This sledgehammer wants to be subtle

January 08, 2011 05:07 pm | Updated October 12, 2016 10:27 pm IST

Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan in No One Killed Jessica

Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan in No One Killed Jessica

It never hurts to see a bad film that's salvaged by a few stray scenes of brilliance and great performances. What hurts is when a potential masterpiece loaded with gripping drama, and performances that hit out powerfully at the system, gets diluted to a masala-flavoured entertainer with an uneven sense of conflict.

No One Killed Jessica is a fine film undoubtedly, but does not quite match up to the potential it had after a gut-wrenching first half. Rajkumar Gupta's first act unfolds with great narrative flair and focus on the case. Once the opening credits (set to newspaper headlines and layout) sets the tone for the nation's capital (Amit Trivedi's Dilli Dilli is an instant hit), the director gets to the point straightaway. Sabrina (Vidya Balan in sublime control over emotions) is woken up by a phone call from a friend who tells her that Jessica (played by the gorgeous Myra) had been shot.

Thereafter, scene after scene, we are sucked into the dastardly account of what happened that night and how witnesses revised their versions as the film played out. In the first half of the film, TV journalist Meera (Rani) has no role to play in this case. She does not even consider it to be a story worth her profile, because it's a simple ‘open-and-shut' case with 300 witnesses. Once that's established, there's really no reason for us to see more of her and her swearing around, till she gets involved with the film's plot. But Gupta persists and decides to show us what a great protagonist she is — covering Kargil, flirting with her colleague, making out with her boyfriend, reporting on Kandahar, brooding over cigarettes and so on for seven years (quickly summed up over a song montage) only to wake up to find the newspaper say “No One Killed Jessica”.

If this were a film industry that didn't care much for star image, that's the point the righteous journalist character would've really made an entry. Blame star insecurity or the director's discretion in making sure the leading ladies get equal footage, we see a lot of Rani. The lady has presence, no doubt. But once her Meera takes charge of the case, there's no more mountain to climb. It all falls in place exactly as per plan. Need evidence? She has an idea that works instantly. Sabrina is not interested anymore? She has a lecture, not to mention, the gall to lecture Sabrina about the need to pursue after ignoring the story for seven years.

The greater the struggle, the greater the glory. In No One Killed Jessica , the first half is all struggle, and the second half is just one smooth road to justice and glory. Absolutely no problems once the media and public get involved. People watch Rang De Basanti , send out text messages for a protest march, start middle finger protest campaigns, give bytes to TV channels expressing outrage and before you know it, a song comes along that brings the nation together and Hey! Case closed.

All the support characters that were set up in the first half, fleshed out in great detail with finely tuned nuances from the actors — Neil Bhoopalam as Vikram or Samara Chopra as Naina or Rajesh Sharma as the Inspector or any of the other from this ensemble — are sidelined in the second half, not all of them given a resolution or an opportunity for redemption once the superstardom of Rani Mukerji takes over. In a realistic film, this sort of restraint is understandable.

But No One Killed Jessica is dramatic with a capital D and emotionally super charged in its outburst. And, rightfully so, given the context of the issue. So it's a little disappointing that the film doesn't get the dramatic closure it deserves. No final courtroom histrionics preceding the verdict!

Yes, it didn't have to be a “Sunny Deol in Damini ” kind of ending but once you've set up Rani as a superstar protagonist who is India's answer to Samuel L Jackson in her choice of profanity, why not go all the way?

No One Killed Jessica

Genre: Drama

Director: Rajkumar Gupta

Cast: Vidya Balan, Rani Mukerji, Myra, Neil Bhoopalam, Rajesh Sharma

Storyline: Seven years after Jessica was shot dead, a nation wakes up to fight for justice

Bottomline: Emotionally charged dramatic thriller that turns into a smooth road to justice once the superstardom of Rani Mukerji takes over.

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