The movie currently trending the most in India—drawing massive crowds to theaters where seats are scarce, sparking intense online gossip, and even inciting heated debates among people—is Drishyam 3, or rather, Drishyam: The Conclusion.
This reaction is hardly surprising, given that Drishyam is a massive franchise; *The Conclusion* is the final chapter of this major film series, and the story is undeniably solid.
However, I would like to draw your attention to a relatively small film that didn’t even have a theatrical release. It premiered on the ZEE5 app and is titled Pooja Meri Jaan.
Pooja Meri Jaan features Vijay Raaz, Mrunal Thakur, and Huma Qureshi.
My reason for writing about this film lies in its subject matter—but what exactly is that subject? We will shed light on it shortly.
First, let’s briefly discuss the plot and the ending. Then, towards the end, I will explain the reason behind this post and what I specifically want to discuss.
Spoiler warning: If you haven’t watched the Pooja Meri Jaan yet, leave this page immediately. The journey ahead is packed with spoilers that could completely ruin your viewing experience, so go watch the movie first.
Pooja Meri Jaan: The Story of Aniket and Pooja
Let’s start with the story of the film.
The story introduces us to a young man and woman named Aniket and Pooja. They have known each other since their college days, and Aniket falls in love with Pooja the moment he sees her.
In other words, Aniket harbors a one-sided love for Pooja. However, right from the start, Pooja views Aniket merely as a very good friend. Five years of friendship pass; Aniket remains deeply in love with her, while Pooja continues to see him only as a friend—she never feels any romantic attraction toward him, neither physically nor mentally.
That said, there are moments when Pooja shares things with Aniket and opens up to him emotionally. She views him as a support system, yet she never feels attracted to him.
Although certain incidents along the way might lead Aniket to believe that Pooja is attracted to him, his sole objective throughout the movie remains to impress Pooja and somehow win her heart so that she falls in love with him too.
Now, what happens once is that both of them are theater artists. Their play is Romeo and Juliet.
After the play concludes, Aniket proposes marriage to Pooja right there on stage, in front of the entire audience.
Pooja is naturally shocked, and in that state of shock, Aniket slips the ring onto her finger. However, once they are backstage, a massive argument breaks out between them. Pooja tells him, “I don’t love you. I love someone else named Vikram, and I want to settle down with him.”
Aniket tries hard to persuade her, saying, “I’ve already proposed in front of everyone—what will happen to me? Think about my reputation, Pooja. Everyone is waiting outside to celebrate with us.”
Pooja insists, “Look, I don’t want to be with you.” The argument drags on, and eventually, Pooja storms off, telling him to “go to hell”—essentially telling him to leave her alone and get out of her life.
After saying this, Pooja goes home.
Aniket is unable to cope with the situation and returns to his home. He makes numerous calls and sends many messages—even emails—to Pooja. She neither answers his calls nor replies to his messages; essentially, she switches off her phone and goes to sleep.
Aniket finds this unbearable. He writes an email expressing all his feelings for Pooja, stating that he is about to take a drastic step. He writes, “I couldn’t make you love me in this lifetime, so perhaps in the next…”
After sending this email to Pooja, he takes his own life. The entire story revolves around the question of whether Pooja is responsible for Aniket taking his own life—and whether or not she should be punished for it.
Pooja Meri Jaan Ending Explained: Was Pooja Really at Fault?
Throughout the case, we are shown the ups and downs of the five-year bond—spanning both friendship and a romantic relationship—shared by Pooja and Aniket.
Why the Film’s Moral Conflict Works
The best thing about the movie, for me, is that both characters are portrayed in shades of grey—much like in real-life situations. We often see films where one character is depicted as completely ‘black’ (villainous) and the other as completely ‘white’ (virtuous); where one is the victim of terrible injustice while the other is the perpetrator.
In this film, however, our loyalties shift; at times we side with Aniket, and at other times with Pooja. We sympathize with Aniket one moment and feel for Pooja the next.
This tug-of-war continues right up until the climax, and it has been portrayed very effectively.
