INTRODUCTION
THERE'S A MOMENT EARLY IN "LEGALLY VEER" WHERE OUR PROTAGONIST, A SMALL-TOWN LAWYER WITH BIG-CITY DREAMS, STANDS BEFORE A MIRROR PRACTICING HIS OPENING STATEMENT. HIS REFLECTION STARES BACK WITH THE INTENSITY OF SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES EVERY WORD MATTERS. IT'S A POWERFUL IMAGE THAT PROMISES A GRIPPING COURTROOM THRILLER. UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT FOLLOWS IS A FILM THAT LOSES SIGHT OF ITS OWN COMPELLING PREMISE, BURIED UNDER MELODRAMATIC EXCESS AND A SCRIPT THAT CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE A SERIOUS LEGAL DRAMA OR A BOLLYWOOD MASALA ENTERTAINER.
THE SETUP: PROMISE MEETS REALITY
"LEGALLY VEER" INTRODUCES US TO VEER PRATAP SINGH, PLAYED WITH EARNEST CONVICTION BY ARJUN MALHOTRA, A YOUNG LAWYER FROM JAIPUR WHO TAKES ON A SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE CASE. WHEN A WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN'S SON IS ACCUSED OF A HIT-AND-RUN THAT KILLED A COLLEGE STUDENT, EVERYONE EXPECTS A QUICK CONVICTION. BUT VEER, DRIVEN BY HIS BELIEF IN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND DUE PROCESS, AGREES TO DEFEND THE ACCUSED DESPITE PUBLIC OUTRAGE AND PROFESSIONAL RISKS.
THE FILM'S PREMISE HOLDS GENUINE PROMISE. DIRECTOR RAJESH KUMAR ATTEMPTS TO EXPLORE THE MORAL COMPLEXITIES OF DEFENDING THE GUILTY, THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC OPINION ON JUSTICE, AND THE PERSONAL COST OF PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY. THESE ARE THEMES THAT HAVE POWERED COUNTLESS GREAT LEGAL DRAMAS FROM "A FEW GOOD MEN" TO "COURT." THE PROBLEM IS THAT "LEGALLY VEER" APPROACHES THESE WEIGHTY SUBJECTS WITH THE SUBTLETY OF A GAVEL STRIKE, NEVER TRUSTING ITS AUDIENCE TO GRASP NUANCE WITHOUT EXPLICIT EXPLANATION.
WHAT BEGINS AS A TAUT LEGAL THRILLER GRADUALLY UNRAVELS INTO FAMILIAR TERRITORY. THE CASE TAKES PREDICTABLE TURNS, COMPLETE WITH LAST-MINUTE EVIDENCE DISCOVERIES, DRAMATIC COURTROOM OUTBURSTS, AND A ROMANTIC SUBPLOT THAT FEELS SHOEHORNED RATHER THAN ORGANIC TO THE NARRATIVE. BY THE SECOND HOUR, THE FILM HAS ABANDONED ITS INITIAL AMBITIONS FOR SAFER, MORE FORMULAIC STORYTELLING.
DIRECTION AND FILMMAKING: STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE
RAJESH KUMAR, KNOWN FOR HIS SLICK COMMERCIAL FILMS, BRINGS A POLISHED VISUAL AESTHETIC TO "LEGALLY VEER." CINEMATOGRAPHER ANIL MEHTA CAPTURES THE CONTRAST BETWEEN VEER'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AND THE IMPOSING GRANDEUR OF THE COURTROOM WITH STRIKING IMAGERY. THE FILM'S COLOR PALETTE SHIFTS FROM WARM, GOLDEN TONES IN FLASHBACK SEQUENCES TO COOL, STERILE BLUES IN COURTROOM SCENES, EFFECTIVELY CONVEYING THE EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE OF EACH SETTING.
HOWEVER, KUMAR'S DIRECTION SUFFERS FROM A FUNDAMENTAL LACK OF RESTRAINT. SLOW-MOTION SHOTS PUNCTUATE EVERY SIGNIFICANT MOMENT, DRAMATIC MUSIC SWELLS TELEGRAPH EVERY EMOTIONAL BEAT, AND CLOSE-UPS LINGER FAR TOO LONG ON CHARACTERS' FACES AS IF WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND THEIR FEELINGS OTHERWISE. THE COURTROOM SCENES, WHICH SHOULD CRACKLE WITH TENSION, INSTEAD FEEL STAGEY AND ARTIFICIAL. THE CAMERA CIRCLES THE ROOM UNNECESSARILY, CUTTING AWAY TO REACTION SHOTS OF THE GALLERY AT EVERY PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT.
