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‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ movie review: Manoj Bajpayee steps up in court

Director: Apoorv Singh Karki

Star Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Vipin Sharma, Adrija Sinha

What’s good: the immaculate artist that Manoj Bajpayee is and the art that he uses to hide the product’s flaws via his work.

What’s Bad: The film fails to emphasise several key issues while concentrating on its ‘Bandaa,’ which is the negative aspect.

Loo Break: Although the execution is similar to reading a book with a fairly straightforward narrative, there is an outstanding performance by Manoj Bajpayee, who will prevent you from using the loo.

Watch or not?: You should watch it to see how much more Bajpayee still has in him, even after devoting almost three decades of his life to the craft of acting.

Ratings: 9 out of 10

Since quite some time ago, we’ve been hankering to see a Manoj Bajpayee performance at a venue that lives up to our expectations. Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari was amusing but unremarkable in comparison to Sonchiriya, which seems like another age ago. Instead, all of his recent accomplishments have been posted on the internet, including season two of The Family Man, which stars Rayand Gulmohar. He has found a new home on OTT (along with a committed fan base), and he is thriving there. Since the exhibition arena is still unstable, it makes sense for Apoorv Singh Karki’s first feature film, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, to premiere immediately on ZEE5. Nevertheless, I really wish that the movie had been distributed in theatres. It is not the kind of performance that should be savoured on computers and phones since it is a courtroom drama in the traditional sense and contains a scorching, live-wire performance by Bajpayee.

Bandaa starts out with a number of disclaimers, one of which is that “the film is a dramatisation of events.” We were aware of the occurrences that are being investigated by the time a little girl who was traumatised was able to give her testimony in Delhi and by the time a bearded saint with a blissful grin was apprehended in Jodhpur. Asaram Bapu, a self-proclaimed godman, was arrested in 2013 on charges of raping a juvenile girl who was 16 years old at one of his ashrams. After a trial that lasted for five years, he was found guilty and sentenced to life in jail. It was a landmark case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and PC Solanki, a small-time lawyer from Jodhpur who battled toe-to-toe with intimidating legal bigwigs, became the heroic face of the case.

In the movie, Asaram is never called by his real name; instead, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha’s character refers to him only as “Baba.” The performance of Kulshreshtha, who plays the role, is unnervingly calm. PC Solanki, however, is PC Solanki. At an early stage, the parents of the victim want him to represent them in their legal matter. Their former attorney was caught in the midst of arranging a bribe with Baba’s associates, a strategy that would continue throughout the whole of the movie, along with witness intimidation, vitriolic attacks, and outright murder outside of the courtroom. Solanki (Manoj) forewarns both his customers and himself, saying, “There will be a great deal of peril and challenge.” He has a small child and an elderly mother at home, so he is well aware of the repercussions that going against a potentially harmful and prominent cult may have.

A court in Gandhinagar found Asaram, the imprisoned godman, guilty of rape.

The moments that take place in the courtroom are ablaze with reasoning and repartee. The fact that writer Deepak Kingrani stayed true to the events of the first investigation rather than exaggerating them dramatically earns him respect in this regard. Now that Baba is in the custody of the court, Solanki will go up against a number of famous people who will defend him. There is an outbreak of legal shenanigans; at one point, a forged school diploma is presented in order to cast doubt on the victim’s age and allow the POCSO charges to be dropped. In another scenario, a made-up medical issue is used as a pretext to extradite the offender outside the country. Solanki thwarts these manipulations by using a plethora of ingenious arguments, appeals, and parallels. His demeanour in court is cool and convincing, but he is not immune to the odd use of theatrics. For example, he may loudly crash his desk when acting out a scene from one of his opponents.

One of the attorneys in Bandaa has said, “This is a matter of our beliefs,” and they mean it. Baba is quoted as saying that bhakti is synonymous with complete devotion. While telling a narrative of how people might be exploited because of their naive faith, the movie makes a number of concessions to religion itself. When the lone survivor, Nu (Adrija Sinha), informs Solanki that everyone now considers her a sinner, he reacts by galvanising her with a chorus of “Har Har Mahadev.” Solanki is presented as a fervent Shiva worshipper. On the day of the decision, Solanki wears a little tilak to court, and his final address, which evokes the Ramayana, is an intense riff on the legendary gradations of sin and is delivered with zest by Bajpayee. These kinds of situations are now absolutely necessary in order to win over an audience in this hypersensitive era (in the movie Mulk, Taapsee Pannu’s lawyer, who was involved in an interfaith marriage, was very religious).

Both sensitivity and grit are aspects of his character that Bajpayee brings to the role. It’s almost poetic the way he talks; I couldn’t help but smile every time he called the judge “janaab” in court. When he is defending his argument, it can be penetrating and uncompromising; when he is negotiating with judges, it can be quietly beseeching; and when he is alone by himself, it can be distant and melancholy. In court moments, he finds a harsh companionship with Vipin Sharma, who portrays a realistic (and sometimes dignified) portrayal of a criminal defence counsel. In these scenes, he also forms a rough friendship with the judge.

Apoorv Singh Karki has directed a number of shows, including “Aspirants” and “Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd.” He manages to present an audacious narrative in Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai without making it preachy or too wordy, which is quite an accomplishment. The film seems to be realistic while having an amped-up narrative style since it was filmed in life-size courtrooms and streets. In addition to that, there are several striking contrasts, each of which centres on Solanki. In one, he is a lone figure staring up at a fort, while in another, he is lost in a sea of furious worshippers who are following him. The one that follows later is the one that stands out the most; it depicts a father and his kid fleeing on a scooter as a temple is seen in the distance.

Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is streaming on ZEE5.

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