Legal dramas have the capacity to instantly enamor audiences, with the protagonist's quest for justice often becoming our own. If Mark Ruffalo's stubborn journey to hold corporate interests to account for their misdeeds was the crux in "Dark Waters (2019), in "Jana Gana Mana (2022)", Prithviraj proved that the truth is not always what it seems. "Gargi" is another compelling movie that redefines the ambit of this genre and anchored by a career-best performance from Sai Pallavi, delivers an end-to-end engaging viewing experience that will stay with you for a long time.
We have seen glimpses of the immense acting powerhouse that is Sai Pallavi in movies like "Premam (2015)" and most recently, "Love Story (2021)", but Gargi is the first movie to fully explore her immense potential. She stars as the titular character, a hardworking teacher who finds herself in the midst of a legal quagmire when her father is arrested for a child molestation case. Caught between an apathetic legal system and a suspicious society that is quick to judge, how she navigates the hardships that come her way and try to find justice for her father forms the rest of the story.
Director Gautham Ramachandran gets his casting spot on with Kaali Venkat excelling as Gargi's lawyer "Indrans" while Saravan delivers a tour de force performance as "Kundhava", the beleaguered father of the abused child. The haunting music by Govind Vasantha adds edginess and melancholy at appropriate junctures in the narration and plays no small part in building up the tension and intrigue as we head into the climax of a daughter's crusade for justice.
Sai Pallavi's performance should make a strong case for a National Award, such is the grace and poise she brings to the character. Only an actress of her caliber could have communicated such vulnerability and emotion and still remain committed and earnest in her pursuit to exonerate her father. With the possible exception of "Kadaisi Vivasayi", "Gargi" is easily the best film Indian cinema has produced in 2022 so far and is an absolute must-watch. Highly recommended!
