Jolly LLB

                        ^{Too easy for inspiration, yet decent enough}

Director Subhaas Kapoor of the Phas gayere Obama fame attempts a feel good film with Jolly LLB.  Jolly, played by Arshad Warsi, a small town jobless lawyer travels to Delhi in search of better work. He soon finds himself pitched against the supposed best lawyer in the country played by Boman Irani in a case which is way too big for Jolly to handle. The story then turns into a predictable-inspirational kind with a pretty obvious conclusion.

You may think the movie is a thorough comedy, but you will be pleasantly surprised to experience a decent share of drama and reality of the Indian judiciary system. Kapoor’s biggest achievement in this film is clearly the genuine occasional laughs that he gives the audience with a blend of a reality check and criticism of the judiciary system. Kapoor writes an engaging 130 minute run time with a linear screenplay.



Having said that, patches of the script show lazy writing. Jolly’s adventurous journey throughout the case seems too easy to be believable. For instance, the way Jolly falls into being pitched against the Irani in a huge case feels just too fake to be true. And again, a totally unnecessary love angle adds to the spoiler and also generates unneeded song and dance.

Camera work and editing is particularly impressive during an accident sequence. Music is ignorable.

Cunning and witty dialogues generate big laughs in the theatre and are easily the highlights of the film. Kapoor however wastes his actors this time around. Warsi is well cast as the small town confused lawyer; however he hardly gets the opportunity to reach his best. Irani too is underused. Amrita Rao as Jolly’s love interest although in short insignificant role shines through her part. It is Saurabh Shukla however, as Judge Tripathi who steals the show with a lousy, weird and doubtful character.

 

I am going with a 3 out of 5 for Subhaas Kapoor’s Jolly LLB.  With all its ignorable flaws and limitations, its offers you a good weekend entertainer.