DRIVER JAMUNA MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Driver Jamuna is a film written and directed by Kinsley, and bankrolled by SP Chowthari under the banner 18 Reels. The film has Aishwarya Rajesh playing the titular role, while Aadukalam Naren, Kavitha Bharathi, Sriranjani, Abishek Kumar, Manikandan Rajesh, and others play supporting roles. The music is composed by Ghibran and the cinematography is handled by Gokul Benoy.

Jamuna (Aishwarya Rajesh) has just lost her dad, and that has resulted in her mother getting Parkinson's disease. She decides to take up the job of a car driver, following in the footsteps of her dad, despite opposition from her extended family. During one of her trips, she has to drop 3 contract killers but gets to know about their identity midway. How she manages to escape from them forms the rest of the story.

We've seen plenty of heroine-centric films in Tamil cinema off late, which is a welcome sign for the industry. And Driver Jamuna is the latest to join the list. However, unlike most female-centric films, this one is slightly offbeat mainly because of the grounded nature of the female lead. Jamuna (played by Aishwarya Rajesh) is not a superstar, rather, she's a taxi driver who can do very little.

She gets scared, she gets anxious, she panics, she laughs, she cries, and is as human as any of us. Aishwarya Rajesh is terrific as Jamuna. She sells the character really well. Especially in the climax, there's a shot where she has to express anger without being able to speak a word. Her eyes communicate emotions so well.

But a well-designed character alone cannot make a good film. Barring a solid twist in the climax, the melodramatic elements slow down the film's pace drastically. As an audience one can clearly feel where the film lacks conviction. Had the film just been a survival thriller throughout, the end result would have been even better. Among other actors, Sriranjani plays the role of her mother, a Parkinson's disease patient. Despite her limited screen time, she also plays her part beautifully. Abishek Kumar, who plays the role of a co-passenger also impresses.

Technically, cinematographer Gokul Benoy's visual tone is consistent and the camerawork complements the film properly. Ghibran deserves all the praise for the exemplary work he's done. For instance, there's a scene where an upcoming music director gets into Jamuna's taxi while the goons are inside. He keeps irritating everyone in the taxi by humming a horror-themed BGM. As the film cuts to the next shot, Ghibran uses an orchestrated version of the same, and such nuances make the film-watching experience better.

Overall, Driver Jamuna is technically strong with a few flaws in the writing. The tonal shift toward the end might not work as expected, and the engagement could have been better because of the predictable nature of the narrative. The 100-minute run time is definitely a positive, but Driver Jamuna could have been a less bumpier ride.

DRIVER JAMUNA VIDEO REVIEW