Jolly LLB

Indian movies and novels, being influenced by the American pulp fiction, have always shown the courts as a place of enormous drama (and entertainment) whereas the reality is polar different at least in the Indian courts. For decades and decades, the Indian filmwaalas have shown the artificial, non-existing courts to the Indian audience on the silver screen. However in the year 2013, the Indian courtroom dramas seem to have come of age through Jolly LLB.

Through the activities of a petty lawyer - Jagdish Tyagi, nicknamed as Jolly, the filmmaker has shown the courage of showing the real courtrooms of India. All the courtroom scenes are so realistic with the judge, the lawyers, the plaintiffs, the defendants, the cops, the witnesses, the court-staff; all appearing real and not filmy that it won't be an exaggeration to consider this movie as a landmark movie in the history of Bollywood. It's definitely a path-breaker and therefore, we can expect many more realistic courtroom dramas on the Indian screen in the times to come.

Our hero Jolly (Arshad Waarsi) migrates to Delhi from Meerut on order to rise in his career of a professional lawyer. He finds public interest litigation (P.I.L.) as a means to be in news and get quick name and fame (which is expected to turn into money in future). Seeing a high profile lawyer Raajpaal (Boman Irani) winning the case of his client who is actually guilty of crushing some innocents sleeping on footpath under his car, Jolly decides to play a gamble which if he wins, is likely to take him much ahead in his career. He files a P.I.L. to reopen that case and then the game of checks and checkmates starts between the rival lawyers inside as well as outside the court. The hero wins in the end after passing through lures to withdraw, hardships and danger on his life. His Meerut-stationed sweetheart - Sandhya (Amrita Rao) plays the role of an eye-opener and a motivator for him when he is slipping from the correct path.

Never before any Bollywood movie has shown such a real judge who is a normal human-being with all the weaknesses expected in the normal folks. The character of the judge (Saurabh Shukla) is the best developed one who is shown as more or less honest(perhaps to keep the movie optimistic and making the hero only as the winner in the end). He wants to do justice but not very much keen to improve the system. Corruption is rampant just beneath his nose but he is not bothered about it (perhaps because he feels there's little that he can do about it). He knows that a major part of his duty is only to give dates of next hearings of the cases and that he performs by consulting with the lawyers only. He seeks the help of the high-profile lawyer to get a good flat while sitting on the chair of the justice itself. He mostly remains subservient to the high profile lawyer but realizes the significance of his chair and the power inherent in that in the climax.

The inexperienced lawyer in this movie wins the case because fortunately for him, the judge is not totally corrupt and his conscience is still alive. Had it not been, then ? Then our hero would have met the fate of most of justice-seekers in India. The climax has been designed with an optimistic twist which is seldom seen at least in the lower courts. But the complete proceedings and environment in the court have been depicted with utmost realism.

How lawyers resort to rhetoric and hollow talks when they are exhausted of logic, arguments and facts, has been underscored very well in the climax through the character of the corrupt but highly successful lawyer - Raajpaal. The fact is, not only the lawyers, but the judges also go for rhetoric and nonsense comments when dealing with the cases, as if they have a license to say anything and everything. They want to become preachers for all but have they ever shown any concern for the corruption in the judicial system itself ?

Arshad Waarsi has done exceedingly well in the title role with Boman Irani not far behind as the high profile but crooked lawyer. Amrita Rao has filled heroine's quota. The complete supporting cast has done perfectly. Especially veteran actor Ramesh Dev has delivered a touching performance. The actor in the role of a weak yet conscientious policeman (deputed as Jolly's bodyguard) is also very impressive. However the show-stopper is Saurabh Shukla (the session judge of Delhi).

I term Johnny LLB as a highly realistic and hence, a praiseworthy movie. Kudos to its writer-director - Subhash Kapoor. While signing off, I reproduce the dialog of Raajpal for Jolly - 'Yeh Court Hai Mr. Tyagi. Yahaan Jaldi Kuchh Nahin Hota' (This is court Mr. Tyagi. Nothing happens fast here.' Very true. Nothing happens fast here, at least not justice.