THE PACING IS EQUALLY PROBLEMATIC. AT 142 MINUTES, THE FILM FEELS BLOATED, PARTICULARLY IN ITS MEANDERING MIDDLE SECTION WHERE SUBPLOTS ABOUT VEER'S STRAINED RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER AND AN UNDERDEVELOPED ROMANCE WITH JOURNALIST MEERA (PRIYA SHARMA) DILUTE THE CENTRAL NARRATIVE'S URGENCY. A TIGHTER EDIT COULD HAVE TRANSFORMED THIS INTO A LEAN, FOCUSED THRILLER.
PERFORMANCES: CARRYING AN UNEVEN SCRIPT
ARJUN MALHOTRA DELIVERS A COMMITTED PERFORMANCE AS VEER, BRINGING GENUINE INTENSITY TO HIS COURTROOM ARGUMENTS AND VULNERABILITY TO HIS PERSONAL STRUGGLES. HIS BEST MOMENTS COME IN QUIETER SCENES, PARTICULARLY A POWERFUL EXCHANGE WITH HIS CLIENT WHERE THE MORAL WEIGHT OF HIS CHOICES BECOMES PAINFULLY CLEAR. MALHOTRA HAS THE CHARISMA AND SCREEN PRESENCE TO CARRY A FILM; HE SIMPLY DESERVES BETTER MATERIAL.
PRIYA SHARMA, RELEGATED TO THE THANKLESS ROLE OF THE SUPPORTIVE LOVE INTEREST, DOES WHAT SHE CAN WITH LIMITED SCREEN TIME. HER JOURNALIST CHARACTER PROMISES TO ADD AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON MEDIA TRIALS AND PUBLIC JUSTICE, BUT THE SCRIPT NEVER FULLY DEVELOPS THIS ANGLE. INSTEAD, SHE'S REDUCED TO PROVIDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND OCCASIONALLY CHALLENGING VEER'S DECISIONS WITHOUT REAL CONSEQUENCE.
THE STANDOUT PERFORMANCE COMES FROM VETERAN ACTOR VIKRAM DESAI AS THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY. DESAI BRINGS GRAVITAS AND COMPLEXITY TO WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL ANTAGONIST. HIS COURTROOM SPARRING WITH MALHOTRA GENERATES THE FILM'S MOST ELECTRIC MOMENTS, TWO SKILLED ACTORS ELEVATING PEDESTRIAN DIALOGUE THROUGH SHEER FORCE OF CONVICTION.
SCREENPLAY AND DIALOGUE: WHERE THE CASE FALLS APART
IF "LEGALLY VEER" HAS A FATAL FLAW, IT'S THE SCREENPLAY BY RAJESH KUMAR AND NEHA KAPOOR. THE DIALOGUE VEERS WILDLY BETWEEN AUTHENTIC LEGAL TERMINOLOGY AND CRINGE-WORTHY EXPOSITION. CHARACTERS CONSTANTLY ANNOUNCE THEIR FEELINGS AND MOTIVATIONS RATHER THAN ALLOWING ACTIONS TO REVEAL CHARACTER. "I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES A FAIR TRIAL," VEER STATES MULTIPLE TIMES, AS IF THE AUDIENCE COULDN'T POSSIBLY INFER THIS FROM, YOU KNOW, HIM DEFENDING SOMEONE.
THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS THEMSELVES LACK AUTHENTICITY. ANYONE WITH PASSING FAMILIARITY WITH INDIAN COURTROOM PROCEDURES WILL SPOT NUMEROUS INACCURACIES, FROM INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE BEING ACCEPTED WITHOUT OBJECTION TO DRAMATIC CONFRONTATIONS THAT WOULD NEVER OCCUR IN AN ACTUAL COURT. WHILE DRAMATIC LICENSE IS EXPECTED IN CINEMA, THE LIBERTIES TAKEN HERE UNDERMINE THE FILM'S ATTEMPTS AT SERIOUS COMMENTARY ON THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
THE SCRIPT'S BIGGEST MISSTEP IS ITS INABILITY TO COMMIT TO MORAL COMPLEXITY. JUST WHEN THE FILM SEEMS READY TO GRAPPLE WITH UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS ABOUT DEFENDING THE GUILTY, IT PULLS BACK, PROVIDING EASY ANSWERS AND CLEAR-CUT RESOLUTIONS. THE CLIMACTIC TWIST, WHILE TECHNICALLY SURPRISING, FEELS UNEARNED AND CONTRADICTS MUCH OF WHAT CAME BEFORE.
