Jai Bolo Telangana Movie Review

Behind the Movie Jai Bolo Telangana: The much awaited movie with the backdrop of Telangana movement, directed by N. Shankar has gone through severe censor troubles to get released today. Songs of the movie already roaring in Telangana region, let us see how N. Shankar dealt this sensitive subject?

In the Movie Jai Bolo Telangana: Varshith is the Telangana student of Osmania University falls in love with classmate Sahana, from Vijayawada. Varshith is the son of Telangana revolutionary martyr Bandagi Gopanna (Jagapathi Babu) and his wife Jayamma (Smriti Irani) wants Varshith to fight for separate state of Telangana participating in the movement. 

When Varshith’s close friend Chari, self immolates in the Osmania campus for the sake of igniting the separate state movement, he realizes the importance of Telangana and directly enters the agitations. Later on, KCR’s fast unto death leading to Chidambaram’s single line statement on Telangana continued by All Party Meeting agreeing for the separate Telangana state is shown realistically. 

When Vijayawada MP Venu Gopal (Nagineedu) and his political aides etch out a plan to start the ‘United Andhra’ agitation in Seemandhra region for their personal benefits is a direct attack on Lagadapati. Finally, the love birds Varshith and Sahana are separated on regional issues and Jayamma starts the fast unto death for dividing the state into two with inspiration of her dead husband Gopanna but is shifted to Hospital on health issues. The movement continues and this is where N. Shankar closes the movie without an ending.

Values and Out of the Movie Jai Bolo Telangana: Undoubtedly Shankar was one sided in story narration and intention was only to rejuvenate the souls of Telangana and pull the youth into revolutionary militant phase. Shankar succeeded in his job as entire movie highlights the necessity of separate state. No where does he left the narration go feeble and intensity along with the feel of Telangana was well maintained. Dialogues were directly attacking the entire Political community in state blaming them for stepping back on Telangana, even after Central Government giving the green signal. The investors and politicians who ran the show of Seemandhra Movement against Telangana was projected crudely without any inhibitions. 

Openly speaking JBT is Shankar’s direct encounter with Seemandhra. No where did he show positive attitude towards Seemandhra. How high investors like Bokare (AVS) gambled with Seemandhra politicians in encroaching on the Hyderabad lands is a show of authentic real estate market. More than actors, it is the emotions of Telangana people that are portrayed on the screen and so we have huge casting derived from Telangana political circles. 

Jagapathi Babu has got a good role but span of his character was very small. Easily this film could have turned a documentary but the attachment of love story and weaving of the struggle and aspirations of Telangana around this commercial element made the movie look like a master piece for Telangana people. JBT portrays Seemandhra politicians as traitors, thieves, job stealers and land grabbers, in simple looters of Telangana wealth. Unfortunately Shankar never tried to go into the grass root causes why Telangana remained backward because his focus was only on contemporary issues like KCR’s fasting, Srikrishna Commission and Bill in Parliament.  

Chakri has provided extra ordinary music especially Gaddar’s ‘Podusthunna Poddumeeda,’ KCR’s ‘Gaaradi Chesthundru’ and the title song from Vandemataram shook the theatre and such kind of response is never seen in Telangana theatres. Even the background was perfect and editing by Kotagiri was good. 

First half of the movie depicts the downtrodden villages, struggle for work, peasantry and weavers problems of Telangana region along with romance between lead pair. The interval block was tremendously closed with self immolation of Chari. Second half is filled with nerve breaking movements and sentiment scenes which reached peak with the songs of Gaddar and Vimalakka. 

In total, JBT is a movie meant only for Telangana people and sure that this will rock the T-region as influence of KCR’s ideology is 100% felt in every scene. Lop side of JBT is unbalanced approach of Shankar. He is decided to revolt against Seemandhra and he has done it with high intensity which makes JBT a below average flick for Seemandhra audience and an aggressive, meaningful and disturbing one for Telangana viewers. 

Cinejosh Verdict of the Movie Jai Bolo Telangana:  Strictly a must watch for T-audience.

                                                             Reviewed by Srivaas