Tag Archives: Bollywood Movies on Netflix

Movie Review: Jaane Jaan (2023)

4 Stars (out of 4)

Watch Jaane Jaan / Suspect X on Netflix

In Jaane Jaan (also known as “Suspect X“) — filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh’s adaptation of the novel The Devotion of Suspect X — Ghosh showcases the same gifts for establishing atmosphere and directing actors as he displayed in 2012’s brilliant thriller Kahaani.

Much of what made Kahaani so engrossing were the subtle interactions between characters, like the tender way Officer Rana looks at pregnant Vidya, the woman he’s helping search for her missing husband. He’s smitten with her, even though he (and we) know they can never be together. Jaane Jaan is full of poignant glances and meaningful expressions that command the audience’s attention even more powerfully than a flashy action sequence.

Kareena Kapoor Khan plays Maya, a single mother living in the West Bengal hill town Kalimpong with her 14-year-old daughter Tara (Naisha Khanna). One day, the nightmare Maya has feared for almost fifteen years comes true: her husband Ajit (Saurabh Sachdev) — a sleazy Mumbai cop who dabbles in human trafficking — finally tracks her and Tara down. Though Maya assumes that Ajit is there for her, his intentions are more sinister.

Maya’s next door neighbor Naren (Jaideep Ahlawat) — a respected but aloof mathematics teacher — is reticence personified, but he’s a keen observer. He puts some clues together (thanks in no small part to their apartment building’s paper-thin walls) and determines that Maya is in trouble. He knocks on her door at a crucial moment, offering mother and daughter an unexpected but desperately needed lifeline.

Days after Ajit’s arrival, another stranger comes to Kalimpong: dashing Mumbai police officer Karan Anand (Vijay Varma). He hopes to find Ajit and use him to bring down the human trafficking racket he’s a part of. Soon enough, Karan figures out Maya’s connection to Ajit. And he’s surprised to meet his old college buddy and fellow martial artist, Naren.

By the time Karan arrives, Ajit is nowhere to be found. The three characters engage in a delicate dance, careful not to disclose more information than they should while trying to figure out what each other knows. It’s a dangerous situation because Naren knows how smart Karan is, and it won’t be long before he assumes Maya is involved with Ajit’s disappearance. Complicating things further is that both men are attracted to Maya.

All three of the main actors give some of the best performances of their careers in Jaane Jaan. Varma moves Karan through the world with the easy confidence of a man with looks, brains, charm, and authority. He instantly befriends his new partner on the local police force, Sundar Singh (Karma Takapa). Even when Karan is focused, he’s physically relaxed.

Karan is the opposite of Naren, who Ahlwat plays with imposing rigidity and minimal expressions. Ahlawat’s job is to convey the complexity of Naren’s feelings through microscopic movements of facial muscles and barely perceptible changes in appearance. It’s a daunting challenge, but Ahlawat pulls it off beautifully. Naren is a fully realized character of great emotional depth, even though those around him can hardly tell. He’s misjudged, but he also engages in some problematic behavior, so he’s more complicated than just a sympathetic underdog.

Kapoor Khan is excellent in guiding Maya through the storm that upends her life when Ajit and Karan come to town. Whether Maya is afraid, resolute, standoffish, or vulnerable, Kapoor Khan executes everything that’s asked of her with precision.

The masterful acting isn’t limited to the main three characters and their battle of wits. Sachdev’s Ajit is a total slimeball. Khanna is wonderful as a young teen forced to shoulder unfair burdens. Characters like Officer Singh and Maya’s well-intentioned but nosy co-worker Prema (Lin Laishram) are delightfully performed and give Jaane Jaan a real sense of place.

Kalimpong is the perfect location for a mystery, full of twisting roads, hidden alleys, and towering hills. Low-hanging clouds obscure and conceal, yet its beautiful vistas and lush forest invite exploration. With Jaane Jaan, Sujoy Ghosh shows again that he knows exactly what he’s doing.

