Patna Shuklla (2024) :
Movie Review:
After Karrma Calling, Ranveena Tandon again stars in the lead role in Disney Plus Hotstar's original feature, "Patna Shukla." So, let me make it clear at the beginning to avoid further confusion about the title. There is a double L in the title, which stands for "lawyer," as the leading lady is in the role of a lawyer at a district court in Patna. Patna Shuklla is based on a sensitive topic like an educational scam by universities, but the execution is quite below par. The motive is strong, but the storytelling is strictly average. There is an unpredictable twist in the climax, which comes from nowhere and saves the entire film. So, you better watch out for that.
Set in Patna, Patna Shuklla is the story of a lawyer named Tanvi Shukla (Raveena Tandon). Her husband loves her and is proud of her, even though he misbehaves a bit sometimes, internationally. A B. Sc. Third-year student, Rinku (Anushka Kaushik), comes to Tanvi with a case, saying that her marksheet needs to be rechecked. Rinku is confident about getting more than 60% marks in the exam, while her given marksheet shows only 30%. Rinku alleges that the university must recheck her papers, which leads to several revelations about educational scams, marksheet exchanges, and even bribery inside the university. But is there any evidence that can prove Rinku and Tanvi's allegations? Will Tanvi be able to fight powerful scammers as her family also suffers from the heat? Can she save them as well?
Patna Shuklla is your regular courtroom drama where an underdog takes a big case and becomes a giant. We have seen it before in many Bollywood and Hollywood movies. However, the topic here is new and a little sensitive. At first, it seems like there is no case at all, but as we go ahead, there are a lot of exploding details that could help many students. What this film lacks is high-voltage courtroom drama, investigation, arguments, and logical statements. What works on the positive end is the idea of the story and the main motive behind it. The screenplay could have been shorter by 10-15 minutes, making it a solid 2-hour film. What's done is done, and it isn't too wrong, but somewhere you start building up expectations in the first half, which are left somewhat incomplete in the second half.
Raveena has carried the entire film on her shoulders, but it is not enough. The actress, however, does seem pleasant to the eyes. This is sort of a comeback zone for Raveena Tandon with Karrma Calling, Patna Shuklla, and Welcome 3 (upcoming). She is making sure that she enjoys every moment of it. Some of her scenes are really good, while others go flat. Anushka may be a new girl, but she knows how to face a camera. She is confident and gets the accent right. Manav Vij has enough experience on how to play his role, and he'll have you adore his character as a loyal and supportive husband. Watching the late Satish Kaushik is a treat for every cinema lover, and he proves why. I mean, watch out for him, man. Just see how it's done. Chandan Roy Sanyal and Jatin Goswami have also done their parts perfectly, even though there were no variations to them. The supporting caste was pretty okay.
Coming to the technical points, Patna Shuklla looks like a low-budget film for the setups and overall looks. The picturization isn't that great, and on the small screen, it would look even more dull. The cinematography is somewhat decent, while the editing doesn't seem gripping. The screenplay and songs just don't fit well when you can predict the entire drama that's coming after the song. The courtroom scenes could have been presented better, but somehow it can be forgiven because the idea was to show a low-level district court, not a high court or supreme court. Vivek Budakoti and Rajendra Tiwari's joint efforts do provide a watchable drama, but you can't help thinking about how better it could have been with smarter vision and execution. Overall, an average flick with a different content and climax for any courtroom drama you've seen in Bollywood.
RATING - 5/10*
