In my opinion, if there’s one genre of Bollywood movies that has gone under constant change throughout the years, it is the Courtroom Drama genre. It has literally gone from the melodramatic ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ times to the humour-infused Jolly LLB times to currently the deep and serious ‘Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai’ times, which I believe is the best way to depict courtroom dramas. Another addition to the list is Raveena Tandon’s comeback film ‘Patna Shuklla’. It’s got a mix of everything—drama, corruption, a big scam, and some really good performances. But ye sab hone ke baad bhi it feels incomplete. Why? Because it lacks the depth and intensity to be a power-packed and impactful thriller.
Plot
We have Tanvi Shukla (Raveena Tandon), a lawyer in Patna’s lower court. She is not a big name though, just a small-time lawyer who gets a few small cases here and there, and according to her husband, is “great at filing affidavits.” She, like every other woman, is an all-rounder though. Manages both work and home like an absolute pro. Everything’s chill until she decides to take on this huge case involving Rinki Kumari (Anushka Kaushik), a young girl caught in a massive education scam. The problem is, the scam is linked to this big-shot politician, Raghubir Singh (Jatin Goswami). As Tanvi digs deeper, she faces off against powerful enemies and uncovers some shocking secrets about her own past. She ain’t just another lawyer anymore. She is “Patna Shukla,” (although, for some reason, the movie is shot in Bhopal) and she’s suddenly a local celebrity, with half the town cheering her on and the other half trying to tear her down.
Performances
What a way to make a comeback by Raveena Tandon. She is straight-up awesome in this. She’s vulnerable when a housewife (although she shouldn’t have to be), and determined when out there fighting cases– perfectly balanced as all things should be. You can’t help but root for her until the very end. And then there’s hum sabke pyaare, the late Satish Kaushik ji, who plays Judge Arun K Jha. He’s hilarious with his OCD quirks but puts a lot of depth in the courtroom scenes. Also makes me think how badly we’ll all miss him and his quirky roles… sigh. Chandan Roy Sanyal as the prosecution lawyer Neelkanth Mishra is good, but let’s be honest, Raveena and Satish steal the show. Manav Vij is just there as the husband who is both supportive and envious according to his needs but Anushka Kaushik as Rinki is deeply under-utilized even though she gives a solid performance. It’s like they forgot to add her in the scenes:///
Direction and Writing
Seems like Vivek Budakoti was pretty sure about one thing: he didn’t want it to be humorous. And that, I suppose is a wise choice, because not all movies can be Jolly LLB good. But the problem is, they don’t even embrace the seriousness properly. So the movie, you know, it’s in the middle of nowhere emotionally. The film tackles big issues like corruption and gender bias without being too preachy, which is refreshing. But on the contrary, it sidelines Rinki’s character, the very reason why everything unfolds in the first place. Definitely wanted more of her here. Also, the dialogues could’ve been much sharper and impactful. A lot of times they miss that punch you want in intense scenes. Overall, it was a decent job done, but could definitely use improvements.
Screenplay and Cinematography
At over two hours, film thodi si khichi hui lagti hai, especially in the second half. But it doesn’t affect you much because of the constant revelations towards the end. The screenplay keeps things moving, even if it wanders a bit here and there. What I liked was that the courtroom scenes felt realistic. But the climax needed to be wayyy more impactful. Remember the goosebumps Manoj Bajpayee gave w his iconic monologue at the end of “Banda”??? Wo waali atmosphere missing thi yahaan. Also one funny thing- the movie is set in Patna, but they chose to shoot it in Bhopal. Baaki toh the cinematography is okay only, nothing extraordinary here. They could have used the camera work better to elevate the tension in some scenes, but well it is what it is.
Dekho, overall dekha jaye toh “Patna Shukla” is a solid watch if you’re into courtroom dramas. It’s got its flaws—some dragging scenes and dialogues that could’ve been punchier—but the performances, especially by Raveena Tandon and Satish Kaushik, kinda sorta make up for the it. One thing I absolutely loved is the film’s approach to tackling corruption and gender issues. So, if you’re looking for something different and thought-provoking, give “Patna Shukla” a go. Just don’t go in expecting some intense thriller stuff.
