“It is not about complaining about the thousand flaws and cynicisms of society but to celebrate the spirit of 10 good things happening,” says director Rajkumar Gupta, talking about his film No One Killed Jessica ', which hit the theatres this Frday. Gupta, along with the lead cast of the film, and Sabrina Lal, was in the Capital recently to attend a press conference at DT Cinemas in Saket.
Gupta says the movie is a tribute to the struggle and sacrifices of Sabrina Lal to seek justice for the murder of her sister Jessica Lal. Although much has already been said and written about the sensational murder case and justice meted out to the culprits, the director says he still felt the issue needed to be addressed on the big screen. “When I started my research on the subject, I felt all was there already, but, gradually as I proceeded, I discovered facts and aspects related to the case that I felt needed to be told,” he says.
The director says although the film was based on a true story, fictional incidents have been added to the film. “This (the film) is not a documentary. Some artificial incidents and situations have been added to the sensitivity of the issue.”Constructing the story for the film, he says, has been quite a difficult task. “The whole case had many twists and turns; many loose ends and many starts. It was quite a cumbersome task and I tried my best to create a balance in terms of writing, performances and all the other aspects.”
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Gupta is especially appreciative of the film's cast and says the actors have given fabulous performances. Praising Vidya Balan, who plays the role of Sabrina Lal in the film, he says, “Vidya (Balan) has got sensitivity as an actor. A certain amount of vulnerability was needed for the character, so Vidya became my obvious choice and she came true to my expectations.” Rani Mukerji, who plays the role of reporter Meera Gaiety, “also delivered justice to the character,” says Gupta. “Rani has got this spark in her. The role of Meera needed to be spunky and bold, and Rani was perfect for it; cheerful and carefree.”
On the film's title, Gupta says, “The film has been titled on a satirical note with reference to a newspaper headline. The whole issue was ironic.” The director says the movie has been inspired by the efforts of Sabrina Lal and her die-hard attitude. “The film is about all of us. What happened with Sabrina could happen to anyone of us, and how one responds then to the situation is where Sabrina stands as an inspiration for us.”
Sabrina, who was also present on the occasion, said, “We don't need this kind of activism for justice, but unfortunately we are living in a society where we have to. That does not mean we should be hindered from the right path. We should always take a stand and fight against injustice.”
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