No One Killed Jessica

Raj Kumar Gupta's No One Killed Jessica is based on the true story of the murder of model Jessica Lal. The movie does not work as a docudrama but more as a dramatic thriller which is effectively fictionalised in large portions to tell a story. The story may be based on a real-life event, but it never depends on it. It does not chronicle in any way the entire case with all its real-life elements. The story is real, but many cinematic ingredients are added to make it more alluring. Rarely do pictures of this sort get made in India, sadly, while in foreign countries, this has already become a well-known movie formula. No One Killed Jessica centres around two characters: Sabrina Lal, the quiet sister of the late Jessica, and Meera Gaity, a foul-mouthed hot-blooded journalist. Both women seek justice which does not seem to be coming because the murderer is none other than the son of an influential politician.

It's a funny paradox that many times people use to laugh at the fact that politicians and other powerful figures are presented as corrupt and hypocrites in Indian movies, calling it stereotypical. And here the law is dumber than ever, and the funny thing is that it's actually the truth. A woman was brutally murdered and it takes many years until justice actually prevails. This aspect of the film is very well portrayed, and well, the courtroom scenes are just fascinating. No One Killed Jessica is a fast-paced feature which tries to work more on the emotional level. It does not excruciate the audience by following the never-ending case in minute detail, and perhaps that's where it scores the most. The movie may be a bit unsettling but at the same time it is inspiring to see how a majority of ordinary citizens take the power to their hands by just uniting and fighting against injustice together.

While watching Rani Mukherjee's strong-minded and assertive journalist Meera, her lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui from Veer-Zaara often comes to the mind, although the characters are different. She evidently enjoys playing her part, but at the same time suffers from it. I don't know if she was the prefect choice for it, frankly. Her line delivery is not that of a news presenter, and she is endlessly given an opportunity to curse, swear and insult her colleagues. Now that's not a strong character make, and at times it looks like the otherwise graceful lady is terribly miscast. Having said that and barring the fact that something is missing in this performance, Rani is still pretty good. Some of her fans may be surprised because her role is not that lengthy, and maybe that's why the director tries to make it so bold, but the actress does occasionally manage to rise above these poor attempts by honestly portraying Meera's feisty nature, her tough outside, and her soft inside.

And without the slightest of doubt, it is Vidya Balan who owns the film with her sincere and heartfelt act. Balan looks impossibly authentic in the role and skillfully captures the essence of Sabrina. Although the film does not always portray her character in a positive light, Balan wins it over by creating a simple and understated portrait of anguish, despair and courage. The film's music is so-so, with some songs, like that energetic "Dilli" song, being really fun and enjoyable and others just dragging the narrative to no end. All said and done, No One Killed Jessica is definitely not without its flaws but is still an interesting and entertaining picture. It does not always ring true, and some aspects of it are overdone, the character of Meera being the prime example. The ending in particular turns into an emotional ride which leans more on drama rather than on an actual and deep message, but in the end, it just grows on you and ultimately leaves a mark.

Should a person who wants to relax a little, stay away from the never ending burdens of life,to grab a popcorn and coke and have their free laughing classes inside the theatre, watch this film ? NO. Cause after coming out of the theatre he/she is bound to realize how insignificant an average citizen is in front of money and power which rules the country.

This is a very hard-hitting film, maybe a slap on the face of everyone who desperately try to remain unaware of the wrongs happening in this country.Just like Sabrina(Vidya Balan) was,till Jessica got murdered.

Keeping it in mind that this film was purely based on true events ,kudos to the director for not sensationalizing any part of the film for making it "filmi". And it wasn't a documentary either. The story is obviously known to everyone so don't expect nerve-ripping surprises.It is a movie which makes you have a seat beside Sabrina while she is sitting beside her ailing father,Shout in agony "Lets nail those bastards" with Meera(Rani Mukherji) as she promises to bring justice.

Raj Kumar Gupta is a very promising director who uses Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee to perfection.The first half belongs to the silent Vidya and the second to Rani.

The music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya fits right into the story. Final word, this film makes you think.For example what had you done had you been in the prime witness Vikram's place."Mujhe ek Crore rupaiya nahi chahiye par ek goli bhi nahin khani" Isn't this the mentality of almost every middle-class citizen of India ?

It's a good movie.

That's not just my opinion. All the people leaving the 75% occupied theater had the same feeling. One of them clapped when the movie finished. Others were silent admirers.

I understand it's not the best way to start a film review but what's the point in beating around the bush when something is clear from the onset. It feels really good when you are looking forward to a film and when you watch it; it not just delivers just what you wanted it to deliver but also surprises you with something additional.

To start with, No One Killed Jessica (NOKJ) is not just an ordinary film. It's a film with an imperative story to tell and a gigantic point to make. It shows a ferocious face of the society but it also shows how sometimes hope comes in from an unforeseen source.

Starting with a slightly protracted monologue by Rani, NOKJ takes you back to the 1999 case mentioned above and opens one page of history after another. The first half is 100% based on truth, the second half goes a bit filmy adding some necessary Bollywood touches to the story. The good thing, however, is that the story has been kept near original as much as possible. How Jessica was killed, how the witnesses turned hostile and how the judicial system responded to the whole thing. The filmy twist is Rani Mukherjee taking control of the proceedings to bring justice to the Lall family. It might not have happened the way it is shown in the film but it did eventually happen.

