Criminal Justice (2019) reviewed.

I am awfully late to get this out as I couldn’t manage to watch this fantastic 10-episode series (A brilliant iteration) earlier. Nonetheless; I am glad I saw it and that is that.

First things first; It felt like such a breather to watch something so original and raw without the special effects and 3D fanfare; Avengers fatigue or whatever; this series is one hell of a watch. It has a stellar cast comprising of the innocuous Vikrant Massey, the genius Pankaj Tripathi, the ever watchable apna Bhidu Jackie Shroff and a bunch of other seasoned actors. The crew is pretty stellar too headlined by the brilliant Tigmanshu Dhulia, Vishal Furia and Sridhar Raghavan doing writing duties (his research is pretty commendable and the effort shows through the screenplay).

The story is pretty linear with little scope for innovation or miracles. The series highlights our deplorable justice system when it comes to heinous crimes (In this case, a rape and a murder). You feel sorry for the central character and the desperation him and his family is put through. I ended up connecting with the plot more as the story is based very much In Mumbai and retains all the characteristics the city has; the mannerisms, the lingo, the lust for money, people making their living; by hook or crook. Et all.

The story begins. An uber-isque reference sets things up nicely. Part time cab drivers coming from good families. Small dreams. MBA’s. Those little things in life. And suddenly, all hell breaks loose. The screenplay suddenly becomes sharp and poignant at the same time. Then comes in the incredible Pankaj Tripathi; and boy oh boy, he is a MASTER of his craft. He nails it. Right from Wasseypur days, he still acts with humility and brilliant ease which is very very rare. This is the kind of a story where in the viewers know the partial truth and the climax is also pretty much known. The means to get there forms the fuselage of this very well researched and well implemented series.

The action sharply oscillates three ways between the central jail (that’s where all the fun is), the courtroom (brilliantly shot) and the family spaces and the friction between these 3 entities is so gripping that you won’t stop before wrapping it up. The jail sequences in particular are outstanding. The characters, good and bad or rather, bad or grey are thrown at us.

LAYAK TALUKDAR played with brilliance by Dibyendu Bhattacharya; another Anurag Kashyap find; will freak you out. MUSTAFA bhai played by Jackie Shroff with relatable ease (probably because that’s how he is in real life) will light things up. This incredible ensemble and the meteoric Vikrant Massey give you one hell of a thrill ride. Vikrant has this innocuous way of going about things. He will grow on you. Right from A death in the gunj days to criminal justice, this guy has the knack of picking the most emotionally challenging roles.

Slowly, the story unfolds; the picture becomes a little clearer as things proceed. And ultimately, the truth prevails. The series is an account of how efficient the police-judiciary can be if required to. If the right push exists and most importantly, if the heart is in the right place.

What works for the series is a very well researched approach, tremendous performances and the amazing dialogue work (especially Pankaj Tripathi; I am sure a lot of it is also improvised) mixed with the THRILL factor. What doesn’t work partially is a little bit of a slow screenplay. But what the hell. We can discount that.

Please don’t watch it with kids. The language is how it is spoken in Mumbai ( Totally bhai log wala) But, don’t miss it. Do watch it. Season 2 is already on its way. Streaming on Hotstar.