THEMES AND DEEPER MEANING: SURFACE-LEVEL EXPLORATION
"LEGALLY VEER" WANTS TO BE A FILM ABOUT THE TENSIONS BETWEEN LEGAL TRUTH AND MORAL TRUTH, ABOUT HOW PUBLIC OPINION AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAN CORRUPT THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, ABOUT THE PERSONAL SACRIFICES REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY. THESE ARE RICH, RELEVANT THEMES IN CONTEMPORARY INDIA, WHERE VIRAL VIDEOS AND TWITTER TRIALS OFTEN PRECEDE ACTUAL LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE FILM EXPLORES THESE THEMES WITH THE DEPTH OF A FRESHMAN PHILOSOPHY ESSAY. CHARACTERS LITERALLY DEBATE THE MEANING OF JUSTICE IN EXPOSITORY DIALOGUE. THE SOCIAL MEDIA ANGLE IS REDUCED TO GENERIC SHOTS OF TRENDING HASHTAGS AND ANGRY COMMENTS. THE PRESSURE ON VEER COMES LESS FROM COMPLEX MORAL DILEMMAS AND MORE FROM STOCK OBSTACLES: A DISAPPROVING FATHER, THREATENING PHONE CALLS, PROFESSIONAL OSTRACISM.
THERE'S A MORE INTERESTING FILM LURKING BENEATH THE SURFACE, ONE THAT HONESTLY EXAMINES HOW OUR DESIRE FOR IMMEDIATE JUSTICE CONFLICTS WITH THE SLOW, DELIBERATE PROCESS OF LAW. BUT "LEGALLY VEER" LACKS THE COURAGE TO TRUST ITS AUDIENCE WITH AMBIGUITY, INSTEAD OFFERING A TIDY RESOLUTION THAT UNDERMINES EVERYTHING IT CLAIMED TO EXPLORE.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: THE VERDICT
TO ITS CREDIT, "LEGALLY VEER" SUCCEEDS IN MAKING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS VISUALLY ENGAGING, NO SMALL FEAT GIVEN HOW INHERENTLY STATIC COURTROOM DRAMA CAN BE. THE PRODUCTION VALUES ARE HIGH, WITH DETAILED SET DESIGN THAT BRINGS AUTHENTICITY TO THE VISUAL PRESENTATION EVEN WHEN THE SCRIPT DOESN'T MATCH IT. THE SUPPORTING CAST, FROM COURT CLERKS TO WITNESSES, FEEL LIVED-IN AND GENUINE.
THE FILM ALSO DESERVES RECOGNITION FOR ATTEMPTING TO TACKLE A GENRE UNDERREPRESENTED IN HINDI CINEMA. COURTROOM DRAMAS ARE RARE IN BOLLYWOOD, AND "LEGALLY VEER" DEMONSTRATES THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR THEM, EVEN IF THIS PARTICULAR EXECUTION FALLS SHORT.
HOWEVER, THE WEAKNESSES OUTWEIGH THE STRENGTHS. THE BLOATED RUNTIME, PREACHY DIALOGUE, PREDICTABLE PLOTTING, AND UNDERDEVELOPED SUBPLOTS ALL CONSPIRE TO SINK WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A GRIPPING THRILLER. MOST DAMAGING IS THE FILM'S REFUSAL TO EMBRACE THE MORAL COMPLEXITY INHERENT IN ITS PREMISE, OPTING INSTEAD FOR CROWD-PLEASING CERTAINTY OVER CHALLENGING AMBIGUITY.
COMPARISONS AND CONTEXT
IN THE LANDSCAPE OF INDIAN LEGAL DRAMAS, "LEGALLY VEER" SITS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE DOCUMENTARY-LIKE REALISM OF CHAITANYA TAMHANE'S "COURT" AND THE COMMERCIAL ACCESSIBILITY OF "JOLLY LLB." IT LACKS THE FORMER'S ARTISTIC COURAGE AND THE LATTER'S CONSISTENT ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, FALLING INTO AN UNCOMFORTABLE MIDDLE GROUND THAT SATISFIES NEITHER ART HOUSE NOR MAINSTREAM AUDIENCES.