I first saw this in a theatre, first day last show with my family.

Had a blast n loved the movie.

I found it very entertaining and absorbing. The movie is full of rich characters.

Saurabh Shukla as the judge is amazing.

What a terrific actor!

Arshad unquestionably steals the movie with another amazing performance of that of a lawyer willing to risk everything. Special mention has to go to Boman n Saurabh Shukla.

If u like court/lawyer movie, give this one a chance. This movie is an expose of the corruption, politics and general crookedness of the legal profession.

The movie does a good job of portraying both the human and systemic flaws of the legal system.

Moreover, the movie balances between comedy n drama.

Was highly anticipating its sequel. But lost all the zest once I read that Arshad is not part of the sequel.

That is y I felt the need to write a review of this good movie even if it's very late. The only drawback was the romance angle n songs but nonetheless, an awesome movie.

I agree with the comments, but Arshad Warsi was the best as shown from Meerut. The problem is with director who was unable to get Arshad into the Character. Everyone knows Arshad Warsi character in "Lage Raho Munna Bhai".

The film is a fun watch if you are willing to overlook its minor indulgences and the slow pace of the first half.

Jolly LLB's first half meanders a bit, featuring a clumsy 'daaru' song and a Meerut that mysteriously hides - but boy, does its second half hammer things home. With crackling scenes between Jolly versus Rajpal (Irani deadly smooth, like velvet soaked in blood) and Rajpal versus judge Tripathi (Shukla in a brilliant show, hysterically yelling, Gavel kidder-rakha Ha?!", thundering at Rajpal, "Sit down! Yeh Meara court Ha aapka club nahin!"), the action becomes electric. Drama builds as Jolly (Warsi, highly endearing and impressive) finds his voice. Jolly's astonishment at Rajpal's callousness - "Footpath sone ke liye nahin Ha" - Jolly responding, "Footpath gaudy chalane ke liye Bi nahin Ha!", mirrors the aam aadmi's bewilderment and determination to fight.

Jolly LLB works because of its bigger point - decency is for all and worth fighting for. Using bittersweet satire and plot twirls, the film shows corruption even used against the corrupt. Despite that weaker first half, this truly becomes a Jolly good show.

As suggested by the title the film is all about a confused struggling lawyer Jolly, who is still caught in the dilemma that, should a good lawyer fight a case for his own client or for the right justice which should ideally punish the culprit. Frankly, I was expecting a very light kind of comedy featuring Arshad Warsi in the lead, as shown in its promotional campaign on the channels. But it was really a pleasant surprise to see that it was not at all a comedy but a much important film than that, revealing the ugly faces of two primary social security institutions of our country namely The Courts and The Police Stations.

So evidently here is another example of a strong film promoted wrongly by the makers with a misleading message, which is sure going to affect its overall performance at the box office in the opening days. However if one forgets this avoidable step taken by the commercial promoters of the film then JOLLY LLB is no doubt, one of the better projects made in this particular genre of Court Room Dramas in Hindi cinema till date, which is bound to pick up fast as the word of mouth spreads.

The film starts off casually with the same old cliché elements and an unwanted song but soon gets on track after this initial weak 20 minutes. And the moment it gets on line, JLLB turns into an interesting sarcastic take on the judicial system of our country, giving the viewer a solid shock just before the interval. Further post the break it thankfully gives you some of the best scenes in the recent times on the subject of corruption, greedy lawyers, on-sale policemen, fake witnesses, easy going judges and the common man caught in between these dangerous termites of our society portrayed bluntly.

