Patna Shuklla (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Tanvi Shukla, a lawyer in Patna’s lower court, who is living her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer.

My Take – Who doesn’t love a good legal drama? Particularly those centered on a David vs Goliath kind of fight. Often delivering a tantalizing mix of intrigue, moral quandaries, and courtroom theatrics. And while this latest Arbaaz Khan production, which is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, has all the trapping to be a worthy addition to genre, from its decent performances to a social topic, it squanders it all with its haphazard execution.

Directed by Vivek Budakoti (Pied Piper), who co-wrote the film with Sameer Arora and Farid Khan, aims to expose a certain educational scam run by certain universities, where the marks of underprivileged yet hardworking students are replaced by a lesser number/percentage, while the original figures are handed over to those with influence and strong political clout.

Though the film has strong intentions, its storytelling is strictly average often veering off course. Failing to deliver even a semblance of coherence or depth. And let’s not even talk about the unpredictable melodramatic twist in the climax, which comes from nowhere and left me bewildered.

Sure, Raveena Tandon‘s powerful leading performance and an endearing act by the late Satish Kaushik elevates the narrative, and the Jolly LLB (2013) inspired vibe keep you thoroughly engaged, yet it is saddening to see how the film doesn’t capitalize on its true potential.

Set in Patna, the story follows Tanvi Shukla (Raveena Tandon), a small-time lawyer at the district court who mostly indulges in small but just cases, even though her efforts and results as a homemaker often end up getting more attention and appreciation from everyone around her.

Effortless supported by her engineer husband, Siddharth Shukla (Manav Vij) and a doting mother to a young son, Tanvi’s life changes when she is approached by Rinki Kumari (Anushka Kaushik).

A third year B. Sc. student and the daughter of a rickshaw driver, Rinki believes her marksheet has been tampered with, and has received failing grades even though she is confident that she should have gotten first class. Though she got the university to recheck her papers, they only recounted it and gave her the same score. Forcing her to approach the matter legally.

While Tanvi initially approaches the case unprepared, upon being provided extension by Judge Arun Kumar Jha (Satish Kaushik), she goes on a warpath that places her against Neelkanth Mishra (Chandal Roy Sanyal), a popular lawyer, and his client, Raghubir Singh (Jatin Goswami), a devious politician.

Ironically, the film shares many similarities to the Subhash Kapoor 2013 directorial and seldom deflects from the run-of-the-mill narrative. The judges are almost identical, and even the back-and-forth between the lawyers and judges in both films are similar. The first hour of the film is quite engrossing as we delve into Tanvi’s dual worlds and watch her balance both.

But the courtroom, typically a stage for high-stakes drama and impassioned debates, becomes a mere backdrop for the film’s convoluted antics. Instead of the tense exchanges and gripping revelations we are subjected to a baffling array of disjointed scenes and nonsensical dialogue. There is a certain light-heartedness that is spread throughout its runtime with moments of calculated comic relief; however, it feels more methodical than authentic. It also touches upon the issue of gender disparity that has long plagued our society.

There are multiple sexist remarks you hear that provoke you at first, and soon you realize how women in our country have gotten used to be called out if they try to stand out. But running for 125 minutes, the film appears a tad stretched in the second half and could have gone for a crisper editing, especially in the scenes outside the court.

And then comes the climax, which contains a final act twist that may have sounded earth-shattering on paper, how it makes the protagonist re-evaluate her own reality, but what vexed me is how the film uses the plot twist in the final courtroom arguments.

In any other scenario, that would have been enough for any judge to dispose of the case and file proceedings against the lawyer. Instead, we get a compromised closure for the protagonist because this is a film where forced sentiments win in the end, not writing acumen.

Performance wise, Raveena Tandon sells her strong-willing protagonist well. She holds well on her own, even when the script lets her down, especially in the final portions. Manav Vij‘s portrayal of a loyal and supportive husband is very likable. It is delight to watch the late Satish Kaushik as always.

In other roles, Anushka Kaushik, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Jatin Goswami manage to leave a strong mark. On the whole, ‘Patna Shuklla’ is a lackluster courtroom drama let down by its contrived approach.