Movie Review: Jolly LLB 2
First published on Follo.in
There have been umpteen times that Bollywood has worked towards showcasing legal battles on screen. On certain occasions, these have been thrillers, and on some occasions, they have been satires. Rarely have anyone been able to mix the legal drama and black comedy so efficiently, like Subhash Kapoor does. But then this is a man who had created the hilarious Phas Gaye Re Obama. His mastery lies in black comedy; in keeping things real. He did that with Jolly LLB. And he scores yet again with Jolly LLB 2.
But Jolly LLB 2 is not just about Subash Kapoor’s wit. It is as much Akshay Kumar’s delightful ability to become the character – something he has been doing rather smoothly in the recent years.
Tracing another Jolly’s struggle to fame, this time in Lucknow, Subhash Kapoor takes us into the life of Jagdishwar Mishra. Jolly, a lawyer from Kanpur, awaits his chance to make it big. In the meantime, he assists the biggest lawyers of Lucknow. He has his aspirations but barely commands respect. He stumbles upon on opportunity to clear his name and also bring justice to a departed soul. This takes Jolly across UP and to Kashmir.
The setbacks that Jolly faces at each step reflect on the loopholes that Indian judicial system face while bringing justice to people. There are also plenty moments where memories of crazy court incidents will be refreshed.
Make no mistakes. While he keeps things true to life, Subash Kapoor ensures that the film is not deprived of entertainment. At times he even resorts to over-the-top filmy moments. Like one where Jolly manages to escape along with a witness from the thickly guarded Kashmir state. Also, the scene where Jolly actually manages to read the name tag of a police officer’s uniform in a photograph using magnifying glasses is almost funny. The unintentional kind!
Discrepancies notwithstanding, Jolly LLB 2 manages to keep you engaged. Much of this is due to some kickass dialogues, which are delivered with tremendous candour by the caste. Especially by Saurabh Shukla, Annu Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. Shukla’s character of Justice Sunderlal Tripathi is a continuation from the 2013 Jolly LLB. This is one character that will be remembered for long.
Akshay Kumar takes up the challenge of playing a person from Uttar Pradesh and delivers with aplomb. The very first scene establishes his character. Chewing paan, riding a scooter without a helmet, he dictates answers to school students writing an exam in exchange of money – Jolly clearly cares more about his personal gain than ethics. And this is what threatens to bring about his fall till he decides to resurrect himself.
Jolly LLB 2 is the story of a battle of wits and brain. And yet it manages to find the heart. There will be moments when it could move you, while at many others it will keep you in splits. There are numbers fleeting details that director Subhash Kapoor brings into the screenplay that you may even fail to notice. But if you do, this film becomes all the more interesting. More importantly, Jolly LLB 2 drives home a message. The Indian legal system may be crippled by inadequacies, but it still upholds hope. May the hope stay alive.
Rating: ****
There have been umpteen times that Bollywood has worked towards showcasing legal battles on screen. On certain occasions, these have been thrillers, and on some occasions, they have been satires. Rarely have anyone been able to mix the legal drama and black comedy so efficiently, like Subhash Kapoor does. But then this is a man who had created the hilarious Phas Gaye Re Obama. His mastery lies in black comedy; in keeping things real. He did that with Jolly LLB. And he scores yet again with Jolly LLB 2.
But Jolly LLB 2 is not just about Subash Kapoor’s wit. It is as much Akshay Kumar’s delightful ability to become the character – something he has been doing rather smoothly in the recent years.
Tracing another Jolly’s struggle to fame, this time in Lucknow, Subhash Kapoor takes us into the life of Jagdishwar Mishra. Jolly, a lawyer from Kanpur, awaits his chance to make it big. In the meantime, he assists the biggest lawyers of Lucknow. He has his aspirations but barely commands respect. He stumbles upon on opportunity to clear his name and also bring justice to a departed soul. This takes Jolly across UP and to Kashmir.
The setbacks that Jolly faces at each step reflect on the loopholes that Indian judicial system face while bringing justice to people. There are also plenty moments where memories of crazy court incidents will be refreshed.
Make no mistakes. While he keeps things true to life, Subash Kapoor ensures that the film is not deprived of entertainment. At times he even resorts to over-the-top filmy moments. Like one where Jolly manages to escape along with a witness from the thickly guarded Kashmir state. Also, the scene where Jolly actually manages to read the name tag of a police officer’s uniform in a photograph using magnifying glasses is almost funny. The unintentional kind!
Discrepancies notwithstanding, Jolly LLB 2 manages to keep you engaged. Much of this is due to some kickass dialogues, which are delivered with tremendous candour by the caste. Especially by Saurabh Shukla, Annu Kapoor and Akshay Kumar. Shukla’s character of Justice Sunderlal Tripathi is a continuation from the 2013 Jolly LLB. This is one character that will be remembered for long.
Akshay Kumar takes up the challenge of playing a person from Uttar Pradesh and delivers with aplomb. The very first scene establishes his character. Chewing paan, riding a scooter without a helmet, he dictates answers to school students writing an exam in exchange of money – Jolly clearly cares more about his personal gain than ethics. And this is what threatens to bring about his fall till he decides to resurrect himself.
Jolly LLB 2 is the story of a battle of wits and brain. And yet it manages to find the heart. There will be moments when it could move you, while at many others it will keep you in splits. There are numbers fleeting details that director Subhash Kapoor brings into the screenplay that you may even fail to notice. But if you do, this film becomes all the more interesting. More importantly, Jolly LLB 2 drives home a message. The Indian legal system may be crippled by inadequacies, but it still upholds hope. May the hope stay alive.
Rating: ****
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