For instance, you must have heard that there is actually an underground bid held on the posting of SHOs in some important police stations of every city in the country. Now JOLLY LLB literally tells you how it is done in its own hilarious take. Plus it also has scenes where an old trembling policeman is appointed as the security guard for Arshad, a judge who calls the reputed lawyer "Sahab" repeatedly and then the so called respectable lawyer who openly says, "Yeh Court Hai, Yahan Kuchh Jaldi Nahin Hota" in front of the same judge, without any respect or hesitation. Eventually such intelligently directed scenes lead to a thoughtfully written climax in the court room itself which forces the viewer to clap for the proceedings on screen just effortlessly.

In fact, here the important distinctive plus point of the film is that it doesn't end on that normal routine Courtroom Drama sequence filled with immense tension and suspense. But here since one can easily predict the climax, the director puts in the much needed entertainment factor back in the last 40 minutes which in turn takes the film to a different level altogether. As a result the viewer has a great enjoyable time in its final reels where Arshad is highly emotional, Boman is extremely annoyed and Saurabh Shukla reinstates the spirit of justice back in the court quite impressively. In few words, JOLLY LLB fills you with great enthusiasm as it ends with Arshad winning the case against all odds being the honest representative of the common man.

On the flip side, the film does has its flaws in its completely predictable plot line, deliberately inserted love angles, unwanted below average songs and a misguiding promotional campaign. Yet, JOLLY LLB covers all these weak points with its strong merits and emerges as a clear winner in the finale as I felt. Admittedly, at one end the film has a regular kind of background score and cinematography but on the other it has some exceptionally performed acts entertaining you well enough in return of your amount spent on the theater tickets unarguably.

Both Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani are simply brilliant as the two opponents fighting in the court, well supported by a superb act from Saurabh Shukla as the judge. And you can easily watch the film for these three fabulous acts put together only, if not for anything else. Plus with the three above mentioned towering acts, JOLLY LLB also has few small gems to offer in its supporting cast which include, Mohan Agashe as the big industrialist,Ramesh Deo as the canteen owner, Manoj Pahwa as the Jeeja, Sandeep Bose as the corrupt cop, Harsh Chhaya as the fake witness, Mohan Kapoor as the father of the ignorant boy and Sanjay Mishra in a cameo as the Police bid organizer. However though it was nice to see Amrita Rao back after a long gap, still she doesn't get anything significant to do in the film as per its theme.

Overall, JOLLY LLB has 'a Rajkumar Hirani film' kind of feel which gives you full on entertainment in its content post intermission (which should be taken as a compliment for its director Subhash Kapoor). And since Hindi cinema has not really made many thoughtful entertaining court room dramas in the last few decades, therefore I would like to rate it as a must watch indeed from this particular angle. So do give it a chance and enjoy this powerful enjoyable drama with Arshad, Boman and the impeccable Saurabh Shukla having fun together.

'Jolly LLB' Directed by Subhash Kapoor, is An Honest & Well-Intensioned Film! It has a worthy, inspiring story to tell & bravura performances working to its advantage. This Is Good Cinema!

'Jolly LLB' Synopsis: A small-time advocate goes head-to-head with a high-profile advocate, when the former re-opens a controversial case.

'Jolly LLB' works because the Screenplay is strong & progressive. The narrative is funny, inspiring & honest. The final act, stands out. Its wonderfully penned & executed. Subhash Kapoor has directed the film with utmost honesty & sincerity. He handles the comedic as well the dramatic portions like a pro. Cinematography is perfect. Editing is sharp. Music by Krsna is good.

Performance-Wise: Arshad Warsi is competent. A consistently great actor like Boman Irani is flawless, yet again. Saurabh Shukla is on a roll. After his stupendous performance in 'Barfi', Shukla emerges a scene-stealer in 'Jolly LLB'. His portions are marvelous & his performance is among the reasons why those portions work. Amrita Rao is fine. Mohan Kapoor & Harsh Chhaya are efficient. Sanjay Mishra, Brijendra Kala & Mohan Agashe shine in cameos.

On the whole, 'Jolly LLB' is a worthy watch.