In the Indian cinematic world replete with myriad entertaining actioners, laugh out loud comedies, and of course the adorable rom-coms, well-executed films which belong to the courtroom-drama genre are surprisingly few and far between.
Even though some of the most nail-biting sequences and gripping thrillers have been filmed inside a courtroom setup.
For that reason, we have handpicked a list of five must-watch Indian courtroom drama films that you can watch across various OTT platforms. So, here is our verdict:
1. Section 375 (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
As the name suggests, the film is based on Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code. Starring the gifted actor Akshaye Khanna alongside the underrated Richa Chadda and Rahul Bhatt in the lead roles, the film follows a legal battle between a senior criminal lawyer (Akshaye Khanna) and his former protégé (Richa Chadda), who fight for and against a famous Bollywood director (Rahul Bhatt) accused of rape.
A truly underrated gem and an impactful drama that deserves to be seen.
2. Pink (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
The film revolves around a retired lawyer’s (Amitabh Bachchan) fight to get justice for three girls who are implicated for a crime they claim they did not commit, by a rich and influential chauvinist (Angad Bedi).
The film yet again proves why Amitabh Bachchan is unanimously accorded the monumental stature and the hard-earned adulation in Indian cinema. He delivered a nuanced and flawless performance of a brilliant but senile lawyer in the film.
The performances of the three girls played by Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang are praiseworthy. The taut screenplay coupled with these spellbinding performances made the film an intense and gripping watch.
3.Jolly LLB / Jolly LLB 2 (Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)
Both these Subhash Kapoor’s directorial films equally deserve to be included in this list. The first ‘Jolly LLB’ film (2013) starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani was about a PIL filed by a petty lawyer (Arshad Warsi) in a high-profile hit-and-run case.
While the second film ‘Jolly LLB 2’ (2017) featured Akshay Kumar and Annu Kapoor in an engaging courtroom drama. The films were also praised for their performances including that of reputed actor Saurabh Shukla, who appeared as the common judge in both these films.
4. Shahid (Streaming on SonyLIV)
Probably the darkest film on this list, ‘Shahid’ is a biographical drama helmed by ‘Scam 1992’ director Hansal Mehta. Featuring Rajkumar Rao in the titular role, the film revolves around the life and death of Human Rights lawyer Shahid Azmi.
Hansal Mehta and Rajkumar Rao received National Awards for the ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Actor’ categories, respectively for the film.
5. Court (Streaming on Netflix)
If you are in the mood of watching an offbeat and slice-of-life film that explores the legal system through the lens of the trial of an aging activist (played by Late actor Vira Sathidar), then this film is for you.
Helmed by Chaitanya Tamhane (whose film ‘The Disciple’ was executive produced by Alfonso Cuaron and currently streaming on Netflix), ‘Court’ went to win the greatly admired National Award for ‘Best Feature Film’. ‘Court’ was also selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars.
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