Court (2014)

When an aging activist is arrested, the lives of the accused, the lawyers, and the judge intertwine to reveal bigotry that underscores the judicial system.

Director:

Chaitanya Tamhane

Writer:

Chaitanya Tamhane

Stars:

Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni

15 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Vira Sathidar	...	Narayan Kamble
Vivek Gomber	...	Vinay Vora
Geetanjali Kulkarni	...	Public Prosecutor
Pradeep Joshi	...	Judge
Shirish Pawar	...	Subodh
Usha Bane	...	Sharmila Pawar
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arpita Chate	...	Meenu
Bipin Maniar	...	Vinay's Father
Panna Mehta	...	Vinay's Mother
Mansi Multani	...	Nightclub Singer
Jyoti Patel	...	Vinay's Sister

Storyline

A sewerage worker's dead body is found inside a manhole in Mumbai. An ageing folk singer is tried in court on charges of abetment of suicide. He is accused of performing an inflammatory song which might have incited the worker to commit the act. As the trial unfolds, the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed outside the court.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | lawyer | singer | trial | apparent suicide | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

India

Language:

Marathi Gujarati English Hindi

Release Date:

17 April 2015 (India)

Also Known As:

Tribunal

Filming Locations:

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zoo Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some cast members were untrained, non-professional actors. In the case of the woman who plays the deceased's widow, it's eerie how unaffected the scene is before you realize that it's reality. (The woman is widowed in real life. Her husband was a manhole worker.)

User Reviews

I loved this film for it's simple and real depiction of Indian courts.

I loved this film for it's simple and real depiction of Indian courts.

This is as close as it can get in depicting how the Indian judicial courts deal cases. Please note that this film is not exactly about a particular case, but it was more so a comment on how the judicial system works in India. Although, a case was taken to represent the judicial procedures, I looked at this film as a showcase of the process in itself.

There is a lot of reflection of reality which is a rarity in Indian films. We have camouflaged films or those which in the name of depicting reality show us the perspective of makers. The best realistic film was "Black Friday" as per me and this comes the second best. Second only because it did not have an engaging storyline or one that we would be keen to know, All it has, is a case at best about a man who is accused of raging emotions.

This is a Marathi film and I commend the fact that Marathi films have come a long way. They have made films like "Shwaas" "Deool" and many others which are like the reflection of the possibility of Indian cinema. Sadly, very few films have explored Indian emotions, Indian mindset and told Indian stories with utmost honesty.

I applaud the director Chaitanya Tamhane for not putting in any drama and also from refraining from any commercial elements and showing things as they are.

Performances are true to the characters by each one. From a sweeper to a lawyer and judge, everyone played their role as they would live it if it was their own life. The camera was used as a tool to capture the happenings instead of making anyone conscious of its presence.

I am going with 4/5. Loved it but I doubt if I would sit through this another time.