Jimmi: When money changes everything

Money might not be able to buy happiness for the average person, but it sure can for Runa Layla, a girl from a middle-class family. 

Her days are like clockwork—she takes care of her family in the morning and without a second's rest, she's off to her job with her lunch box in hand. She has mastered the precision of routine so well that it looks like she could get through her day blindfolded.

Her only indulgence is the glimpses she allows herself at the gold earrings she ordered from the jewellers but hasn't been able to pay off for six months. 

But all of that changes when she finds a box containing Tk50 lakh, seemingly a solution to all her problems. 
 

The series uses real clips from the student protests, which might make viewers feel a bit on edge. However, the show firmly stays rooted in comedy, reinforced through its caricature-like characters and background music. These elements reassure viewers that the show is intentionally unserious.

However, the box is also a catalyst for a whole new set of problems, making the premise of the web series 'Jimmi'. Set in the backdrop of the July Uprising last year, Layla (played by Jaya Ahsan) navigates through newfound, illegal wealth and the repercussions it brings. What unfolds is a comedic yet thrilling story that will have you on the edge of your seat, cringing at times, through seven episodes. 

Though the plot itself seems like it is overdone, what might have you doing a double-take is the timeline the story is set in. It begs the question of whether the story is an allegory for the clash of politics in Bangladesh. 

The series uses real clips from the student protests, which might make viewers feel a bit on edge. However, the show firmly stays rooted in comedy, reinforced through its caricature-like characters and background music. These elements reassure viewers that the show is intentionally unserious.

This brings in one of the most standout factors of the show—its background score. The series does not only use music to set the mood but to guide it. In serious scenes, a pensive violin plays but when the show wants to take you back to its lighthearted mood, a silly tune takes over.  

However, at times it feels like the background music sticks out like a sore thumb. The simplistic music sometimes drove you away from a feeling before you were done feeling it, dictating the flow of the show. 

But whatever the background score lacked, the show made up for it through its actors' performances. Jaya Ahsan's performance was fantastic as she embodies a morally ambiguous character, leaning into her ridiculousness, making for an unapologetically entertaining show. 

The subtle expressions she portrays, although very minute details bear testament to her maturity and ability as an actor.

Jaya was meant to be the true star of the show because the rest of the characters felt a bit underdeveloped and a bit caricature-like. For example, Runa's husband Azad (played by Iresh Zaker) seemed to be the exact same person he was at the beginning of the series by the last episode, not showing much growth.

However, the show wraps up neatly within the seven episodes, not drawing itself out for too long with side plots. This makes 'Jimmi' the perfect show to binge in one evening and take your mind off the post-holiday blues.