Jbaby

Based on a true story of two brothers – Senthil and Sankar who discover that their mother fondly called J Baby, has somehow made her way across 1600 kilometres from Chennai to an old age home in Kolkata. Though known for her crazy antics, this escapade is at another level. Naturally, the brothers set out immediately by the next train to fetch her. But there are two small hiccups – they don’t speak a word of any other language except Tamil and…..they cannot stand each other!

What follows is the hilarious journey of the brothers, who cannot see eye to eye, yet bound by familiarity, navigating their way across a strange city and its people with an alien language, to trace and bring their mother back home. Of course, J Baby doesn’t make it any easier for them - at 70, she makes her sons and everybody helping them to find her - the police, the authorities of the old age home and even the judiciary dance around her fingers and go on a wild goose chase before they finally find her. In finding their mother, the brothers also find it within themselves to bridge the gap that divides them.

J Baby is the story of a woman who refused to be bound by conventions, who chose to live carefree, on her terms. It’s also the story of how her eccentricities finally brought her family together. As the sun set on their adventure, the brothers realized that it was not just about finding their mother, but about rediscovering the true essence of family. J Baby's escapade from Chennai to Kolkata had brought them closer than ever before, reminding them of the unbreakable bond they shared—a bond that could withstand any distance or obstacle.

  • SURESH MARI
    Director
  • SURESH MARI
    Writer
  • Abhayanand Singh
    Producer
  • Piiyush Singh
    Producer
  • Saurabh Gupta
    Producer
  • Aditi Anand
    Producer
  • DINESH
    Key Cast
  • URVASHI
    Key Cast
  • MARAN
    Key Cast
  • Parul Singh
    CO-PRODUCER
  • Ashwini Chaudhary
    CO-PRODUCER
  • Jayanth Sethu Mathavan
    Director of Photography
  • Anthony BJ Ruban
    Sound
  • Aegan Ekambaram
    Costume Designer
  • Ramu Thangaraj
    Production Designer
  • Shanmugam Velusamy
    EDITOR
  • Rupesh
    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
  • Sanjay
    EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
  • Tony Britto
    MUSIC
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    2 hours 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    600,419 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Tamil
  • Shooting Format:
    2K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - SURESH MARI

Suresh Mari started his film career as an Assistant director in Chennai 600028 directed by Venkat Prabhu. The movie was a runaway hit and brought slapstick comedy to Tamil cinema. From here on Suresh assisted Venkat Prabhu in his other films like Mankatha and Biriyani. From here on he moved onto work with Director Pa. Ranjith as Co-director on Kaala. Suresh has been influenced by the works of Steven Spielberg, Akira Kurosawa, James Cameron, Bharathiraja, Bhagaraj and K. Balachandra. He hopes to make films that work on the emotions of the audience without compromising on the quality of the script or the process of film-making.

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Director Statement

We have all grown-up with jumbled relationships with our parents and narrowly so, with our mothers (whoever was lucky to have one) as primary care-givers - the one we all remember first, be it happiness or pain. This narrative revolves around the notion that there is no force more formidable than motherhood. Its influence surpasses all others in shaping who we become.

Drawn from a very personal and traumatic experience, Jbaby is crafted comedically as an insight into a mother's struggle to keep her family together. Jbaby possesses a palpable resilience when envisioning a life filled with the picture-perfect family, despite facing unexpected twists and turns. What would a mother do if she sees everything around her disintegrating? Our mother, Jbaby, resorts to laughable antics on the surface but deep inside she hides a void that is often internalized, now seeking attention. Despite facing various financial hardships, the tipping point occurs when the mother assumes control in her own distinctive manner.

The aim was to create a film that would elicit a multitude of feelings, such as sadness, amusement, and playfulness. Maintaining the overall essence of the story while keeping it fresh and unexpected, the endeavor is to make sure that viewers could connect with the characters on an emotional level throughout their journey.

The film has mostly been shot in actual geographies where the incident took place, and it takes inspiration from real individuals involved to develop the characters. The ultimate goal is to highlight how mothers often keep quiet about their struggles physically and mentally by presenting a blend of comedy within tragedy. By using true locations and drawing from authentic experiences, this movie aims to capture the untold stories that many mothers face throughout their lives.