COMPARED TO RECENT COURTROOM DRAMAS IN GLOBAL CINEMA, FROM "THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7" TO "ANATOMY OF A FALL," "LEGALLY VEER" FEELS DATED IN ITS APPROACH, TOO ENAMORED WITH CINEMATIC CLICHÉS TO FORGE ITS OWN IDENTITY. THE FILM IT MOST RESEMBLES, IRONICALLY, IS THE HOLLYWOOD POTBOILER "THE LINCOLN LAWYER," BUT WITHOUT THAT FILM'S TIGHT PACING AND CHARISMATIC PERFORMANCES.
AUDIENCE AND RECOMMENDATION
WHO SHOULD WATCH:
- FANS OF ARJUN MALHOTRA LOOKING FOR A SHOWCASE OF HIS DRAMATIC RANGE
- VIEWERS WHO ENJOY COURTROOM DRAMAS REGARDLESS OF EXECUTION QUALITY
- THOSE INTERESTED IN SEEING BOLLYWOOD'S ATTEMPT AT LEGAL THRILLERS
WHO MIGHT SKIP:
- ANYONE SEEKING AUTHENTIC LEGAL DRAMA OR GENUINE MORAL COMPLEXITY
- VIEWERS ALLERGIC TO MELODRAMATIC EXCESS AND OBVIOUS PLOTTING
- THOSE EXPECTING THE SOPHISTICATION OF INTERNATIONAL COURTROOM CINEMA
"LEGALLY VEER" IS THE KIND OF FILM BEST SAVED FOR STREAMING RATHER THAN THEATRICAL VIEWING. THE BIG SCREEN DOESN'T ADD MUCH TO THE EXPERIENCE, AND HAVING THE ABILITY TO PAUSE FOR BREAKS DURING THE LENGTHY RUNTIME MIGHT ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. IT'S A DECENT TIME-PASSER WITH MOMENTS OF GENUINE ENGAGEMENT, BUT HARDLY ESSENTIAL VIEWING.
FINAL VERDICT: A CASE THAT DOESN'T HOLD UP
"LEGALLY VEER" ARRIVES AT THE CORRECT VERDICT FOR THE WRONG REASONS. LIKE A DEFENSE ATTORNEY WHO WINS ON A TECHNICALITY RATHER THAN MERIT, THE FILM REACHES ITS CONCLUSION THROUGH CONTRIVANCE RATHER THAN EARNED DRAMATIC PROGRESSION. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TENSE EXPLORATION OF JUSTICE, MORALITY, AND THE COST OF CONVICTION BECOMES A BY-THE-NUMBERS DRAMA THAT HITS FAMILIAR BEATS WITHOUT EVER FINDING ITS OWN VOICE.
RAJESH KUMAR HAS CRAFTED A VISUALLY POLISHED FILM WITH COMMITTED PERFORMANCES, BUT NO AMOUNT OF CINEMATIC SHEEN CAN COMPENSATE FOR A SCREENPLAY THAT DOESN'T TRUST ITS PREMISE OR ITS AUDIENCE. IN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE, "LEGALLY VEER" ENDS UP MAKING A COMPELLING CASE FOR... VERY LITTLE, REALLY.
THE INDIAN LEGAL SYSTEM, WITH ALL ITS COMPLEXITIES, CONTRADICTIONS, AND HUMAN DRAMA, DESERVES BETTER REPRESENTATION THAN THIS. SO DO AUDIENCES HUNGRY FOR INTELLIGENT, CHALLENGING CINEMA. "LEGALLY VEER" ISN'T A TERRIBLE FILM, BUT IT'S A FRUSTRATINGLY MEDIOCRE ONE, AND PERHAPS THAT'S WORSE—A MISSED OPPORTUNITY THAT HAD ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS BUT FAILED IN EXECUTION.
IF YOU'RE A COMPLETIST FOR COURTROOM DRAMAS OR A DEVOTED FAN OF THE CAST, "LEGALLY VEER" OFFERS ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY A WATCH. FOR EVERYONE ELSE, THE VERDICT IS SIMPLE: WAIT FOR THE STREAMING RELEASE AND LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY. JUSTICE MAY BE BLIND, BUT CINEMA SHOULDN'T BE, AND "LEGALLY VEER" NEVER QUITE OPENS ITS EYES TO THE POSSIBILITIES INHERENT IN ITS PROMISING PREMISE.
DIRECTOR: RAJESH KUMAR √ GENRE: LEGAL DRAMA √ RUNTIME: 142 MINUTES
CAST: ARJUN MALHOTRA, PRIYA SHARMA, VIKRAM DESAI √ RELEASE YEAR: 2024
RATING√ ★★☆☆☆ {2.5√5}
