Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai
- Director
- Keshhav Panneriy
- Studio
- Bibia Films Private Limited
- Release Date
- 2 March 2017
- Running Time
- 150 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Box Office
- ₹0.31 Cr
Review
This is a frustratingly half-baked period drama that mistakes melodrama for substance. The premise—a successful writer reflecting on her tragic past—has potential, but the execution is clumsy and the narrative collapses under its own contradictions. The prince character is a cartoon villain rather than a complex antagonist, and the film never bothers to explore the psychological toll of his abuse with any real depth. What could have been a powerful statement about women's agency instead becomes a soap opera that wallows in victimhood without earning it. The father's weakness is painted as sympathetic rather than culpable, which weakens the moral center of the story entirely.
The performances are serviceable at best—there's competence here, but no fire, no raw emotional truth that might have salvaged the weak script. The direction lacks the visual language to create atmosphere in the palace settings; they feel like sets rather than prisons. Alia's character spends most of the runtime passively suffering, which might work if we saw genuine character transformation, but instead we get flashbacks that tell us nothing new. The relationship with Lakshmi is the only thread that feels authentic, hinting at what this film could have been had it committed to exploring female solidarity instead of lingering on abuse.
At its core, this is a revenge or redemption story that forgets to develop either. The film squanders its own premise—if she's a successful writer now, where's the triump
Storyline
So basically, this successful writer named Alia gets called back home to India from America with some devastating news, and the whole movie is actually a flashback about her life. We see how she grew up in a modest household where her dad worked really hard to give her and her brothers a proper education. She was always into writing and journalism, and she even fell in love with this guy Alex during her college days. Things take a turn when she ends up interviewing this arrogant prince who runs a royal estate, and while she initially can't stand him, he becomes obsessed with her and basically forces his way into her life.
Her father, who isn't the strongest personality, gets swayed by the prince's lavish gifts and convinces Alia to marry him despite her protests. She's heartbroken about leaving Alex behind, but she has to go through with it and move into this massive palace. Once she's there, she realizes her entire purpose in this marriage is pretty much just to have sons and manage household tasks—she's basically a prisoner who can't even leave the grounds whenever she wants.
As time goes on, things get really rough. The prince turns out to be a total jerk who drinks too much, sleeps around, and treats everyone around him terribly, including Alia. The only bright spot in her lonely palace life is her bond with Lakshmi, who works as her personal attendant and is honestly like her best friend. Lakshmi helps her deal with everything and even listens to complaints from people in the town. But then something pretty upsetting happens that tests Alia's spirit even further.