WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Having good character. While this automatically be a trait we all as human beings can exercise, it is sometimes an element of our nature that takes time to find its place, even when it is initially evident acting otherwise seems to draw nothing but strife. Hard realities, however, are often the catalyst that shake us out of ill-willed behavior and help us make the right choice. Take, for example, Jagdish Mishra (Akshay Kumar) aka: “Jolly”. A rather plain and bumbling fellow, he works in Lucknow lawyer Rizvi Sahab’s (Ram Gopal Bajaj) office as an assistant. The butt of many fellow lawyer’s jokes that he will never make anything of himself, Jolly decides he wants his own chamber, and sets out to make it happen, with the support of his wife Pushpa (Huma Qureshi).
But, events take a turn for the worse when the means by which Jolly obtains the remaining money needed to open his chamber causes a tragic and unforeseen circumstance that vilifies him in the eyes of his former firm, the community, and his own family. Desperate to make things right, Jolly takes on the most important case of his career involving local police Inspector Suryaveer Singh (Kumud Mishra), a web of lies, and a cover-up perpetrated by the police. Singh, not willing to just roll over, hires the best lawyer in Lucknow, Sachin Kantilal Mathur (Annu Kapoor) to defend him. Soon, Jolly finds himself almost in over his head between Mathur’s relentless skills and Singh’s accomplices who have no plans to let Jolly succeed. But, as always, truth and justice find their way home.
Next, my Mind:
Writer/director Subhash Kapoor returns to the lead chair for this sequel to his 2013 “Jolly LLB” and does so with solid results especially thanks to its well-beloved lead star and some excellent supporting players. Having never seen the first installment personally, this reviewer can only go on this effort in itself, which was entertaining on many fronts, though at the same time not necessarily as engaging as I would have expected. The story flow is paced well, the grand mix of humor and drama is also sturdy in its execution, but I think perhaps after seeing Kumar in last year’s hilarious “Housefull 3”, there was a hope of more comedy than drama here. Now, make no mistake, there IS plenty to laugh at throughout the film, but ultimately, it is the dramatic elements that dominate the proceedings. Regardless, the themes of righting wrongs and seeking personal redemption are timeless, and the film delivers all of this in fine fashion.
Kumar is still a fantastic presence here as Jolly, portraying a regular, happy-go-lucky everyman whose professional circumstances are in dire need of evolving, but that initially take the wrong road to get there. Watching Jolly experience that moment of harsh revelation is actually quite affecting, and Kumar acts the sequence out with poise and intensity, subsequently carrying that through the rest of the film. He’s so versatile in general, and seeing him tackle both off-the-wall humor and deep drama in the same project is a treat to watch. Much credit also needs to be given to Kapoor, whose veteran lawyer Mathur is simply a living force to be reckoned with. The energy and mastery of his profession that Mathur displays totally causes him to be a character everyone loves to hate, just waiting for Jolly to smack him or otherwise put him in his place. The two actor’s scenes together in the courtroom are truly filled with quality execution.
Yet, in the midst of it all, there is one performance that in many ways stole the show, and that is Saurabh Shukla as Judge Tripathy, whose courtroom is anything but in order. Tripathy is so out of tune with his own courtroom, that his penchant for at first being fully engaged with the proceedings then completely and humorously oblivious and unable to maintain control is incredibly funny and so well-played by the actor. Other great supporting roles arrive from Mishra, Qureshi, Bajaj, Manav Kaul, Sayani Gupta, and Inaamulhaq. In total, “Jolly LLB 2” is a fun little romp that entertains well enough.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
