Joram (film)

Joram is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language thriller film written and directed by Devashish Makhija and produced by Zee Studios with Makhijafilm. It stars Manoj Bajpayee, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Smita Tambe.

The film is the third collaboration between Makhija and Bajpayee, following the 2016 short Taandav and the 2018 dark drama Bhonsle.

Joram was theatrically released on 8 December 2023. At the 69th Filmfare Awards, the film received three nominations, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Actor (Critics) for Bajpayee, winning the former.

Synopsis
A desperate man and his infant daughter fleeing a system that wants them crushed at any cost, a cop giving unwilling chase, and a bereaved mother seeking ruthless vengeance collide in a tense survival thriller across a brutal landscape of devastated forests, blind greed, rebellion, and the bloody aftershocks of "development".

Cast

 * Manoj Bajpayee as Dasru / Bala
 * Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Ratnakar
 * Smita Tambe as Phulo Karma
 * Megha Mathur as Bidesi
 * Tannishtha Chatterjee as Vaano (special appearance)
 * Rajshri Deshpande as Mukta (guest appearance)
 * Apurva Dongarwal as Manju
 * Bharati Perwani as Khare
 * Dhaniram Prajapati as Divender

Production
Bajpayee has said of the production:

"Joram comes with a very unique concept. We have shot at very difficult locations and it wouldn’t have been possible without the relentless efforts made by the team of studio and the production! It was a real privilege to work on this one, now that our film made it to the likes of Film Bazaar, I am quite stoked."

Reception
Phil Hoad of The Guardian gave the film four stars out of five, stating, "In this gritty thriller, director Devashish Makhija skillfully blends social satire with repressive realism to gradually build suspense as a parent struggles to outrun his oppressors". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV also gave it four stars and wrote, "Manoj Bajpayee keeps the disturbing movie grounded even if it leaves viewers in disbelief. He fully gives himself over to Dasru Kerketta, fusing the agony of the defenseless with the wrath of the unfortunate. Joram isn't supposed to be amusing, it is engrossing from beginning to end". Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the production 2.5 stars out of five and said in her review that Bajpayee is effective, yet his register of hopelessness and horror is restricted. Dhaval Roy of The Times of India gave the film four stars out of five and wrote, "Joram is a grim story that you will remember for a very long time. It deviates from being a survival drama since the socio-political aspect dominates the tale, but its powerful performances and storyline make it worth seeing". Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times said in her review that Joram will only appeal to a very specific demographic because, while being a compelling narrative about institutional imbalance and more, it never quite gains the velocity necessary to keep readers interested.