Pooja Meri Jaan OTT Response: Where Mrunal Went Wrong?

Pooja Meri Jaan Mrunal Thakur Review

Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi’s Pooja Meri Jaan has arrived on ZEE5 with a story that tackles consent, toxic masculinity and society’s tendency to blame women for rejecting men. However, the film’s reception among critics has been mixed, with several reviewers appreciating its subject while pointing out that its execution fails to match its ambition.

The film follows Pooja (Mrunal), who rejects her close friend Aniket (Vikram Singh Chauhan) after he proposes to her publicly. Following his death by suicide, she finds herself accused of abetment and subjected to intense public scrutiny.

Huma plays Sana, a friend who steps in as Pooja’s defence lawyer, while Vijay Raaz appears as the prosecution’s lawyer.

One reviewer described it as an intriguing story of rejection that needed a sharper edge. Another called it a thought provoking exploration of male entitlement, even as the narrative becomes preachy and predictable.

Other reviews were less forgiving. For instance, one viewer praised Mrunal Thakur’s convincing performance and Huma’s natural screen presence but criticised the uneven writing and predictable mystery. Another similarly felt that the film makes important points about consent and gender politics but lacks the maturity to explore them convincingly.

Mrunal’s performance has emerged as one of the film’s more consistently appreciated aspects. However, reviewers remain divided over the characterisation and courtroom drama. She badly needed this because her earlier few films couldn’t work well at the box office.

The initial response points to a film that has sparked debate over its subject, but whether its message is powerful enough to overcome its storytelling shortcomings remains the central question.