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Streaming Video News: September 21, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s streaming debut of the blockbuster Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Looking forward to finally catching up on it this weekend. Other new additions today include the Marathi film Subhedar and the Telugu movie Bedurulanka 2012. Amazon also announced a September 27 premiere date for the fourth and final season of Hostel Daze.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s world premiere of Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh’s latest mystery Jaane Jaan (also known as “Suspect X“), starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vijay Varma, and Jaideep Ahlawat. I’m still working on my review, but I can say that Jaane Jaan is terrific. Netflix also announced an October 18 launch date for its new series Kaala Paani (“Dark Water“):

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the addition of three Bengali titles from a few years ago: Bhootchakra Pvt. Ltd., Borunbabur Bondhu, and Rawkto Rawhoshyo.

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Streaming Video News: September 14, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s debut of two brand new Indian series: the Hindi show Kaala (available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu dubs) and the Tamil series MY3 (also in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Telugu). MY3 is an official remake of the 2017 Korean series I’m Not a Robot.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon with this week’s premiere of the new Hindi series Bambai Meri Jaan (“Bombay My Beloved“).

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with the streaming debuts of the Telugu films Ramabanam and Bhola Shankar. Netflix also announced an October 5 release date for director Vishal Bhardwaj’s Netflix Original movie Khufiya (aka “House of Spies“):

If you want to read more about next week’s big premiere of director Sujoy Ghosh’s Netflix Original thriller Jaane Jaan (aka “Suspect X“), check out this preview I wrote for What’s on Netflix.

Finally, I was able to review Bhumi Pednekar’s comedy Thank You for Coming ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s set to release in Indian theaters on October 6 and will eventually land on Netflix. If you want an early sneak peak, check out my review of Thank You for Coming.

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Streaming Video News: September 7, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with the streaming debut of Superstar Rajinikanth’s film Jailer. Multiple language versions are available in the movie’s audio menu.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with a September 14 streaming release date for the Telugu film Ramabanam.

Yesterday, Zee5 premiered the revenge drama Haddi, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I watched about 40 minutes of it, but I found the story muddled and decided not to finish it.

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Movie Review: Friday Night Plan (2023)

2 Stars (out of 4)

Watch Friday Night Plan on Netflix

If one tried to create a movie for teenagers who can’t put away their smartphones for more than a few minutes, it would probably look like Friday Night Plan. The latest Netflix Original Indian Film is generic and lightweight, so there’s no reason to give it one’s full attention.

The premise of Friday Night Plan feels familiar. Two bickering brothers — high school senior Sid (Babil Khan) and high school junior Adi (Amrith Jayan) — are left home alone on a Friday night when their mom (Juhi Chawla Mehta) goes to Pune for a work trip. She warns them not to fight or take the car out, assuming the boys will stay home playing video games.

Of course, the brothers wind up taking the car to a party at the house of the prettiest girl at their wealthy international school, whom Sid has had a crush on for years, only to lose the car while playing a prank on students from a rival school. Sure hope they can get the car back before Mom gets home!

The familiarity of Friday Night Plan — which seems like a hundred teen movies that have come before — isn’t a problem in itself. But the film is boring. The boys’ “wild night out” lacks a sense of danger or urgency. Even they don’t seem that worried about getting into trouble. Yes, the kids at the party drink alcohol, but there’s also karaoke and a pillow fight.

Real teenagers are funnier and more interesting than this movie’s flat dialogue makes them out to be, and the characters are bland. The school’s top jock Kabir (Aditya Jain) isn’t a bully, he just sometimes gives people unflattering nicknames. The pretty girl Nat (Medha Rana) has no secrets, she’s just good-looking and rich. Even the two brothers aren’t really that different from one another.

It’s not fair to blame the cast for the tepid characterizations. Hardly any of them have any acting credits, since children barely exist in Hindi films. Friday Night Plan is writer-director Vatsal Neelakantan’s first feature film, and his inexperience shows in both the direction of his young actors and in his screenwriting. Tighter pacing would have amped up the excitement level of this tame story without having to make things any spicier.

There’s one misstep I can’t let slide. The events of Friday Night Plan take place one week before senior prom, and none of the kids have asked anyone to be their prom dates! That’s not enough time to order matching corsages and boutonnieres, make after-party plans, and figure out where to take photos — let alone find a dress and shoes and make a hair appointment if you weren’t already planning on going to the dance solo!

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Streaming Video News: August 31, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s additions of Vidya Balan’s murder mystery Neeyat and the Telugu film Ustaad (which is listed in Amazon’s catalog as “The Ustaad,” for some reason).

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s premiere of the new Hindi series The Freelancer, which is also available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.

