Movie Review: 'No One Killed Jessica'

For a movie without songs, heroes, or the routine song-dance sequences, and for one based on real-life tragedy, ‘…. Jessica’ is pretty long – runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes.  You notice that only once the movie’s over.

Arguably, Jessica Lall’s murder has bagged maximum print-space and eye-balls in the post-liberalization era.  Her case created the new vigilante media as we see it today in the country (albeit for a good cause).  Jessica’s has been one of the few moments when Indians collectively have come together in the recent years to fight a system that needs to be put into an ICU.  It is also one of the few cases where high-profile people have been finally brought to book (even as many other cases languish, despite media’s hyperventilation). 

When a movie was announced based on this episode I honestly was certain that it was only to cash in on the hype.  I wasn’t ready to believe the movie would be any good.  The promos didn’t help the cause either.  Rani mouthing dialogues laced with cuss words only made me think that the woman’s desperate.  But, watch the film, I did. 

The movie could well become an example for other Indian directors who want to make movies based on real-life drama.  Especially since MOST Indians (who ultimately end up watching this movie) knew almost every detail of the murder, the botch-up, the mistrial & the triumph of the evil and the final – much celebrated – victory.  So while the first half traces the tragedy, the initial trial and release of the perpetrators of the crime, the second half creates the story of a feisty, story-hungry journalist who single-handedly turns the case around and helps bring the culprits to the book through sting operations,  involvement of the public through marches and candle-light vigils and appeals to the Highest Authority in the Country and so on. 

The movie’s a winner because of performances.  Not a single false note by the leading cast.  Rani doesn’t bat an eyelid (nor do you sense any trace of inhibition in her voice) when she spews choicest gaalis (either in English or Hindi).  And most times they don’t seem to be added deliberately (barring one notable sequence when in flashback Jessica’s shown mouthing some, unconvincingly and needlessly too). No “My family’s been victimized; mujhe meri behen chahiye” speeches by the anguished Vidya (though I wish she was a little more fleshed-out than just being sad throughout).  Rajesh Sharma as the corrupt cop with a conscience is brilliant.  Barring a few dramatic court sequences (where the counsel for the accused is shown putting undue pressure on the witnesses) the movie flows like a calm river. And, they’re ably supported by a wonderful background score that lifts the movie a few notches.  The new girl as Jessica is very pretty too. The editing and cinematography are largely competent. 

There are flaws of course.  It’s a pity though that most of the other characters are uni-dimensional, un-fleshed and hence cardboard-like.  Rani's smoking's affected and Vidya's styling is atrocious.  The suave Manu Sharma’s been converted into a desi-dehati wide-eyed caricature (for God knows what reasons – to me it reflected a class bias).   You guffaw when you see it, but it still belittles Sikhs in the only scene they’re in.  Candle-light vigils happened in the Jessica case and the same was copied in ‘Rang De Basanti’ but here it’s shown the other way round.  Also, not much importance has been given to the styling of the people.  They remain the same through the years, over change of time and fashion.  And, most importantly, the credit for reigniting the case goes to Tehelka but in the movie it is NDTV that hogs it.  That’s a great disservice to Tehelka and its team.  I sincerely wish this was not done. 

Go see the movie.  Don’t flinch at the dialogues though!