Jaat Movie Review: Randeep Hooda Shines in a Film Marred by Excessive Violence

Jaat Movie Review– His name is never given for the majority of the movie. He just shows up, shrouded in mystery, like a desi Batman with a side business as a demolition squad. We don’t learn his name until just before the interval, by which time he has already destroyed half of the villain’s empire—using nothing but raw anger and railway-station-level brawn.

There’s a conscious myth-making going on here. He’s not only a man; he’s the Jaat—a force of nature, a sign of justice, a living bulldozer (literally, that’s what they call him). Sadly, the myth tends to be greater than the screenplay that bears it.

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Randeep Hooda as Ranatunga: The Man You Love to Hate

If there’s one actor who can stand up to Sunny Deol, it’s Randeep Hooda. As Ranatunga, a Sri Lankan war criminal turned criminal overlord, he exudes threat. He doesn’t scream—he glares. And somehow, that’s even more frightening.

Rana is not only a thug. He’s a Ravana-like character—down to symbolic ten heads (courtesy of CGI), a hoard of gold bars, and a chilling lack of regard for human life. Beheadings are his trade mark, and terror his currency. He’s constructed an empire of silence, where villagers are too afraid to talk and the police too afraid to move.

If the film had been simply a close face-off between Sunny Deol and Randeep Hooda, we could have had a classic on our hands.

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Supporting Cast: Too Many Players, Too Little Screen Time

The movie isn’t short on talent. From Saiyami Kher’s fearless but relegated cop to Regina Cassandra’s underwritten wife character, to cameos by Jagapathi Babu, Ramya Krishnan, Zarina Wahab and Urvashi Rautela.

But with this large cast, everyone cannot have their moment. Cassandra is particularly wasted. Whoever wrote her character, which was initially introduced as a tough policewoman probing mass murders, flattened it into helplessness, expecting the arrival of the male savior. It’s the same story: women are given a promise, and then the man rescues the day.

Myth Meets Masala: Rama vs. Ravana Again?

Malineni’s script is heavily mythological, drawing a Ramayana-esque similarity between Jaat and Rama, and Ranatunga as the contemporary Ravana. It may be effective as a dramatic device, but it comes across as old-fashioned—a good vs. evil story retold using the same hackneyed method. Can we get a fresh metaphor, though?

The First Half: Fast, Loud, and Fiercely Entertaining

Let’s credit where credit is due: the first half is masala gold. The idli mishap, the gradual reveal of the hero’s identity, the explosive action sequences, and the thumping background score—it’s all a Sunny Deol fan can ask for.

You get:

Hand-to-hand combat with bodies flying left and right. Dialogue that makes you whistle (“Iss dhai kilo ke haath ki taakat, poora north dekh chuka hai, ab South dekhega.”)

A villain who won’t flinch and a hero who won’t blink. Add in crisp camerawork too—the dusty roads, the blood red sunsets, the rain-lashed fights—and Jaat is the better-looking action thriller than many out there over the past year or so. The cinematography by the movie’s cameraman is taut, visual, and filled with visual tension.

The Second Half: Same Punches, New Angles, No Plot

Somewhere during intermission, Jaat runs out of steam. The tension gets flatter. The story gets stalled. And the punches? They begin to feel like reruns.

The action is not the problem—it’s the lack of progression of story. New people enter the picture, but they do nothing to the plot. The conflict does not get intensified; it gets repetitive. Even the frightening presence of the villain begins to diminish with too many repetitive scenes.

At times, it seems as though the editor stepped out for a break. Scenes drag on. Battles last an eternity. And the viewer? They begin fidgeting in their seats.

Violence Galore: Not for the Faint-Hearted

The film doesn’t shy away from gore, and while it adds to the villain’s brutality, it also becomes excessive. The beheadings, blood splatters, and broken limbs are relentless. By the time the third decapitation happens, you’re already bracing for the fourth. It’s not just violent—it’s repetitively violent.

What Works: The Nostalgia, The Performances, The Look

Despite its narrative stumbles, Jaat isn’t without charm. Sunny Deol still has a punch. He’s intense, magnetic, and unexpectedly agile for a 67-year-old man.

Randeep Hooda is a revelation as a cold-blooded villain. The cinematography and action choreography should be applauded. The masala is spicy enough for genre fans. And of course, that old-school, ’90s-style Bollywood heroism still has an audience.

What Doesn't: The Writing, The Pacing, The Overkill

But the shortcomings are difficult to ignore.

The second half is slow and repetitive.

The women characters are minimized to props.

The screenplay has holes galore than a sieve.

The movie is dependent too much on violence to maintain attention.

It’s a time-tested case of style over substance.

Final Verdict: Watch It, But Manage Expectations

Jaat is not a bad movie—it just isn’t the movie it could have been. It surfs on nostalgia and star power but doesn’t know what to do with its momentum.

If you’re a Sunny Deol fan, this film is tailor-made for you. You’ll cheer, clap, maybe even hoot at the screen. But if you’re looking for layered storytelling, grounded characters, or a fresh take on the action genre—you may walk away disappointed.

Here’s the honest lowdown:

???? First half: Firecracker.

???? Second half: Wet matchstick.

???? Overall: Worth a watch, but don’t expect miracles.

A Bulldozer of a Film with a Sputtering Engine

Ultimately, Jaat is a movie that comes crashing in like a bulldozer—boisterous, loud, and impossible to miss. But as with its hero’s cut short meal, the experience is incomplete. There’s spice, there’s flavor, but it’s lacking that little something extra to make it fulfilling throughout.

So, go with popcorn and low expectations. You’ll enjoy it—just don’t anticipate being moved. And don’t forget: never get into a Jaat at idli time.