Richa Chadha and Kalki Koechlin starrer Jia Aur Jia is the latest Bollywood release. Directed by Howard and Rosemeyer, Jia Aur Jia is a female oriented road movie, based on two female friends, played by Richa and Kalki.
Although Richa and Kalki's characters are totally opposite in nature and behaviour, they share the common name Jia. One of them is very outgoing and free-spirited, the other is reserved and very pessimistic about life.
While the movie is slated to be released on October 27 across India, it has been screened at some places, and a few reviews are out. Like the trailer of the film, Jia Aur Jia received mixed reviews from the critics as well. Here is what the critics have to say about Jia Aur Jia:
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express: Jia (Chaddha) and Jia (Koechlin) do an outlandish female version of meet-cute, proceed to squabble all over Sweden, while learning big lessons about life and beyond, and deliver a dud. Both these actresses have been capable of much more, and have created characters with heft. But here they get no help from the script, which is shockingly all over the place. Or, as a popular phrase goes these days: 'kuchh bhi'. (Rating 1)
Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost: Jia Aur Jia's saving grace is that it resurrects Jiya o jiya, the title song of the Asha Parekh-Dev Anand classic Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, for its background score. The music makes the opening scenes memorable, but when the entire remix of the song is sung along with the closing credits, the effect is completely ruined: Nisschal Zaveri's Jiya o jiya reprise – performed by Jyotica Tangri and Rashid Ali – is flat in comparison with the original. Jia Aur Jia is flat, full stop. (Rating 0.5)
Sweta Kaushal of The Hindustan Times: Jia Aur Jia is perhaps the worst performance Richa has given till date. She is loud and completely unbelievable. She is supposed to be an easily irritable, grouchy woman and one who has a tragic past she wants to run away from but her acting is more repulsive than the iffy back story. (Rating 0.5)
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV: Jia Aur Jia is a disaster from the very outset because it knows not where it is headed. A script-less blunder, the film lurches aimlessly across nondescript Swedish locations and shoves Kalki and Richa into situations in which they banter and bicker like two unruly schoolgirls. They drink and smoke, ogle at the gora men and drive around in a trailer in search of excitement. They get none. Neither does the audience. (Rating 1)
Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in: Koechlin's Jia has even less of a spark with the only available man on the horizon – the unkempt and equally liquor-loving Vasu (Arslan Goni). In a movie more attuned to women travelling unsupervised in a foreign country, the two Jias might have had some more fun scoping out their prospects. What they get, instead, is a journey that leads unerringly to the exit.
Renuka Vyavahare from Times of India: While Kalki still manages to evoke emotions, Richa seems shockingly out of place. Nonetheless, it's not about the actors, this one lacks humour, heart and a story. Watch Kangana and Lisa Haydon in Queen instead. (Rating 1.5)
Subhash K jha from SKJ Bollywood News: See the film for the Kalki-Richa jugal-bonding and yes for the way the film uses the evergreen Shankar-Jiakishan/Lata Mangeshkar/Mohd Rafi song Jiya ohjiya kuch bol do to reiterate life's most valuable lessons. (Rating 3)
Umesh Punwani from Koimoi: You can give it watch if you really want to watch any film, but my personal suggestion will be to save some bucks as the next two months are filled with pretty exciting films. (Rating 1.5)
Mohnish Singh from Bollywood MDB: If you are thinking that Jia Aur Jia is your regular Bollywood masala potboiler, then you will gain nothing except disappointment. It's a slice-of-the-life film peppered with a few beautiful moments strewn here and there. The film basically targets the metro audience, especially the multiplex audience. But it lacks substance to hold their attention thoroughly. Nil publicity is going to harm the film more than its weak plotline and sloppy execution. (Rating 1.5)
