A disappointing trend among Telugu filmmakers is the desperation to hold on to a specific genre or storytelling style and overuse it till the novelty wears off. It is like a magician relying on the same trick until the secret is laid bare.Director Ritesh Rana’s quirky, parody-style narratives set against crime — seen across the Mathu Vadalarafranchise and, to an extent, Happy Birthday — were one-of-a-kind when they first arrived, with the mark of a storyteller with a unique voice. With Jetlee, however, it appears as though his signature style has overstayed its welcome, struggling to offer anything new.
Jetlee, as per the writer-director’s own admission, was born when a serious aviation thriller was reimagined as a comedy. The drama begins when Prajapati (Ajay), the founder of a bank, flees to Dubai with his customers’ deposits. A key member of the bank is brutally killed, and a crooked politician, Melkote, is after Prajapati’s life.