Pranav Joshi is a young industrial designer building a life in Ahmedabad when his father's dyeing business in Jetpur collapses and his parents move in with him. After a humiliating clash with their landlady, Pranav rashly vows to buy a home of his own within two months. What follows is his scramble against soaring prices, unyielding banks and his own limited means to make that promise real.
Thai Jashe! took one of the most ordinary anxieties in urban Gujarat, owning a home of your own in Ahmedabad, and built a whole film around it. Nirav Barot's story follows Pranav Joshi, an industrial designer whose parents move in with him after the family dyeing unit in Jetpur collapses. A humiliating run-in with a landlady pushes him to promise he will buy a flat within two months, and the rest of the film is his scramble against prices, banks and his own limited means.
The film arrived as part of the new urban Gujarati wave, and critics split on it. DeshGujarat's Jayesh Adhyaru gave it two stars, crediting the honest performances and the genuine question it raises about a housing market propped up by investors, but calling the plot wafer-thin and the runtime punishing at close to two and a half hours. BuddyBits was far warmer at four stars, framing it as a heartfelt middle-class ride, and filmmaker Abhishek Jain publicly recommended it. Award juries leaned positive too, with wins at the Transmedia Screen and Stage Awards and GIFA 2016 across writing, lead and supporting acting.
What holds it together is Malhar Thakar, fresh off Chhello Divas, who makes Pranav's frustration feel lived-in, backed by a supporting cast led by Manoj Joshi as the perpetually grumpy father. The production is tidy and the aerial shots of Ahmedabad and Jetpur are a nice touch. The weak links are real, a stretched screenplay, high-pitched melodrama, and a homophobic gag that has aged badly. Watch it for the performances and the rare sight of Gujarati cinema chasing an everyday middle-class story instead of a broad comedy.
Verdict
A relatable middle-class story carried by honest performances but weighed down by a thin, over-long plot.
What works
- Malhar Thakar's grounded, relatable lead turn
- A premise every middle-class viewer knows first-hand
- Manoj Joshi and a solid supporting ensemble
- Tidy production with striking aerial shots of Ahmedabad and Jetpur
What holds it back
- A wafer-thin, over-stretched plot
- Runs long at nearly two and a half hours
- Loud, high-pitched melodrama and comedy
- A homophobic gag played for cheap laughs
Cast & crew
Writers: Nirav Barot, Jay Bhatt
Music: Hemang Dholakia
Cast: Malhar Thakar (Pranav Joshi), Monal Gajjar (Kajal Bhatt), Manoj Joshi (Chandrakantbhai Joshi), Kumkum Das (Sarojben Joshi), Hemang Dave (Deepak Dua), Bhavini Jani (Shanti Aunty)
Producers: Prayag Dave
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Thai Jashe! worth watching?
A relatable middle-class story carried by honest performances but weighed down by a thin, over-long plot. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Thai Jashe! about?
Pranav Joshi is a young industrial designer building a life in Ahmedabad when his father's dyeing business in Jetpur collapses and his parents move in with him. After a humiliating clash with their landlady, Pranav rashly vows to buy a home of his own within two months. What follows is his scramble against soaring prices, unyielding banks and his own limited means to make that promise real.
What is the IMDb rating of Thai Jashe!?
Thai Jashe! (2016) holds an IMDb rating of 7.3 out of 10.