There are some hoary lines that you thought Bollywood had stopped using altogether. Like “kanoon ke shikanje mein jakadna”, “kanoon ki giraft mein aana” (both roughly translating as getting caught by the law) or “kanoon ka daayra todna” (breaking the law). One Day Justice Delivered offers such kind of uninspired, mediocre writing. But there is more that is laughable. The silly court proceedings, with an over-enthusiastic defence lawyer, for instance.
The film is all about the disappearance of some well-known people in Ranchi. It also offers post-retirement plans to senior judges — bringing criminals to justice, which they may not have been able to deliver on job. It makes eminent sense if the police force on screen is the kind that gets extremely thrilled at being able to do something as simple as trace mobiles of missing people and gets inclined to do some basic investigation (which even a kid can guide them to doing) only when a crime branch cop enters the scene of crime.
There are some terrible actors in the ensemble who think the craft is all about being loud and over the top. There is also a smattering of some very good actors — Zarina Wahab, Rajesh Sharma, Zakir Hussain — who look trapped, helpless in the face of the banal script and aimless direction. Kumud Mishra, who was spectacular in Article 15 just last week, seems utterly disinterested here. A veteran like Anupam Kher seems to be sulking all through the film, obviously having done it for the heck (or money) of it. It’s specially amusing to see him in the midst of his randomly cobbled together on-screen family. ‘Do I know you?’ appears to be his constant look, whether he is dancing or having a meal with them. Esha Gupta (as cop Laxmi rathi) tries hard to do the Kavita ‘Chautala’ Kaushik-like turn from the popular serial FIR and fails miserably. You certainly can’t entrust a Haryanvi accent to her.
One Day Justice Delivered is a khichdi (or pongal if you please) of a film that has been made only because of some generous Jharkhand government subsidy. Bored of things I was left noticing pointless details like how one of the lead dancers in all the item songs — be it in a shaadi or at the bar — was the same, with same gyrations and expressions to boot.
