Director Arunima Sharma’s web series is a good attempt at exploring the different problems faced by today’s youth.
A mirror of contemporary times!
Jee Karda (Hindi)
- Cast: Tamannaah Bhatia, Anya Singh, Aashim Gulati, Suhail Nayyar, and Hussain Dalal
- Direction: Arunima Sharma
- Producer: Maddock Films
- Music: Sachin Jigar
- No. of episodes: 8
- OTT platform: Amazon Prime
Arunima Sharma’s Jee Karda (What the Heart Wishes) is a relatable tale of seven childhood pals, now in their 30s going through different issues.
Through this tale of friendship, Arunima Sharma touches upon multiple topics. Not all of them are fleshed out sufficiently. But still, there is a lot to enjoy particularly if you are in the mood for some fun.
Jee Karda begins with an old man making a prophecy about a bunch of schoolchildren. He tells each of them how their lives will turn out and what things they need to keep a distance from.
Children dismiss this farfetched prophecy, and we fast forward to 15 years.
At the centre of this tale is Lavanya (Tamannaah Bhatia). She is on the verge of marrying her childhood friend Rishabh (Suhail Nayyar). Even at that stage, we see her struggling to come to terms with the idea of marriage and the complexities that come with it.
Among others, Arjun (Aashim Gulati) is a popular Punjabi pop singer who is often embroiled in controversies. Preet (Anya Singh) is struggling to find a compatible partner.
Sheetal (Samvedana Suwalka) is married to Sameer (Malhar Thakkar). She is facing the challenges of living in a joint family and is desperate to have her own space with her husband.
Melroy (Sayan Banerjee) is in a problematic relationship with a guy called Yavar. Melroy is trying to cope with Yavar’s inability to come out of his closet.
The last one in the group is Shahid (Hussain Dalal), a school teacher struggling financially to make ends meet.
In a nutshell, Jee Karda looks at how these seven friends navigate the challenges of adulthood.
There is no denying that the theme of Jee Karda isn’t exactly original. The story at times reminds you of both Shashanka Ghosh’s Veere di Wedding (2018) and also Ayan Mukherjee’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013).
But what makes the show work is how Arunima Sharma deals with the different plotlines.
Strong plotlines
One of the best tracks in Jee Karda is the one involving Sayan Banerjee as Melroy. He is a homosexual man who had to face a lot of problems because of that.
The director does a wonderful job of portraying the arch of his character. It also helps that Sayan did complete justice to the character.
Another subplot that deserves a mention is that of Hussain Dalal’s Shahid.
Shahid comes from the lower social strata, in comparison to his friends. As a result, life has never been easy for him. Hussain Dalal does a very good job of bringing out the vulnerability of Shahid.
The story of Samvedana Suwalka is similar to what we had earlier seen this year in Zara Hakte Zara Bachke (2023). However, there is no denying that the claustrophobia of her character Sheetal is easily relatable for many married women.
Coming to the main leads, Tamannaah Bhatia gets to portray a character which is vastly different from what we have seen in her earlier films. To Tamannaah’s credit, she does pull off a wonderful performance.
There are times when she goes overboard. But nevertheless, she is impressive.
Aashim Gulati is also fun to watch as the Punjabi pop singer. His character Arjun is not just high on energy, but there is also a vulnerable side to him.
Another aspect that works for Jee Karda is the family scenes featuring Lavanya’s mother and Rishabh’s parents. Their contrasting ideologies have been well portrayed by the director.
Weak points
Among the seven friends, the one track that sticks out like a sore thumb is Anya Singh’s Preet. The arc given to her is the weakest of all.
One major problem with Jee Karda is the overdose of the “F” words. After a point, it does get irritating.
Technical aspects
The cinematography by Mahendra Shetty is suitably glossy adding to the rich production values. Sachin Jigar’s background music also works well.
