No other Indian filmmaker has ever attempted to capture the story behind a high profile murder - and it isn't a half-hearted, watered down tale based in a different city, in a different time zone and with different names. Even though there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the film, there's no doubt who or what the film is about.
The movie begins in 1999 in Delhi, when Sabrina (Vidya Balan) receives a call about her sister Jessica (Myra) being "in an accident" and not long after, dies. It seems like an open-and- shut case. Jessica has been shot by a politician's son at a nightclub with over 300 guests and many eyewitnesses. But the inevitable happens. Money exchanges hands and everything from the witnesses to the forensics report is fixed and the murderer Manish Bhardwaj walks free. Enter hardcore TV journalist Meera ( Rani Mukerji), who had no interest in the case until now, as it was too simple for her thinking. Outraged by the injustice done, she decides to get involved. She manages to stir the entire nation's conscience and the culprits are arrested again.
Every aspect of the Jessica Lall murder was covered extensively by newspapers and news channels, so there are no surprises for the audiences, making it tougher to keep them engrossed. But the director manages to do that. No One Killed Jessica could've easily become a docudrama, alienating the moviegoer but Raj Kumar Gupta keeps the appalling events interesting and with almost documentary immediacy.
Although the story is real, the director manages to bring in enough excitement. In portions, the film makes you cringe at the corruption of the system. In equal measure, it also stirs up emotions making you believe that all's not lost yet. The story-telling is effective, the narrative is gripping to the core and every actor is perfectly cast. Vidya Balan always a fine actor, is outstanding here. She makes a solid impact with her strong and silent portrayal of Sabrina. Though her character has no great lines and histrionics, she succeeds in hitting the right notes at the right moments. She brings quiet power to No One Killed Jessica, while Rani Mukerji is the hero of the film - with the crackling chutzpah and clap-worthy lines. She brings the screen on fire in the second half.
Although the story is real, the director manages to bring in enough excitement. In portions, the film makes you cringe at the corruption of the system. In equal measure, it also stirs up emotions making you believe that all's not lost yet. The story-telling is effective, the narrative is gripping to the core and every actor is perfectly cast. Vidya Balan always a fine actor, is outstanding here. She makes a solid impact with her strong and silent portrayal of Sabrina. Though her character has no great lines and histrionics, she succeeds in hitting the right notes at the right moments. She brings quiet power to No One Killed Jessica, while Rani Mukerji is the hero of the film - with the crackling chutzpah and clap-worthy lines. She brings the screen on fire in the second half.
The album starts off the with the very eccentric Dilli Dilli track, which has already won hearts of audiences from the initial promos. The track is unpredictable yet predictable in the sense that it is exactly the type of number that you'd expect from a Trivedi album. It's loud, it's raw and it's fabulous!
On the whole, No One Killed Jessica is a poignant story of two women's resolve for justice. It's a remarkable blend of facts and fiction inspired by a series of real-life episodes, which has thankfully not been presented as a tedious biography or in a mind-numbing docu-drama format. It's more of an engaging thriller which has the right doses of histrionics, tautness, anguish and thrills. The emotional and disturbing journey, the strength of the common man and the relentless endeavor of the media have all been most compellingly put together on moving picture. In times of yore, a lot of films have been attempted on real-life incidents, but haven't struck a chord so effectively. No One Killed Jessica should shatter this jinx. This heroic and daring film truly deserves a prolonged applause. 
No comments:
Post a Comment