“Main Meenu, Magic Meenu, part-time lover, aur full time jaadugar” says Jitendra Kumar while introducing his character in the 2022 Netflix movie trailer ‘Jaadugar’. It’s the Hindi word for magician. But in a random unexpected twist, the trailer turned out to be more about football and a lot less about being a magician.
Meenu is passionate about magic, but is forced to take part in local football matches, even though he is no good at it. However, when he is finally dropped out of the team, he begs to be taken back, because he needs to prove his worth in a football tournament to get the girl he loves. The story is set in small India, filled with cheesy/funny dialogues that promise an entertaining ride.
At first glance, ‘Jaadugar’ seems to be too random, mixing two very different themes – the art of magic and the sweaty energy of football, along with a girl-crazy man. By the looks of it, Jitendra Kumar is going to be the heartbeat of this new Netflix offering. Arushi Sharma who plays Meenu’s love interest doesn’t really land a punch in the teaser, will have to wait and watch if she can match Jitendra’s energy levels or charm.
Directed by Sameer Saxena, ‘Jaadugar’ will be available to stream on July 15th.