I M A Gujju

Story: This film sets out to show that contrary to popular perception, Gujaratis can join the armed forces and do India proud by handling critical missions with aplomb. Jay Shah (played by Sunny Pancholi), the only son of Gujarati businessman Ramesh Shah (played by Manoj Joshi), is scared to tell his dad, who wants Jay to join his flourishing business, about his dream of joining the army. But life changes for him after serial bomb blasts rock Ahmedabad. Does he fulfil his dream? And what role will ex-army colonel Siddhraj Zala (played by Rohit Roy), who isn’t fond of Jay initially, play in this journey?

Review: There has been considerable buzz around this film, which marks Rohit Roy’s debut in Gujarati cinema. Directing a film and playing the lead role at the same time is not easy, but Sunny Pancholi’s sincere performance is worth mentioning. We only get fleeting instances of his love for the country in the first half. The film takes its own sweet time to get to the main subject, as the first half is more about the bond that Jay shares with his friends and the soft corner that he and Bhoomi (played nicely by Shriya Tiwari) have for each other. They share an easy chemistry that is pleasing to the eyes and with some relatable conversations, these two give us some heartwarming moments. The bond shared by the four friends gives us some nice moments too. Parth Thaker, in particular, is a treat to watch among the supporting actors, while Rishikesh Ingley is convincing in a negative role.

Rohit Roy and Manoj Joshi, expectedly, play their characters with effortless ease. There are a couple of nice hummable songs in the film, which suit its screenplay. The second half has more to offer to the viewers, including some nicely done chase and fight sequences and a hand-to-hand combat scene. The second half also offers an interesting twist towards the end.

While the performances are the high point of this film, it could have done with a tighter screenplay. Smarter editing would have made this one a more engaging watch, but it’s certainly a pretty decent attempt at exploring a subject that Gujarati cinema hasn’t dealt with in recent times.