The review contains minor spoilers. Jackie is a guy from Dharan who loves to dance. But his father has other plans. He wants Jackie to be a British Gurkha a lahure. And you guessed it, the entire film is about Jackie’s dilemma, he can either become a dancer or find stability with the British army position.
‘Jackie I am 21’ is by no
means a different film, at least when it comes to the story. It’s like any
movie that’s about kids trying to do something other than what is prescribed
for them. Think Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Gully Boy’ or the 1984 ‘Footloose’a classic
coming-of-age plotline where young people resist the old ways and come to terms
with what they want to do.
I feel like every
country—or every ‘wood’—has a dance movie (Hollywood’s ‘Step Up’ and
Bollywood’s ‘Any Body Can Dance’), and director Renasha Rai Rana, one of the
few working female directors in Nepal, saw the opportunity for a Nepali dance
film and took it. And hey, the characters in this movie can dance. Jackie,
played by Dhiraj Magar and Ruby, played by Jassita Gurung, are good. But it is
the actual dancers in the film that steal the show. From a little kid who busts
out crazy moves to girls whose bodies are possibly made with elastic, it’s fun
to see people in their zone. One particular performance by the lead duo in the
song ‘Yoddha’ was
particularly emotive. The verses by Uniq Poet drive home the dejections the
characters are facing.
From hip-hop
and techno music to the dancing, the film does it well (not sure how well,
cause I’m not a professional dancer), enough for the amateur, occasionally
dancing audience. And the songs are good too. ‘Katha’ which is this
musical-esque song, has over a million views
on YouTube. Kali Prasad Baskota’s ‘Nidauna Deu Malai’ has a soothing guitar
riff and poignant lyrics. The lyrics ‘Let me sleep, for my dreams are rather
close to me’ hint towards the sort of helplessness one feels while
pursuing something without proper support.
Loonibha Tuladhar, who
brings the perfect nuance into playing Ruby’s mother shines through as a strong
maternal figure supporting her kid’s dreams. Magar as Jackie is a little too
theatrical his constant stares and ‘oh my god, I’m so frustrated’ heavy breathing
isn’t necessary because, in films, things can be easily implied. Prem Subba
plays the roaring patriarch once again (circling back to ‘Jaari’) who’s so
one-dimensionally South Asian dad that even his lines become predictable after
a while.
There’s also
an effeminate guy (read cliche gay character) who flips his hair and works at a
clothing shop. (Is this like a stereotype-on-stereotype thing?) He has no other
role than to make clothes for Ruby and translate her English phrases for the
not-so-savvy dance mates. Aren’t we past using the effeminate guy, even in
Nepali films, for punch lines?
Jackie also
has a big brother a singer turned junkie (not so original either) whose suicide
attempt comes out of nowhere and is a plot device to further the story and finally
get the cruel father to apologise. (A bit too late, don’t you think?) Any
filmmaker has to be careful how and when to use issues that are a bit sensitive
especially when it shows violence. Showing violence in films must have some
rationale, and Tarantino fans may disagree, but maybe violence isn’t all that
hip after all.
The latter half also drags
on way too much, the makers didn’t get the memo of ‘show, don’t tell.’ They
forget that their medium gives them leverage, especially regarding time. If you
show a character get inside a bus and, in the next scene, show them get off, it
is implied that they made the journey. A slow pan shot of the character on the
bus with all the sleepy passengers isn’t necessary. It would’ve been refreshing
had ‘Jackie’ done something a little unpredictable with the story like explore
the underground dance scene, its origins and hardships through Magar’s
character rather than focusing on his ‘father troubles’.
Either way,
the film is a first for
The movie
should also serve as a warning to parents: Stop trying to live your lives
through your kids; they are not your clones. Also, your kid probably doesn’t
want to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer or a British Gurkha. If he/she does,
good for them. If not, please—especially Dads—let your kids dance.
Jackie I am
21
Language: Nepali
Duration: 2
hours
Director:
Renasha Rai Rana
Cast:
Jassita Gurung, Dhiraj Magar, Prem Subba, Arun Chhetri
Released:
May 4
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