. It is more than a movie, it is a clarion call to reflect on ourselves and our definitions of justice, right and wrong. 

Both lead actors are given ample screen time to mystify us with characters who are subtle and deeply complex men.  Who is right, who is wrong, is understood from the perspective of the various witnesses to a brutal crime. 

The beauty of this film is how each character gains or loses something from all of this, suggesting how each, including the victim, is a pawn to a system where media and politics make for strange bedfellows. 

Like all other critics, l am struggling to describe this film without giving away the story.  To do so would be to ruin your enjoyment.  Watch Jana Gana Mana, more than once.