Director:
Apoorv Singh Karki
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Vipin Sharma, Adrija Roy, Surya Mohan Kulshrestha
Tanisha Saxena
The victim’s father asks clearing his dry throat, “Sir, Fees kitni deni hogi?” (Sir, how much will I have to pay?) Lawyer, P.C Solanki (played by Manoj Bajpayee) replies, “Gudiya ki smile” (daughter’s smile). It is hard to find such an honest lawyer in today’s times when humanity is at stake and money and power tyrannise the supreme.
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is a biopic based on Poonam Chand Solanki, the prosecutor in the infamous rape case against self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu. Writer Deepak Kangrani who has studied India’s burgeoning legal system of courtroom brings hard-hitting facts in front of the court. He seems to be giving us a lowdown on the POCSO Act, 2012, and single-handedly fighting for justice. The two-hour and twelve minutes film is a courtroom drama that is captivating in most parts.
The story is set in Jodhpur, where the court sessions take place. Nu(played by Adrija), is a minor who is assaulted by a godman whom her family had followed for years. The first few scenes take us to the process of filing an FIR by the victim, Nu. As the lady constable asks Nu to come with her for a medical examination, she also tells her to cover her face with the dupatta. The scene almost breaks us into pieces and also poses major questions about society. As the story unfolds, the courtroom drama becomes more intense with a compilation of wise and clever instances and an exchange of words among lawyers during arguments in court proceedings.
Films based on courtroom drama were once a favorite genre during the Golden Era of Bollywood. What are some of our earliest memories of watching a courtroom drama? You can obviously picture a courtroom wherein lawyers are breathing fire and brimstone. Witnesses placing their hands on the Bhagavad Gita, lawyers yelling ‘Tarikh pe Tarikh, Tarikh pe Tarikh’ ! Or screaming “Milord!” But in the recent past this side of the cinema is changing and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is an example. The film has a solid script, a lot of groundwork, an understanding of the law and procedures of a court, and finally a perfect direction.
Here is a prosecutor lawyer who is not privileged like this stereotypical idea of lawyers sketched over the years who have well-furnished chambers and jazz-filled evenings. Solanki is an ordinary man, a fact established through scenes of the mundane life of the lawyer living in a home located in the bylanes of Jodhpur with the bourgeois problems of the middle class. Sigh! The writer didn’t let this be an embarrassing trait packed with humor, rather, he makes it look frugal with the tonality of the narration.
The excellent Manoj Bajpayee plays Solanki like a man who weaponizes his intelligence. He is someone who has a thorough knowledge of his craft, studied his setting, and has carved out a niche for himself. While playing Solanki, he gets into the nuances of the courtroom effortlessly. His mannerisms in the courtroom oozes authority and sensitivity, both at once.
Earlier a hero of the film was someone who would have at least one fighting sequence, romanced the heroine and danced on an item song. However, this idea has been drastically changed with OTT in place. In Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, the hero is Bajpayee because he is driving the film with his stellar performance. Due to his non-privileged background, he is able to bring authenticity to the character of PC Solanki. He lives a simple life with her aging mother and son. He owns a scooter and like any father, he, too, is protective of his son. All this makes us believe that he could painstakingly write out his argument for the next day in court. There are spectrums of emotions, confident, frightened, emotional, startled, and outraged, Bajpayee brings them all with honesty.
Apart from P.C Solanki everyone is given screenplay names. However, the hard-hitting performances are equally the driving force of the film. Nu delivers a bind-blowing performance as she navigates the court trials. In one scene, she is standing on the terrace with Solanki and telling him that she feels like committing suicide and Solanki is making her understand that it is time to be a tigress and fight. The scene gives goosebumps, and Adrija brings that vulnerability exceptionally well on screen. On the other hand, Jaihind Kumar and Durga Sharma as Nu’s parents are strong pillars of strength to Nu.
In fact, the opponent lawyers who defend Baba give a decent performance, balancing out everything in the film. In a scene where Baba’s defense lawyer, played by Vipin Sharma, is cross-questioning Nu, and he is knee-deep into the case asking absurd questions to Nu. He is ashamed to ask things that could break the victim down. Yet, he doesn’t lose the grip, neither the grip of being in the shoes of a lawyer who has to defend his client and nor the humanity which rides above everything else.
Sangeet-Siddharth Roy’s background score brings gravitas to the film, and Arjun Kukreti’s cinematography transports us to the rustics of the lanes and bylanes of Jodhpur. The camera captures from a distance, holding every scene tight until we absorb it. The ending of the film is going to stay longer than expected, leaving us teary-eyed. The judgment will bring a sense of personal win. In essence, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is compelling and a must-watch.
