Nearly two years after Garudan, actor-turned-Union Minister Suresh Gopi makes a grand return to the big screen with J.S.K – Janaki V V/s State of Kerala. Directed by Pravin Narayanan, the film positions itself as a courtroom drama tackling a sensitive and familiar subject, supported by performances from Anupama Parameswaran, Shruthi Ramachandran, and debutant Madhav Suresh. Despite its delayed release due to the censor board hurdles, J.S.K has finally hit the theatres. Does it deliver?
The film opens with an influential bishop visiting Advocate David Abel Donovan (Suresh Gopi) seeking legal help. David, however, refuses the case. From there, the narrative shifts focus to Janaki (Anupama Parameswaran), an IT professional based in Bangalore who returns to her hometown in Kerala to attend a temple festival, and faces a horrifying incident. The rest of the film charts her legal battle to seek justice.
On paper, J.S.K. treads a path that has been explored numerous times in Indian cinema, particularly in films centred on sexual assault survivors and courtroom battles. Yet, writer-director Pravin Narayanan deserves credit for attempting to give the narrative a solid foundation, especially in the first half. There are moments of promise and intrigue, though they are occasionally interrupted by forced and unnecessary dialogues that detract from the emotional impact. The first half manages to hold attention, keeping audiences curious about the legal face-off in the second act. Unfortunately, J.S.K. loses its grip post-interval. The second half is marred by uneven pacing, illogical plot developments, and several underwritten characters. Some characters feel overly one-dimensional, existing merely to serve the plot rather than enhance it. The courtroom sequences lack the punch required to make them memorable, and the emotional depth between Janaki and her father, something that could have been a strong subplot, is never explored, resulting in missed opportunities for deeper audience connection.
Suresh Gopi is undoubtedly the film’s backbone and is simply superb. His portrayal of Advocate David Abel Donovan is fiery, magnetic, and reminiscent of his legendary Lal Krishna Viradiyar persona. His deep voice modulation, powerful dialogue delivery, and commanding screen presence elevate even the weakest scenes. For fans of his action era, two action sequences aim to satisfy the mass crowd, even if they feel a tad out of place in a courtroom drama. Anupama Parameswaran holds her own as Janaki though the writing doesn’t allow her to truly explore the emotional layers of her trauma or her relationship with her family.
Visually, the film falls flat. The cinematography lacks finesse, and the colour grading is disappointingly outdated, giving the film a look that feels more suited to the early 2000s than today’s sleek standards. In a film that needed to visually convey both realism and tension, the dull aesthetics work against it.
On the musical front, Ghibran’s background score is passable. It does the job, but it is not something that stays with you. Gireesh Narayanan’s songs are bold in experimentation and deserve praise for originality, but they fail to blend seamlessly into the narrative, making them feel disjointed from the emotional tone of the film.
Ultimately, J.S.K – Janaki V V/s State of Kerala is a film that struggles to find the right balance between telling a socially relevant story and celebrating the superstar aura of Suresh Gopi. While his performance alone is reason enough for fans to give it a watch, the film falls short in its storytelling, direction, and visual presentation. It’s a classic case of a good idea lost in execution, weighed down by commercial compulsions and inconsistent writing.
Rating: 2.5/5