No one killed Jessica - A Review

Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Vidya Balan, Myra Karn, Neil Bhopalam, Rajesh Sharma, Bubbles Sabhrewal, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Yogendra Tikku, Geeta Sudan, Shireesh Sharma, Samara Chopra
Producer:  Ronnie Screwwala
Director:  Raj Kumar Gupta
Screenplay & Dialogues: Raj Kumar Gupta
Background Score and Music Director: Amit Trivedi
Duration: 2 hrs 20 mins
Website: http://www.noonekilledjessica.com/
Genres:  True Story, Social
Rating: ***

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/utvmotionpictures#p/u/32/IzGZ9oL9Lv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glo7MAa6htQ

The aim and intention of my reviews is to critique and recommend while not revealing the whole story to enjoy the movie when seen. Minor details may have been divulged for proper review!

The story of this movie is based on the real life story of Jessica Lal murder  and the ensuing display of corruption in judiciary and  political systems, contrasting with the defenselessness of the common man struggling for justice, and highlighted with the crusade of a journalist  to expose the system and help justice prevail.

The story showcases how a frustrated Vidya Balan (Sabrina/ Jessica’s sister) struggles for seven years to seek justice for her sisters death while power, money, politics, and corruption change the face of the case.
 It shows how giddy power and political clout of one  (Zeeshan Ayub  as Manish ) equates a price of  life to a drink! 

The obvious and inescapable existence of bribery and corruption in the system is also displayed in the dialogs of the police cop in charge of the case: “Sab koi Khaata hai, Kis liye mein fark hai”  a reasoning that he gives that  he too  accepted a bribe but only to be gentle to the accused in custody not for dishonest reasons like the forensics did of changing the evidence or defence did of buying off or influencing the witnesses.

The  movie  highlights the strength of ‘media’ and  news media magazines and channels like Tehelka which are taking up causes and exposing the loopholes and sleazy duplicity of many power hogging people and corruption in the system. Here the feisty reporter Rani Mukerjee as Meera Gaity takes up the cause to help justice prevail in the Jessica Lal murder by reopening the proceedings of the case with the help of television exposés,  igniting public’s righteous anger  and concern using social networks, text messages and candlelight vigils.

The movie inspite of being inspired from  a true story, the handling of the story doesn’t make it ‘documentrish’ but incidents of fiction, back stories  in narrative and  interesting dialogs { “Everybody is Somebody  in Delhi ......Nobody is Nobody” -  Meera/ Rani mukerjee } and excellent music and songs makes it an interesting watch.

The cast of the movie is excellent. Vidya Balan plays the ordinary frustrated sister seeking justice very well. Rani Mukerjee in a feisty and   brash role of a journalist carries herself well.  The new actors Zeeshan Ayub as the accused and Myra as Jessica/victim and Neil Bhopalam as the coward witness play their parts well too, not to forget excellent acting by Rajesh Sharma as the cop.

The songs ‘Dili Dili’ , ‘’Aitbar and other music score  are racy and meaningful. The writer and director Raj Kumar Gupta keeps the movie crisp and heart rendering, reaching out to the people with positive reinforcement of possibilities of changing the system if one unifies for a cause!