Pooja Meri Jaan on ZEE5: Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi lead a courtroom drama about obsession

Pooja Meri Jaan, starring Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi, started streaming on ZEE5 on Friday, 2 October. The Hindi film, produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik’s Maddock Films, went directly to streaming rather than to cinemas.

What it is about

Thakur plays Pooja, a young woman who becomes the target of an obsessive admirer. The film deals with stalking, obsession, rejection and toxic relationships, and much of it plays out as a courtroom drama. Qureshi plays Sana, a defence lawyer, and Vijay Raaz is the opposing counsel. Vikram Singh Chauhan also stars.

It is directed by Navjot Gulati with Vipasha Arvind. Gulati wrote the story with Kanishka Singh Deo, and Niren Bhatt wrote the screenplay and dialogue. The film runs 117 minutes.

What critics say

Trade publication Film Information called it an average watch for streaming. It praised the persuasive courtroom arguments, parts of the screenplay and the dialogue, and singled out Thakur, a restrained Qureshi and an excellent Vijay Raaz. Its main criticism was that the story offers little new and the one-sided courtroom format feels more suited to television.

Should you watch it

If you like courtroom dramas and strong central performances, it is worth a weekend look. If you want something you haven’t seen before, the reviews suggest lowering expectations.

Sources: Wikipedia, Film Information review.