Court is opening in theatres today. Starring Priyadarshi as a lawyer, the courtroom drama features Harsh Roshan and Sridevi as young lovers. Harshavardhan, Sai Kumar and Rohini have important parts as well.
The film may have its heart in the right place but it is mediocre as a courtroom drama. The prosecution lawyer develops cold feet at the slightest hint of a rookie lawyer outclassing him; he can't hide his mental state making it obvious to the audience. He talks with the passion of Gollapudi Maruthi Rao in old movies, stubbornly coming across as a cinema character.
The fake witnesses are conveniently stupid and nervous. Teja's (Priyadarshi as a defense lawyer) confidence and preparedness emerge from his homework but the audience are hardly given a peek into his efforts. The courtroom arguments are milked for easy claps rather than built on rigour.
The key accused (Harsh Roshan as Chandu) maintains pindrop silence in the court and outside. Granted he is numbed but we don't understand what might be going on in his mind. The story takes the form of a hero vs. Villain narrative, losing its essence. It's neither a kosher courtroom drama that sincerely draws from complex real life cases, nor is it a social commentary like Jai Bhim. After a point, the case itself feels straightforward.
On the upside, the film reflects the mindsets of many Indians through the characters played by Sivaji and Harshavardhan. Court cases are fabricated, crimes are made up, laws are abused to serve the feral mindsets of people in our country. It's improper to say only rich people misuse the laws, for they can be perverted by anybody who is malevolent enough to harass others.
