Patna Shuklla
Introduction
I was in my first year of engineering when I was just out of an exam, thinking to myself that I may well have written one of my most perfect exams ever. But when the results were out, I barely managed to scrape through. Yet, in fear of my marks being further reduced, I did not opt for a revaluation. This film may well have proven my worat fears to be true! Thank God It Is Friday but we are in the middle of a lull period which will extend until the grand Eid weekend. So even though it is a ‘Good Friday’ today, the OTT space hasn’t quite been set on fire. But there still was this one film that was on my radar, simply because it was promised to be a riveting legal drama. With that, I finished watching the new Hindi film Patna Shuklla which is now streaming on Hotstar. The legal drama space is slowly finding its feet with films like Jolly LLB, however it is largely an untapped genre in many ways. So everytime there is a content dabbling with this genre, I am game for it. Moreover, I was also keen on how Raveena Tandon would fare in her role which meant that there was an added sense of anticipation around the film. So then, does Patna Shukla manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Patna Shuklla follows the story of a lawyer who decides to take up the case of a young girl who wishes to challenge the university due to the low marks that she has scored, much to her surprise. What is the truth and will justice prevail? The story here tackles an important scam that is less talked about but supremely relevant in the scheme of things. The writing here just about scratches the surface while not quite going deep into the rabbit hole, but it is definitely well intended and tries to dish up a decent and earnest drama. The screenplay standing at a little over two hours definitely has its moments which expose the scam behind the examinations even though the tone of the drama remains inconsistent thereby not quite allowing the seriousness in the drama to completely flourish.
The drama begins with the introduction of the protagonist who is shown to take care of the house with her son, father and husband for company. She aspires to be a lawyer while continuing to be underappreciated in her life while finding solace in fighting smaller cases. This, until she lands herself a case that will soon blur the lines between right and wrong while having to withstand a strong opposition even as she opens a can of worms in what is the least talked about scam in recent times. First up, I did have a little issue with the world building here, more so tonally speaking. The tone of the drama seemed to play out as a comedy to begin with, even though the seriousness in the drama was palpable with respect to the scam that it wished to address. This didn’t quite allow me to fully invest in the drama or the characters, both of which did not have a strong foundation.
The proceedings are decent with the sequence of events, even though the potential issue just about scratches the surface. The drama scores the best when it chooses to take itself seriously even as the case takes a turn with the prime accused of the scam. This was testimony to the political climate of the country that has sustained over the years, even though this scam would still be carried out at some parts of the country(unverified). The twists and turns in the case are mostly predictable(apart from its phenomenal climax that I will get to in a minute) with the drama almost be reflective of the authorities who usually wish to win at all costs. The underlying politics of the land takes centerstage in the second act that makes the drama quite watchable in its approach.
The courtroom scenes are decently staged although they lacked the raw intensity of the proceedings in say a film like Jolly LLB which was a boxing ring of sorts. The arguments presented are decent but atleast the point was being conveyed fairly decently. Things take a dramatic turn in the final 30 minutes that flips the story and the case on its head, something that I did not see it coming. There was a nice recall value to certain parts in the screenplay that perfectly joined the dots along the way, leading to a supremely satisfying climax. Overall, the screenplay is decent and watchable while having a good amount of moments to shine along the way.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are fairly decent although I would have liked the lines to be sharper and a little more memorable. The music was alright but the BGM was probably the weakest aspect of the drama that did not quite seem to be in sync with the tone of the drama. Even though the drama was serious at many junctures, the BGM had a playful energy to it that never quite allowed the tension to build in the proceedings, thereby hugely diluting the drama. The cinematography is decent with frames that do just enough to convey the underlying intention of every scene. The editing is alright as well. Director Vivek Budakoti does a good job in hitting the right beats in the drama that hides some of the writing flaws. The direction soars in the scenes following the revelation of the scam and that is when the drama comes in its elements. And much of the credit goes to the director for controlling the proceedings well.
Performances
The performances are quite good here by the ensemble cast. The veterans Rio Kapadia and Satish Kaushik are excellent in one of their final performances, particularly the latter who was outstanding here. Amit Gaur as Ansari is sincere and earnest in a character wherein he manages to shine. Jatin Goswami as the local politician is wonderful here and he leaves a mark despite his character being a touch underwritten. Manav Vij as Siddharth is earnest and sincere in a wonderfully understated performance. Chandan Roy Sanyal as Neelkanth is exceptional here in a character that never goes overboard. He is well within himself in an underplayed character wherein he chooses just to react to the situation as opposed to enforcing himself in the thick of things. And only a supremely skilled actor could have approached his character in this manner. Anushka Kaushik as Rinki is such a natural onscreen. She is deft with her emotions backing her performance with an incredibly accurate dialect that makes her performance quite authentic. She was amazing to the core here. Raveena Tandon as Tanvi is subtly impactful with her performance as well. She commands your attention in many scenes while performing her character with a certain amount of dignity. She was incredible to watch here.
Conclusion
Boasting of good performances, Patna Shuklla is an adequate legal drama addressing a relevant scam that makes for a decent watch. Available on Hotstar.