Jerax review: Nagabhushana, Payal Chengappa lead a simple fantasy comedy series that fumbles along the way

Prakasha’s life changes during another great conjunction when his amulet comes into contact with the old photostat machine at the shop, allowing him to create xerox copies of people from their photographs. Despite the endless possibilities, he begins using this fortune for selfish deeds, quickly derailing his life and causing those around him, especially his love interest Sujatha (Payal Chengappa), to bear the brunt of his reckless actions. What follows in his area of Rayadurga is utter chaos, with massive consequences for the political atmosphere and the lives of commoners, causing confusion and panic.

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In essence, Jerax is a simple six-episode series that makes for a lighthearted watch. What makes it stand out is the fantasy elements, which add intrigue to the narrative, along with the fact that the story is set against the backdrop of an impending election in Rayadurga, making the entire area a part of all that’s transpiring from a nondescript photostat shop.

Writer-director Srinidhi Bengaluru shows no hurry in introducing the fantasy elements and takes his time building the world and its characters, giving Jerax a distinctive identity. These efforts pay off as the show progresses, as he successfully establishes early on the many characters who all have a part to play in the later events, adding to their impact because we already know these people’s true natures and ulterior motives.

Srinidhi has tried to keep things simple, rarely adding unnecessary elements for the sake of it, at least until the very end, thereby preserving the relatability and keeping the audience invested in Jerax. He has also tried to include something funny or intriguing in as many moments as possible.

Payal Chengappa as Sujatha aka Sooji in Jerax. (Credit: Zee5)

However, it falters in the overfamiliar trajectory the series takes. Although Jerax had the potential to be something like The Viral Fever’s Panchayat, albeit with fantasy elements, Srinidhi’s script focuses too much on Prakasha’s love for Sujatha, limiting the story’s possibilities by narrowing it down to his attempts to “win” her.

The same Prakasha, who channels Dr Rajkumar’s Hiranyakashipu from Bhakta Prahlada (1983) after realising the secret behind his newfound power, soon becomes obsessed with ensuring that Sujatha ends up with him. While it could be argued that this obsession stems from his orphan status and his desperate need for companionship, Jerax’s inability to explore different facets of its story can only be seen as a shortcoming.

In fact, the show even offers glimpses of the potential behind its premise, as we see Prakasha cutting his deceased parents’ photo in two to create xerox copies of them, underscoring the influence of such fleeting powers on human beings. However, the script never manages to reach such heights going forward.

Payal Chengappa and Nagabhushana in Jerax. (Credit: Zee5)

Another major issue with Jerax is its blatant sympathy for Prakasha and his wrongdoings. The character of Sujatha is crafted according to the misogynistic archetype of young college women and is portrayed as a gold-digger, while Prakasha is depicted as the embodiment of “selfless love.” Although his true colours become apparent at many points, they are often glorified.

The series shows Prakasha actively pursuing Sujatha, even after learning that her marriage has already been arranged to another man and that Sujatha is no longer interested in him. Instead of taking this cue to walk off, he uses his superpowers to create a clone of Sujatha, ruins her relationship with her fiancé, and gets her “accidentally” embroiled in a murder case, which lands her in police custody.

But upon meeting her, using his superpowers while she is in custody, he doesn’t even appear concerned about the bruises on her body from being assaulted by the police or the predicament he has put her in. He simply pushes his case, asserting that he loves her deeply, highlighting the problematic nature of Prakasha’s character, and exposing men’s inability to cope with romantic rejection. In another instance that further demonstrates how problematic Prakasha is, he is seen threatening a man who badmouths Sujatha after shamelessly ruining her life himself.

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Another major shortcoming of Jerax is the repetitiveness in the visuals. There are quite a few shots — such as the close-up of the amulet, the magic happening within the photostat machine, it emitting papers during the process, and the light on the lamppost right outside the shop flickering in the meantime — that are shown to us repeatedly, making one wonder if these were attempts to simply fill space or a lack of ideas regarding what to shoot. This also raises the question: did Jerax need to be a series? In all honesty, it could have been a far superior short film.

Watch Jerax trailer here:

While Nagabhushana is serviceable as Prakasha, Payal Chengappa delivers an uneven performance as Sujatha. The supporting actors, such as Thukali Santhu, Srivatsa, Yashwanth Shetty and Siddu Mandya, do their parts well. Although Manju Pavagada is impressive as Inspector Ravindra, one of the antagonists, he overacts significantly when portraying Prakasha disguised as Ravindra.

Nonetheless, Jerax offers the most fun and laughs when Om Prakash Rao is on screen as Prakasha’s doddappa (uncle), delivering an impressive performance. The series’ music by Vinay Shankar is also brilliant. However, on the technical front, its special effects are deplorable.