I will update my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix tomorrow with the debut of the Netflix Original film Friday Night Plan, starring Juhi Chawla and Irrfan Khan’s son, Babil. This week, Netflix announced a December 7 release date for Zoya Akhtar’s hotly anticipated movie The Archies.

If you missed any of the new releases on Netflix in August, check my monthly roundup at What’s on Netflix.

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Streaming Video News: August 24, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s additions of the Hindi romance Satyaprem Ki Katha and the Tamil horror flick Pizza 3: The Mummy. Earlier this week, the Kannada film Aachar & Co became available for streaming.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s debut of Tamannaah Bhatia’s new Hindi crime series Aakhri Sach, which is available in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu as well. The first two episodes are available for streaming right now, with new episodes added on Fridays (Thursday afternoons in the US, probably).

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Telugu movie Bro., which is also available in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil.

News leaked this week that Sujoy Ghosh’s Netflix Original film adaptation of the novel The Devotion of Suspect X starring Kareena Kapoor Khan will be called Jaane Jaan (although in the US, the title is listed as “Suspect X,” for some reason). Netflix made a cute video celebrating Kareena’s streaming debut (which may happen next month). [Update: Netflix officially announced its release date as September 21, Bebo’s birthday]:

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Streaming Video News: August 18, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s big premiere of the new Original dark comedy series Guns & Gulaabs, Raj & DK’s first show for Netflix. Earlier in the week, Netflix added a trio of older Telugu films to the catalog: Kavacham, Roja, and Yuddham Sharanam.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with yesterday’s additions of the Tamil film Kolai and the debut of the docuseries AP Dhillon: First of a Kind.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the premiere of the Tamil series Mathagam (also available in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Telugu). As of now, only the first episode of the series is available under the “Season 1” tab — a clue that something is wrong since there is only one season. You have to switch to “Season 2” to find the next four episodes of Mathagam. I’m sure Hulu will fix this at some point.

Hulu also added the great 2022 American Desi comedy Four Samosas — a terrific film if you’re looking for something fun to watch over the weekend.

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Streaming Video News: August 10, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime with today’s additions of the Telugu version of Adipurush (Hindi is not one of the additional dialogue options in the audio menu — the Hindi version of Adipurush is streaming on Netflix) and the Tamil film Maaveeran. A Hindi dub of Maaveeran is also available as well as a Telugu version under the title Mahaveerudu. Earlier this week, Amazon released Season 2 of the Hindi series Made in Heaven and launched the trailer for the series AP Dhillon: First of a Kind, which comes out August 18:

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with today’s premiere of the action series Commando, which is based on the excellent Vidyut Jammwal movie of the same name but does not star Jammwal. It’s available in Hindi along with dubbed versions in Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Earlier this week, Hulu added the Malayalam film Neymar to its catalog, along with versions in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Finally, I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s addition of the Hindi version of Adipurush and the Malayalam movie Padmini. As a reminder, here are some important Netflix expiration dates coming soon:

Bonus: I wrote a piece for What’s on Netflix with all the info you need to know about Guns & Gulaabs, the new series from Raj & DK that comes to Netflix on August 18.

[Disclaimer: my Amazon links include an affiliate tag, and I may earn a commission on purchases made via those links. Thanks for helping to support this website!]

Streaming Video News: August 4, 2023

I updated my list of Bollywood movies on Netflix with today’s premiere of the docuseries The Hunt for Veerappan and yesterday’s addition of the Telugu film Rangabali. There’s no sign of Jimmy Shergill’s new series Choona, which was supposed to release on August 3. I suspect that’s to leave more space before the launch of Guns & Gulaabs on August 18. Netflix describes both shows as “Offbeat, Exciting” in their catalog entries, and there’s a good chance Choona could be eclipsed by the higher profile new show from Raj & DK.

Netflix released a video announcing a September 1 release date for the new Excel Entertainment movie Friday Night Plan, about two teenage brothers who make big plans when their mom (Juhi Chawla) leaves them home alone for the night.

I also updated my list of Bollywood movies on Hulu with the premiere of the new Telugu series Dayaa (also available in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Tamil).

Nothing new on Amazon Prime in the US this week, but journalist Suchin Mehrotra posted a really good interview with Amazon’s Head of Indian Originals, Aparna Purohit, on the latest episode of The Streaming Show podcast.