It is a widely known fact that the most common and time-consuming act on OTT portals is surfing what to watch instead of watching something. At times, we keep surfing and then end up watching nothing, realizing that a lot of effort has already gone into the process and it is time to sleep.
In this weird scenario, it truly comes as a pleasant surprise when you opt for an unusual film with a strange title of a lesser-known Indian language and it turns out to be a more than decent watch as an intriguing crime thriller. Further, it would be nothing else than a great compliment for the makers, when the film you knew nothing about before watching, strongly reminds you of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, and his classic PSYCHO, but bravely carving its distinctive path in the genre.
That is what happened when I got to see a Maithili language film, titled JACKSON HALT written and directed by National Award winner Nitin Neera Chandra. While the language surprisingly is not difficult to understand along with English subtitles, the film’s narrative straight away pulls you in and excites you with suspense built around a lonely railway station and some missing people in the region.
Revolving around just a few characters, another inventive aspect of the film is how the writing incorporates culture, literature, and famous authors/poets from the past in its story progression without losing the focus. However, the sub-plot certainly could have been the major highlight of the film shot at original locations. On the flip side, though the later hour has a couple of questionable sequences and developments, it is the performances and editing that keep you glued to the screen along with apt music.
In all, Chandra makes a brave choice of taking up a bold, dark, and gory thriller, post-making the award-winning DESWA (2011) and MITHILA MAKHAAN (2023). Honestly, JACKSON HALT might not win Chandra another award, but it will surely get him wide appreciation and immense satisfaction as a writer-director and creator, eager to explore different genres in his career.
Following the current trend, JACKSON HALT has an open end, and probably the team plans to make its sequel too. The theme has that potential and it would be great to see the second part scaling further heights in the rarely made Maithili cinema, spreading the much-required awareness about the language.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Where it can be seen? - JACKSON HALT presently is available on Nitin Neera Chandra’s own OTT portal BEJOD (www.bejod.in) at a minimal onetime payment.
Note: Wonder why the bigger portals refused to buy this film, when it has everything, they keep looking for in the name of content, making many strange and unbearable choices. JACKSON HALT deserves to get a wider reach and audience through their popular portals.
