Jee Karda

Jee Karda is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama television series for Amazon Prime Video, directed by Arunima Sharma. Produced by Maddock Films, the series stars Tamannaah Bhatia, Suhail Nayyar, Aashim Gulati, and Anya Singh in the lead roles.

Jee Karda was released on Amazon Prime Video on 15 June 2023. For her notable performance in the series, Tamannaah received the Best Actor of the Year - Female (Series) award at the Bollywood Hungama OTT India Fest.

Synopsis
The series delves into the lives of seven childhood friends. Together, they shared a belief that by the time they all turned 30, their lives would be perfectly sorted and in harmony with their dreams and aspirations. However, as their milestone birthday arrives, they come face-to-face with the harsh reality that life does not always go as planned.

Cast

 * Tamannaah Bhatia as Lavanya Singh
 * Suhail Nayyar as Rishabh Rathore
 * Aashim Gulati as Arjun Gill
 * Anya Singh as Preet Chuharmalani
 * Hussain Dalal as Shahid Ansari
 * Samvedna Suwalka as Sheetal Kotadiya
 * Sayan Banerjee as Melroy D'Monte
 * Malhar Thakar as Sameer Kotadiya
 * Simone Singh as Antara Singh, Lavanya's mother
 * Kira Narayanan as Aayat
 * Vedant Sinha as Young Shahid
 * Chahat Tewani as Young Lavanya
 * Ayaan Zubair Rehmani as Young Arjun
 * Varun Buddhadev as Young Rishabh

Music
The songs are composed by Sachin-Jigar. The lyrics are written by Jigar Saraiya, Rashmeet Kaur, Simran Chaudhary, IP Singh and Mellow D.

Release
Amazon Prime Video released the announcement video of the series on 2 June 2023 and trailer on 5 June 2023. Prior to its official release, Amazon Prime Video organized a private premiere of the show, exclusively for a selected audience. The streaming service premiered the series on June 15, 2023.

Critical response
Archika Khurana, a reviewer from Times of India, gave "Jee Karda" a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. Khurana described the show as a heartfelt coming-of-age drama that follows a close-knit group of childhood friends as they navigate adulthood. The strengths of the show were highlighted as its lively performances and captivating vibe, which made it an enjoyable guilty pleasure to watch. While Khurana appreciated the strong bond among the characters, they felt that adding more depth to each character would have enhanced the audience's connection. Tamannaah Bhatia's portrayal of Lavanya received praise, along with the performances of the ensemble cast. The series' Mumbai setting, cinematography by Mahendra Shetty, and music by Sachin Jigar were also positively noted by the critic.

Alaka Sahani, writing for The Indian Express, praised the series for its exploration of modern relationships and the believable camaraderie among the cast. However, Sahani pointed out that the high drama in the narrative didn't always have the desired impact. They suggested that the series should prioritize substance over style and delve deeper into the concerns of today's youth to create a more compelling story.

Zinia Bandyopadhyay, a reviewer from India Today, gave "Jee Karda" a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. While the performances of the cast, especially Tamannaah Bhatia, Suhail Nayyar, and Aashim Gulati, were praised, the script was criticized for being weak and lacking consistent character development. The non-linear storytelling format initially caused confusion, but the series improved in the latter half. The seamless integration of Sachin-Jigar's background score with the narrative was appreciated.

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated with 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Jee Karda examines the repercussions of youthful excess and exuberance. It does so without coming up with anything that might be described as startlingly revelatory." Chatterjee praised the performances of the cast, including Tamannaah Bhatia, Aashim Gulati, and Suhail Nayyar. But she criticized the series for its failure to effectively explore the complexities of love and longing. She considered the plot as overcrowded, lacking substance and with a lack of fresh ideas.

Critic Deepa Gahlot reviewed the series for Rediff.com and wrote "Jee Karda is a dish with a lot of garnish, but no flavour." She gave the series a rating of 2.5/5 and described it as visually appealing but lacking emotional depth.She felt that the characters' narcissism and reliance on parties and sexual encounters made it difficult to connect with them. Despite a standout performance by Aashim Gulati, the series fell short of delivering a satisfying and meaningful experience.