One of the many recurring themes in Court State Vs A Nobody is the class divide that has been synonymous to so many films from the 70s. The theme of a rich girl meets a poor guy only to fall in love, and defy the norms of the society who often acts as a barrier, is a done to death concept. Yet oddly, when you are acquainted with the characters of Chandu and Jaabili, there is a sense of warmth and innocence that laces the narrative. The year remains 2013, an era just before the ‘internet generation’ kickstarted, and when calling remained a luxury. Interestingly, this calling feature between Chandu and Jaabili adds to the old world charm of a blossoming love-story that remains mysterious (Chandu doesn’t know of Jaabili’s presence) and discreet (both do not divulge the details to their families). Chandu belongs from the lower strata of the society, Jaabili from a relatively well off family – hence, you instantly know that their love story would be doomed. And the obstacle in their love story enters in the form of Mangapathi (an incredible Sivaji Sontineni), the misogynistic man with misguided masculinity who remains the overarching patriarch in Jaabili’s family.

It is interesting that you are acquainted with the antics of Mangapathi early on, almost treating him as a one-note character who knows only to hate. He takes objection to a girl child in his family wearing a sleeveless attire, he doesn’t hesitate to have another character arrested just because his son exchanged a (love) letter to another female from his family. There is no subtlety to his character, something that never should have worked in the purest sense. Yet remarkably, the shrilled character actually adds to the intensity of the drama, particularly with respect to the Chandu-Jaabili love story, by raising the stakes in the drama. The obstacle here is both serious and sensitive at the same time.

There is an overlapping nature between the intertwining underdog stories. In the first hour, Teja remains in the background while the focus remains on the young pair of Chandu and Jaabili, followed by the former’s arrest on POCSO charges. But things change in the second hour when Teja takes the forefront while fighting his first case with a quest for justice. The connecting tissue between the two halves takes the form of a searing commentary on the class divide, with the laws often being ‘bought’, ‘manipulated’ or ’tilted’ in favour of the rich. There is nothing unpredictable about the proceedings, but there is such conviction in the writing that even the loud pitch and broad strokes in the drama land with the requisite set of emotions.

The arguments in the second hour are gripping with milder obstacles in the form of twists and turns that seemingly offer complications in the case. But credit to the writing that remains focused on the main plot even while offering some heartwarming moments with respect to Teja realising his true potential while interacting with his boss Mohan Rao (a heartfelt Sai Kumar). I did feel that some of the conflicts felt simplistic given how quickly they were resolved. But the gripping nature of the courtroom proceedings was a wonderful hook in the screenplay that allowed me to invest in the characters. I think the last monologue did lose a little objectivity of what the case stood for versus the argument that was presented, wherein the argument did go at a tangent (to an extent). Having said that, the emotions did land at the end, thereby summing up a screenplay that flirted with the predictability of the genre while still leaving a mark!