Kuldip Patwal: I Didn't Do It!

I'm surprised there is one lone review and not more. So, I'll put in my two pennies.

You know how critics say a movie is a one-time watch. Kuldip Patwal is a minimum two-time watch!! No kidding. I'd tell you why. First I watched it in an Indian private cinema. The sound wasn't up to par. I couldn't connect the dots. So. I watched it again in Odeon.

Without going into details, every actor leaves his mark, from the two scene hawaldar who wants Kuldip to take his stall off the roads to the lady judge feels like she owned the court! Deepak, the lawyer defending, the politicians all acted brilliantly.

All details are in the movie if you watch carefully. I wish more people watch and discuss it because it is not a paper thin, cartoonish movie. One of the very very good movies coming out of Bollywood. Must watch!!!

I saw the film in South Ruislip in London. The movie starts well and ends even better. There is no Indian film goings-on and dancing around trees. There IS one song which is cutely done with characters singing in their own voice without any music.

Kuldip is a graduate who goes to an interview and doesn't get the job. The state government has passed a bill. With that bill a quota system has excluded Kuldip. He takes up various jobs until he opens his own shop. It's not without reason that he is failing. That reason is the minister Varun Chadda.

One day the minster is murdered and Kuldip is charged with his murder. So, a trial begins. We go back and forth in time line to unfold the movie.

Kuldip Patwal: I didn't do it! is a well-acted movie throughout especially the lead and the supporting acts. The film is spread with really good scenes which bring a smile. The proceedings are quite decent. But sometimes the pace is slow in the second half.

All in all a really good movie has come out of Indian cinema. Must see movie. I'll give it 8.5-9.

Don't get carried away by all the rave reviews you have read here. They are clearly from stake holders as you can see the repetition and the commonality of the theme. I got carried away too and watched this movie.

To be honest, it was pretty good till mid point. Good acting by all, especially Deepak Dobariyal, Gulshan Devaiah and Anurag Arora. Good direction, cinematography and editing. But it all changed when the court scene started.

The writers clearly have no idea about the court proceedings. There were so many obvious errors. Like what is taken as good evidence would be ripped off by an average lawyer. What can be allowed and what can't. Raima Sen was very average as a lawyer. Her charachter relied more on her English more than her knowledge of law. The judge Natasha Rastogi was simply bad casting. She was not looking the part at all. And why did they have to give her such a heavy hammer that she could not lift with one hand to bang on the table?

Anyway, a well researched and written court scene could have made the movie a classic. But it ended up being a crib against various sociopolitical evils and one got really frustrated.

The writers must have realised their failure at the end. So they decided to give the plot a sinister twist at the fag end. But it's handling was so crude and the plot so incredible that it added more to the frustration.

All in all, really wished this was made by a good writer-director duo.

The intent of the makers about bringing light on certain issues is appreciable.

But certain scenes were very unnecessary. Especially the last scene after the judgment. This one made the frustration of a sufferer for 12-14 years to be useless.

My comments are mainly on the storyline.

The actors are of great potential, which could have been utilised better. Anyhow kudos to makers for working on sensitive issues. I believe this movie is constructive criticism of the elements of the system.

Great movie "I Didn't Do It!" This film is really an amazing movie timeless.

One of my all time favorites.