The Trial Review: Kajol impeccable performance is major highlight of this adapted legal drama
The Trial Web Series Rating: 3.5 Stars
Just watched The Trial Web Series on Hotstar. So, let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Kajol, Jisshu Sengupta, Kubbra Sait, Sheeba Chaddha, Alyy Khan and Gaurav Pandey
Director: Suparn Verma
Release Date: 14th July 2023 on Hotstar
Duration: 8 Episodes/ 40 Minutes
Story: The purpose of a trial is to ensure that the defendant gets a fair assessment of all evidence against him or her, and so, it is a structured process wherein the facts of a case are presented to a jury, which decides if the defendant is guilty or not. If the ruling in the case is found to be not maintainable, then it can be challenged in a higher court.
Series is adapted from the multi-season CBS show The Good Wife. It has been tweaked also at times and a bit liberally to cater to Indian audiences. Revolves around Noyonika Sengupta (Kajol) who is a law school grad who gave up her career a decade ago for the sake of her husband and children. She is forced to resume work as defence counsel when her husband and additional judge Rajiv (Jisshu Sengupta) is put behind bars on charges of bribery and abuse of his prestigious position.
Now Noyonika must save her family and her husband’s reputation and decides to join the law firm of her former college friend and love interest Vishal (Alyy Khan). Her life is riddled with troubles and there are rivals who are out to add discontent in her life. When she seeks support from another lawyer, she had known Malini (Sheeba Chaddha), the vibes she gets are negative.
There is another intern Dheeraj (Gaurav Pandey) who resents her rise and attributes her success to her being close to their boss Vishal. Allies include Sana (Kubbra Sait) whose selfless support and running around, help her in preparing the intricacies of the case smoothly.
Slowly, case after case, she starts gaining her conviction and confidence back, defeats competition and cements her position in the company, while also rising in the eyes of people who judged her for her husband’s misdeeds. But now, this new lawyer Nyonika, who doesn’t lose a case, fight to get her husband out of jail?
Positives
1. Excellent Performance
2. Direction
3. Screenplay
4. Background Music
5. Story
Negatives
1. Length
2. Climax
3. Unnecessary Sub-plot
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this web-series, planned to watch this series in my free time as it’s engaging and loved Kajol acting.
The series is centered on a housewife who, after 10 years, returns to work at a law firm to support her family when her husband gets imprisoned.
The Trial explores the relationship between a mother and her two young daughters who have matured before time due to the circumstances they’ve been through. While there’s protectiveness, these sequences depict the bond in a realistic and subtle way. Kajol is one of finest we have and she’s a delight to watch. Be it her time with family, in the court defending her clients or at the law firm, battling competition and petty politics, Kajol does justice to all the various facets of her character Nyonika Sengupta. The series tries to expose the workings of the legal system, the media trial that goes beyond the legal judgements, the emotional and mental effect this has on individuals involved, while lacing it with the dynamics of a high-profile husband-wife who are in the middle of it. It offers a satirical and realistic portrayal of the current judicial system, the role of opinionated TV journalists, and the inner workings of a renowned Indian law firm.
On the flipside, series refuses to delve deeper into the backstories of its characters. The staging of the drama is perfect, but it is hard to sympathies with the members who are an important part of the storytelling process. Despite being close to 8 hours long, there’s hardly anything you know about Noyonika’s past with Vishal and her marriage with Rajiv. Characters like Sana are interesting but with no background depth, the impact is dampened. The tension doesn’t build to its full potential. Suparn leaves many questions unanswered for the new chapter. While the cases are interesting and up your expectations on what happens next, the arguments in court are so juvenile that it will leave you exasperated as you move from one case to another, one episode to another. The lack of depth in each of the various sub plots and the main plot itself is a big disappointment.
Overall, series is definitely worth your attention and time. There are multiple subplots running underneath and that’s what makes the show denser, deeper and more enjoyable. While the story occasionally takes convenient turns as it progresses towards a predictable climax, the screenplay does contain a few shocking moments. However, with its brilliant starcast, this one could have raised the bar for such legal dramas much higher, making it a sharper and a more compelling watch. Watch it for Kajol, who doesn’t falter even once in even one frame. The Trial will only make you want to see more of this brilliant actress. My view on this web-series is Recommended
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