Jaane Jaan is one of those thrillers where you hope that the main characters would get away with murder. Based on the 2005 Japanese novel, the Hindi adaptation still has the cat-and-mouse dynamic between the relentless detective and math genius protecting the suspect, along with their elaborate chess-like mind games. However, the film changes a major plot point from the novel, and without spoiling too much, it turns the math teacher, now named Naren, into a less sympathetic character. Given today’s sensibilities, it’s easy to understand why the change was made. After all, just because someone’s a genius, it doesn’t mean that they’re someone to be admired. Jaane Jaan still keeps up the exciting thrills and suspense of the original novel, but in making its changes, it becomes unclear who the film is rooting for.

There are certain moments that stand out in Jaane Jaan. The first fighting action sequence is one, and it makes an excellent introduction to Vijay Varma as inspector Karan Anand. Another excellent scene is when Anand tries to reimagine the murder – revisualizing Dsouza’s steps in a sequence inspired by Decision to Leave. When Naren imagines how the karaoke bar went for Anand and Dsouza, the intercuts between that neon lit singing and Naren’s calming karate show that inner turmoil he’s feeling. These moments show how well writer-director Sujoy Ghosh cares about the inner thoughts and feelings of these characters, and it’s these moments that make Jaane Jaan entertaining.