I became quite excited for Srinidhi Bengaluru's Jerax when I read the press material. The six-episode ZEE5 series revolves around a Xerox machine that prints human clones. The shop housing this machine is run by Prakasha (Nagabhushana NS), who possesses a talisman responsible for this supernatural phenomenon. All one needs to do is place a photo of the person to be cloned into the machine; after several paper printouts, a duplicate materializes. Hold the talisman, and the clone comes to life. Close your eyes, and you can manipulate the clone at will (with eyes open, it merely mimics your words and gestures).
It's a neat concept that Bengaluru, unfortunately, fails to fully exploit—whether for science-fiction spectacle, political commentary, or humor. The writer-director-creator mostly settles for basic jokes built around "identity confusion." For instance, Prakasha might clone a jewelry shop owner to steal a gold necklace, only for the real owner to berate an employee for negligence. In one episode, a police officer and his duplicate fight while others struggle to identify the real inspector.
An 18+ version of Jerax might have explored Prakasha's sexual desires, but this iteration aims to be a clean, family entertainer. As a result, Sooji's (Payal Chengappa) clone merely kisses Prakasha's hand and forehead—there's no room for anything more intimate. Prakasha himself is never driven by erotic impulses, which ends up being the show's most implausible element.
In one scene, a politician declares he will capture Prakasha and use his powers to generate voters and win an election. He would be surprised to learn how elections function in the real world—many things happen without supernatural intervention. Yet Jerax never meaningfully develops such ideas. It ultimately has little to say about either its fictional world or our own world.
Its primary goal is to generate joke after joke, but even within this limited scope, it isn't much of a winner. Bengaluru's humor leans on repetitive gags that seldom become truly inventive or hilarious. For most of this first season, he appears to be merely testing the waters. Things turn genuinely absurd and amusing toward the end of Episode 6, but just as the show begins to find its footing, Bengaluru pulls the curtain down.
He ends the season precisely when it starts to resemble the sci-fi comedy I had hoped for. What we're left with feels like an inferior clone of a far funnier, more bizarre show. Unfortunately, this first season of Jerax is highly disposable—even as trash, it's barely enjoyable. In every respect, the series is disappointing and unremarkable. It is tame, safe, and ultimately bleh.
Final Score- [3/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times