Superb performances nail this gripping legal thriller
Nail Polish which comes soon after the latest web series Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors is in a similar format encircling courtroom drama but with a different content that is woven around intricate dimensions of a human psyche. This 125-minute film made after lockdown which is streaming now on Zee5 makes another attempt to add more teeth to the debate Who is the real culprit among the two – A body with a criminal mind or body that commits the crime?
Story-line
Veer Singh (Manav Kaul) gets hospitalized for getting up beaten badly in jail but survives as there is no injury to his head. Siddharth Jaisingh (Arjun Rampal) meets Veer Singh and switches over to flashback.
Former army man and present cricket coach, Veer Singh gets arrested for rape and brutal murder of migrant children with Amit Kumar (Anand Tiwari) appearing as Public Prosecutor and Lawyer Jai as his counsel.
What lies behind the psyche of Veer Singh and how Judge Kishore Bhushan (Rajit Kapur) copes up with this tricky case despite his turbulent domestic life shared with the alcoholic wife Shobha Bhushan (Madhoo) and how both the lawyers perceive the case and crack it is what Nail Polish is about.
Performances
It’s Manav who knits it pretty well with his dynamic performance as Veer Singh alias Ranjit. The presence of Arjun Rampal has added more radiance to the film and needless to add, he too comes out with an impressive performance.
Rajit Kapur appears in a noticeable character of Judge who has to do the balancing act with utmost concern, which he portrayed with great flamboyance and dignity.
Samreen Kaur looks fresh while Madhoo looks pretty in a shorter role and Anand Tiwari too got it right and excels in a praiseworthy performance.
Behind the scenes
Admaker, creator, theatre personality, actor, and the man behind Taste the Thunder Bugs Bhargav Krishna has come a long way to wield the megaphone and try his hand at a full-length film direction and he fairly succeeded well in doing so. The writer inside him helped a lot in maneuvering a smooth and hassle-free dive into a flawless narration. The inter-cutting scenes featuring the private lives of Kumar, Sid, and Bhushan to present their mindsets amidst an intriguing case is truly brilliant and this is enough to prove what kind of creativity this man of all crafts possesses.
He is perfectly assisted by the cinematography of Deep Metkar who had created some great frames particularly the short revolving shot featuring Manav is the clear winner among all.
The music by Sanjav Madrekar and those montage songs made the narrative livelier and lovelier too.
Verdict & Rating
The brutal atrocities on children got sidetracked a bit which should have been elevated a little but it’s just a maybe keeping the psychological theme of the film in the mind as it poses a danger of narrative losing the grip if other elements get over -glorified. So it can be acceptable from this viewpoint.
Nevertheless, superb performances nail this gripping legal thriller and it’s a courtroom drama with a difference that is to be watched to explore. The debate on ‘mind or body’ continues further and Nail Polish takes it one more step ahead with a thought-provoking premise that deserves a compulsory watch and it’s sure to kick off more debates in our judiciary circles.
