Jaganmohini (2009) Movie Review by Bharatstudent

Film: JAGANMOHINI

Rating: 1.5/5

Banner: Murali Cine Arts

Cast: Namitha, Raja, Vadivelu, Nila, Kota, Riyaz Khan, Jyothilakshmi, Bala Singh, Alex etc
Music: Ilayaraja

Cinematography: N K Vishwanathan

Director: N.K. Vishwanathan

Producer: Murali

Release Date: October 17, 2008


Story:

Set on the stage of mythology, the story begins with the announcement of engagement between prince Jagan Prathap (raja) with princess Jayanthi (meera chopra/nila) and when the entire kingdom is ready to rejoice, terror strikes in the form of a water cyclone that destroys the major part of the kingdom. That happens to be the water devil Jaganmohini (Namitha) which comes to seek revenge. However, the sorcerer (kota) manages to hold it through his spell and controls it. The flashback shows that Mohini (namitha) is from a fisherman's family and her island is visited by the prince sometime back and both fall in love. Just when everything looks set, the prince's father, the King, doesn't want a girl from a fisherman's family and so he sends his troops and kills Mohini. Now, she is out seeking revenge and also to have the prince for herself. What happens from there forms the rest of the story.


Presentation:

The director has come up with the remake theme but by no means is the narrative or the presentation good. The dialogues are sloppy, the script was pathetic and the screenplay was horrible. Even background score and songs were total crass and the only saving grace is the cinematography which was good at few places. Editing was amateur, costumes were alright but art department was not good. Raja looks dull as usual and he looks like a small boy in front of Namitha, she is all over the screen and it must be said that she is looking totally out of shape though she has oozed a lot of glamour and skin show. Meera Chopra was the saving grace with her beauty, Kota was standard, Riyaz Khan was regular, Alex was normal, Jyothilakshmi was brief, Bala Singh was plain, the others didn't have much to offer.


Conclusion:

The film happens to be the remake of the 1978 super hit movie which had Jayamalini in the title role and despite the hype created by the makers, the film was a major disaster. The content or style of presentation was poor and the graphics were utterly inferior. While the first half revolves around the revenge saga, the second half goes about with the love tale and how evil is warded off. Overall, the film has failed to appeal to the audience in any department. Though hardcore Namitha fans might like it a bit, her overbearing frame might just be too much to handle. This will sink big time at the box office.

NAMITHA AND RAJA STARRER JAGANMOHINI PHOTO GALLERY

These are the days of sequels and remakes. In this age of graphics, animation and visual special effects, a well known production company is planning to remake some of the yester years films of Vitalacharya, the master of mythology.
The film Jaganmohini directed by Vitalacharya with Jayamalini playing the title role was a super duper hit. This film is now being re-made with Namitha and Raja. According to reports, some changes have been made in the story to make certain episodes more relevant to the present day audience. The film is being made simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages.
It is also reported that the shooting of the film has been launched without any fanfare and it is in progress in and around Hyderabad.