Janhvi Kapoor starrer Good Luck Jerry released this week on Disney+ Hotstar. It is a comedy noir about a young Bihari woman who ends up working for drug dealers in Punjab to raise money for her mother’s medical treatment. The movie is set in Punjab and has been produced by filmmaker Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions. The film also stars Deepak Dobriyal, Mita Vashisht, Neeraj Sood, and Sushant Singh.
This is Rai’s first collaboration with Kapoor, who was last seen in the horror comedy ‘Roohi’.
The film has all the ingredients of a full-on masala entertainer – good acting, quick-paced plot, soothing music, and solid dialogues to back it up. A pleasant surprise is Janhvi Kapoor in the lead character, giving her best performance yet with utmost conviction and command over Jerry’s character.
Janhvi is a talented actor who has come out of the shadow of nepotism and proved her mettle. Her spark was visible in Gunjan Saxena, but she’s only getting better with each film. With Good Luck Jerry, she is now definitely one of the top performing actors in these gloomy days of Bollywood.
The plot
Good Luck Jerry is an adaptation from the Tamil film Kolamaavu Kokila. It revolves around Jerry, a Bihari migrant girl who lives with her widowed mother and younger sister Cherry in Punjab. The family makes momos (veg only) and supplies to local north-eastern vendors who run the cleverly names Darjeeling Momo Company. However, making momos is barely enough to make ends meet.
Jerry also works at a massage parlour, a job which her mother heartily disapproves of.
The family’s life turns upside down when their mother is diagnosed with cancer and they have a chance encounter with drug peddlers. Jerry sees it as an opportunity to make extra cash and starts working as a drug mule to pay the bills for her mother’s treatment. However, she cunningly tries to find her way out and that’s when things starts getting really interesting.
In this fast paced dramedy, Deepak Dobriyal and Mita Vashisht are seen in important supporting roles. Dobriyal, Jerry’s delusional lover, will crack you up every time he appears on screen with his comic timing and unusually funny looks. Vashisht has done full justice to her role of emotionally charged up mother, surprisingly witty at times.
Despite the OGs of the trade giving their best, Janhvi is truly the livewire of this noir comedy which is filled with entertainment. Other supporting actors like Sushant Singh and Jaswant Singh Dalal also play their parts well. Dalal’s subtle portrayal of a smitten drug lord definitely deserves mention,
Direction and Music
Sidharth Sengupta, a popular TV and OTT director, has done a tremendous job with his directorial debut in feature films. He has brought out all the elements of the film beautifully. The music has been composed by Parag Chhabra and he has also done a great job by giving hit songs like “Paracetamol”. The background score by Aman Pant goes a long way in creating the vibe that the film seeks to capture.
For me, it is the sudden dark moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. When you least expect it, Jerry or one of the other characters would do or say something unexpected that would leave you in splits. The twists and turns are equally entertaining and a welcome break from the senseless Bollywood movies with gaping loopholes that we are seeing these days.
Overall the movie has an artsy vibe and can be termed as full on paisa vasool (though it has been released on OTT and didn’t have theatrical release) family entertainer.