Vidya Balan has done an extraordinary job. Languorous body language as the nerdy girl, poignant expressions of a broken yet determined sister and angry demeanor of someone who has given up hope; she has handled it all very well. It's difficult to say that its one of her best performances because with Ishqiya, she has raised her bar too high to better. Nonetheless, almost flawless. The costume designer has given her shapeless masculine clothes which add to the barefacedness of her role.

I am not a Rani Mukherjee fan but I have to admit that she too has put up a wonderful show in NOKJ. The first surprise was her look. She looks matured but certainly not bad. She was never skinny but here she oozes sex appeal. Surprising, as far as I am concerned. Her performance is very vigorous. She has restrained herself from going over the top which has helped the cause. Her chemistry with the co-star Satyadeep Mishra as her boss is very natural. She is one actress who is very good at swearing and she gets a free-hand at that in NOKJ. Her portrayal of Meera; she is probably playing Barkha Dutt here; is a woman who is opportunistic, street smart and a self-proclaimed bitch. Rare.

Supporting cast is perfectly assembled. Rajesh Sharma has grabbed the most powerful role of his career; much stronger than Ishqiya and Khosla KA Ghosla. Satyadeep Mishra is also good in his cameo and should get bigger outings in the future. Geeta Sudan as Jessica's mother is brilliant in a couple of scenes. Samara Chopra as Naina Sehgal is the best of the lot. Her court scene with the lawyer is stunning.

I loved Rajkumar Gupta's Aamir and was looking forward to the director's next outing. Just like Aamir, he has picked up an interesting and important subject and has treated it in a similar unglamorous way. He will probably never work with Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. I particularly liked the director's attention to detail in this drama. Showing Windows 98 on the monitor screen in old scenes, old Pepsi logo on the walls, absence of mobile phones etc. were small things which could have been overlooked. There was a minor hiccup though when they failed to spot IDEA mobile's banners in the background of a shot. Cinematography could have been better though. Unnecessary addition of some humor could also be avoided.

What happened to Jessica Lall could happen to any of our friends or family. We all live in similar societies at the end of the day. If we are not immune to such events, we need to have the courage to stand up for our right and fight for it till the end. It might not become a big success, films like this don't. It will still remain one of the finest films to come out of Indian cinema lately. More so, because it covers an important subject. For me, it was a much needed relief after the underwhelming Tees Maar Khan experience.

A must Watch " No one Killed Jessica " Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta and acted by Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan.

A must watch. I would like to say after Udan In 2010 I have seen such a impact-full movie. A Rang De Basanti recreated. Powerful performances by Rani and Vidya makes the movie more interesting. A very good direction indeed in the first half you will not even for single moment blink your eyes, it has the right power , punch and story which is needed for a good movie. Story is as we all know. For those who do not know, the story deals with a killing of Jessica who works in a pub and is a aspiring model. She is killed by a man who happens to be son of a cabinet minister. And he kills in the rage of just not getting the drink. And all the political bullshit happens to protect him but our Rani who is a famous journalist fights back when she comes to know that Vidya's (Sabrina) effort has gone in vain and the killer got free without any charge.

A good start for the year 2011.I wish Raj makes more good movies. Four and half stars out of five. Enjoy..................

"No one killed jessica" is an important movie. The storyline is a dramatized version of the Jessica Lal murder case and the events that transpired after that: a girl (Jessica) who was killed in a pub in Delhi, the sub-sequent attempts at the cover-ups and the painstaking efforts undertaken by the victim's family and the news agencies that finally forced the powers that be, to take notice and punish the guilty.

What pulled this movie through is the direction and technique. Specially the first half of the movie was top-notch. The tension in the scenes was right there at the edge. The acting was impeccable.

The second-half saw some dilution from the onset, primarily due to the awful, melodramatic and over-the-top performance by Rani Mukherjee. May what the requirements be, she still acts like a teenager. Maybe someone with better acting caliber like Nanidta Das would have made for a better candidate to play this role. However, I would say that this is as much a fault of the people that wanted the character to be this way, as the actress. Towards the end, however Rajkumar Gupta somewhat managed to get things back on track.

Regarding acting, two people would stick to the mind long after the movie ends .. First is Vidya Balan. She plays Jessica's sister Sabrina with such panache, it would be difficult to imagine others doing that role. The second one is Rajesh Sharma, the police inspector, a very Grey character who plays his part to bring the perpetrators to justice from the background. His acting is very good and one wishes to see such character actors get more screen time in good movies.

The background score and sound track are great, and help to keep the viewers at the edge. The cinematography is good throughout the movie.

The main reason why I gave this movie a 7 out of ten is that I felt that towards the end, the movie ended up as being somewhat another masala Hindi flick.

Overall, I would recommend everyone to see this movie for the subject, the overall techniques employed in telling the story and Vidya Balan. But don't expect to see an Erin Brokovich or an Aamir.