JATT JAMES BOND first of all deserves to be given some extra marks because of this important display of courage and taking the risk in a project made on a big scale. Admittedly, though the film is not a great thriller or a thorough entertainer right till the end, due to many visible loopholes in the execution and many avoidable routine features. Yet the effort cannot be ignored having some bright merits too and therefore can easily be rated as one of the better Punjabi films of the recent times for sure.
Taking on the praise-worthy features first, the film has three well defined lead characters having an emotional angle associated with their individual story too and not just some known names playing it pretty loud as usual. The script revolves around a decent plot (though inspired) which has got the elements of thrill, suspense and action all together giving it the much required weight as desired. Few of the songs in its soundtrack are worthy enough to be enjoyed as individual tracks. And it has one of best background scores I have ever noticed in a Punjabi film in the recent years. But above all here we have few seasoned actors performing their given roles effectively (including Gippy Grewal & Gurpreet Ghuggi) with the surprise act coming from the well-known Yashpal Sharma playing the poor labourer, brilliantly.
JJB begins well with a shoot-out sequence (reminding you of the simple serial killer in the hit Hindi film KAHAANI) and then continues delivering all the seen before stuff in a routine manner for quite a long time for more than half an hour. There are just introductions, gags and songs in these initial reels and the film actually begins once the trio decides to do the one time robbery after almost 40 minutes. But due to this interesting twist the next 30 minutes become pretty engrossing and the viewer enjoys feeling that excitement along with the three friends committing the crime, before the screen says interval.
Post intermission it all seems well for about 10-15 minutes, but then the script starts running out of ideas and moves back to the repetitive pattern of showcasing love drama, revengeful action and sad songs as the fixed norm of a Punjabi film. Due to which the second half starts stretching to an alarming extent leading to restlessness among the viewers and one wishes to jump on to its last reels as soon as possible. Luckily the lost excitement is regained in the final 15 minutes and the director successfully manages to end it all on a satisfactory note.
In short, one might not be able to call JATT JAMES BOND a great movie whole heartedly due to many visible limitations, but you cannot rate it as something mediocre or below average either because of its many noticeable merits.
Now coming on to its weak points I would also like to mention few humble suggestions as the next step required in Punjabi Cinema, post this appreciable move made in JATT JAMES BOND.
1. An opening slide says that the film is based on 'Real life events, Well almost". Whereas actually the basic plot of robbing a small bank and finding huge amount of money lying in the locker instead of the expected small amount is all inspired from Don Siegal's great thriller CHARLEY VARRICK made in 1973. Interestingly this English flick too was based on John Reese's novel titled "The Looters".
2. Zarine Khan was brought in from Mumbai to play the usual heroine in the film. But I simply couldn't understand, what was the need of roping her in spending the extra amount?
3. At the execution level, the major sequence of bank robbery is shown quite childishly in the film and its only the trio's performance which doesn't let you think over it in a logical manner.
4. Further in order to take the Punjabi Cinema to the next level, now its time that the lead actors, who happen to be professional singing stars too, start coming out of their 'singer image' and begin taking the art of cinema more seriously.
5. Moreover regarding the music, buying few readymade tracks available with some known names is another norm which the makers need to get rid of soon. Since it's a movie requiring some specially written and recorded songs as per the script's demand and not a video coverage where anything can be added anywhere as per the director/producer's own will. And the point gets proved when you get to hear a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in JJB using both Hindi lines along with Punjabi quite weirdly.
6. Pointing towards the fixed format followed in Punjabi Cinema, its time that they stop spending time on long introductions in the beginning, satisfying the ego of every single artist featuring in it leading to boredom.
7. Lastly, let's get over with the ages old 'mixed fruit juice recipe' adding a love angle, few drunkards, a family rivalry, many comical gags and few songs into each and every film, irrespective of what its main plot is all about. Punjabi audience have proved their intelligence by rejecting all the poor films made in the last year and now they urgently should be served with something path breaking and worth watching soon.
In other words, I wish to see a Punjabi film which asks for a remake in Hindi and other languages, instead of we making mediocre remakes of all other films.
Now no doubt, JATT JAMES BOND does break some preset ground as per the chosen subject and treatment by its talented team. However since it keeps adding the same old clichéd elements too into the interesting proceedings (carelessly), the end-result sadly falls short of being outstanding in honest terms.
