Good movie, I must say in a long time! I read some first-hand reviews and decided to watch the late evening show. The story is plain and simple, and probably something which might be happening on numerous occasions in India. It’s about how a casual outing with boys land the 3 girls in trouble and later about their fight for justice. It is not unusual that such incidents do not happen here, it is about how many really surface to the top and how many of them have an ending.
The story is shot in Delhi, which already has an ill-reputation of being rape capital of India and is considered unsafe for women. The 3 single working women, living a normal, happy life in the city, until one fateful night. The 3 friends attend a rock concert and then accompany some of their male friends for dinner and drinks - the sequence of events have been kept natural, practical - something that is not new for many of us. However what the director has been successful in doing is - show-casing the feudal mindset of a majority of men.(this becomes clearer in the later half of the movie, during the court interrogation).
Every action by these girls, the way they talk, walk, every move of their, even the joke they share, their agreement to have drinks with the boys - all of these are considered as "signs" by men, as women’s willingness to share the bed for the night with them. Unfortunately - that is not the girls intend. They are out there to have some pure fun, enjoy the music, food and drinks.
In the tussle that happens then, in the fit of anger and resistance, one of the girls hit one of the boys and since then starts a never-ending painful journey for them. The hurt boy is from a well-to-do, politically connected family and uses all the powers to threaten, ill-repute and then to lodge a false complaint against the girls.
The best part of the movie is the court proceeding - where Amitabh Bacchan, who has a bipolar disorder, represents the girls. As always, Mr Bacchan has been at his top-notch performance with modulation in his voice - angry, funny, playing a sick, old man trying to fight for the justice.
Eventually, the case is won by the women based on the strong(and emotional) defense made by Mr. Bacchan, however it leaves us to wonder - if at all cases like this can be won, purely on emotional basis, as what judicial system always looks at for the evidence.
The movie conveys social message in terms of "Safety manual for Women" where every wrong assumption made by men, Mr Bacchan converts as lessons of this manual.
Direction, background score, acting - all are good. The 3 newbies as young women friends are apt in the role while boys did not have much to showcase as their roles were limited. Amitabh has been great as always.
Overall its a must-watch film by Shoojit Sircar who has made another valuable addition to his repertoire.