The Climax and the Final Court Verdict
Things take a somewhat different turn during the climax.
In the climax, the film takes a definitive stance and offers a reason for it that feels quite clichéd. However, leading up to the climax, it maintains a compelling conflict, often leaving the viewer confused about who is actually right and who is wrong.
And by the time it reaches the climax, it is shown that Aniket misbehaves with Pooja, tries to get physical with her, and touches her inappropriately against her consent, which makes Pooja extremely angry with Aniket.
An argument is presented in court highlighting that Aniket had sent numerous apology messages to Pooja. She had stopped speaking to him for months. She hadn’t raised this issue in court earlier because she didn’t want to humiliate a man who had already lost his life.
However, when the case began to slip out of her control, she was compelled to reveal the truth; she disclosed the incident of misconduct, explaining that this was the reason he had been sending constant apologies and gifts, and why he had been persistently pursuing her.
Aniket was doing all of this for a reason, and Pooja eventually forgave him. However, even after she forgave him, you saw what happened: Aniket proposed, Pooja rejected him, and he was unable to handle the situation.
Ultimately, the verdict went in Pooja’s favor. The judge stated that the Constitution of India grants people of all genders the right to choose their own partners. It was certainly not the case that Pooja was 100% at fault for the drastic step Aniket took, nor did she deserve to be punished for it; rather, Aniket should have been taught how to handle the situation better.
So, the judgment was delivered, and Pooja was finally spared the ordeal of the court proceedings. All charges against her were dropped, and she was honorably acquitted.
Why Gen Z Can Relate to Pooja Meri Jaan
I feel that the younger generation in our country—Gen Z—will strongly relate to the subject matter of this film. Of course, they won’t relate to the extreme actions taken in the movie—which go to an absolute extreme—but on many other levels, I think they will connect with it.
Why?
Because I believe there are so many guys in our country who fall into one-sided love with a girl and keep trying to win her over, hoping to make her fall for them just as deeply as they have fallen for her.
And many girls, too, must have faced a situation where a guy they consider a close friend—someone they confide in during vulnerable moments—eventually falls in love with them, while the girl views him strictly as a good friend or a best friend, with no romantic feelings involved.
This creates a very tricky situation: what should be done? Cutting the guy off completely is difficult.
Yet, from the friend’s perspective, it feels wrong to keep talking to him when I know he likes me; doing so ultimately just fuels his feelings.
So, both the girl and the boy find themselves stuck in a really tough, grey area—a dilemma where they don’t quite know what to do. The boy worries that if he cuts ties completely, he’ll lose the interaction they currently share through their friendship; and then, he wonders, what would he do?
This is a situation that many couples—or even friends—can easily relate to. You get what I mean, right?
How Bollywood Gets One-Sided Love Wrong
And if you look at Bollywood or Indian cinema—even South Indian cinema, where the situation is arguably even worse—the way this is portrayed is vastly different.
We often see that once a girl rejects a guy, the hero keeps trying repeatedly to win her over. He employs various tactics—sometimes being cute, other times using humor.
But I feel Pooja Meri Jaan is one of the few films—or perhaps one of very few—that addresses this issue with such seriousness, showing the actual repercussions of such actions.
This film relates very closely to real-life situations, unlike many other Bollywood movies where things happen in a way that exists only within the film’s universe.
If you keep pestering a girl, she won’t simply get tired and accept your proposal; instead, she will become even more irritated with you. You might even end up losing a good friend in the process.
If we set aside the internet-related aspect—which, like in most Bollywood films, is portrayed in a rather childish manner (where anyone posting a video on the topic instantly goes viral, racking up likes, views, and shares)—the core subject matter is actually quite good. It deals with a relevant topic, and I’m glad a film was made about it.
However, amidst the buzz surrounding films like Drishyam, Ramayana, The Paradise, and Raaka, this movie didn’t seem to get much attention.
That is why I decided to write this piece. What is your opinion on this topic and the film? If you have watched it, please share your thoughts in the comments section.
I’ll see you soon.
Thank you!