Review: 'No One Killed Jessica' is groovy but unimpressive

Film: No One Killed Jessica (A)
Cast: Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherji, Neil Bhoopalam, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Myra and others
Director: Raj Kumar Gupta
Rating: *** 

No One Killed Jessica was one of the most anticipated films of 2011, and that is precisely why its failure to impress is such a bitter pill to swallow.

Put it down to the bland execution, but the film, based on the shocking real-life incident in 1999 in which bartender Jessica Lall (Myra) was shot dead in a Delhi restaurant by the son of a high-profile Haryana politician for refusing to serve alcohol after the deadline, does not quite dramatise the incident in a way that holds your attention.

The film narrates the tale of the struggle of Jessica’s sister Sabrina Lall (Vidya) for justice and the country's outrage at the blatant use of money, muscle and political power to manipulate the investigation.

It is when the killer (Zeeshan) is let loose by the trial court for lack of evidence that Meera Gaity (Mukherji), a feisty reporter with activism coursing through her brassy veins, steps in with her resolve to bring him to justice.

Considering the sensitive nature of the subject, the film ought to have won your sympathy, if not moved you to tears. Sadly, it doesn't. Sure, the film is an entertainer and has all the masala — sex appeal, glamour, confrontation — that audiences love.

But no one scene or sequence sticks in your memory for its brilliance, just as the film does not elicit an emotional response at any point.

Of course, the screenplay and story development are precise, enjoyable even. But they can’t add much to the film as the story is something that the audience is already aware of thus ruling out the element of surprise.

If the filmmaker wanted to give audiences a taste of reality, the work is not convincing enough. Moreover, the filmmaker fails to provoke the audience against injustice and corruption because the film does not bring to light anything that they do not know already.

This makes the audience feel like they are in the midst of a fictionalised documentary devoid of novelty and drama- a bit too dry for a Bollywood commercial film.

Raj Kumar Gupta’s directorial debut Aamir was a pathbreaker of sorts, for the way it narrated a simple story in an engaging format that left an impact on its audiences.

The audience not only empathised with Aamir, but also got in touch with the depths of his character. No One Killed Jessica does not bring to the fore Gupta's ability to strike a chord with the audience which could have prevented it from becoming a run-of-the-mill Bollywood social thriller.

One thing that works for the film is its dialogues — unabashed and clear-cut. You do not have to put up with the usual nonsensical, melodramatic lines.

Delightfully, the film includes undeniable impersonations of all persons associated with the case, right from prime witness and model Shayan Munshi (Bhoopalam) to socialite Bina Ramani, who ran the restaurant where the incident took place, and the Jethmalanis, who were associated with the case when it went into appeal.

While Mukherji is a pleasure to watch as a dynamic journalist, Vidya fails to impress us as the victim's sister, resiliently fighting for justice. While her character demanded sobriety and subtlety, her performance seems insipid and somewhat forced.

Apart from the de-glamourised look, Balan hardly makes an effort to bring Sabrina alive on the screen. On the other hand, Mukherji’s chic appearance breathes excitement into her solid performance.  

Watch No One Killed Jessica to see how well reality can be depicted on the big screen. Just don’t expect that on-screen reality to jolt you as much as the off-screen one did.