What ails legal thrillers in the Hindi language space? A lot of other problems apart, it is what the genre refers to as the “gotcha” surprise evidence trope. In film after film — the frequency alone merits this sweeping generalisation — we get to see dramatic, last-second reveals of secret witnesses or documents that swing a case in a way that is all too convenient, and therefore, feels manipulative. It is enough to make audiences feel cheated, especially if you have remained invested in the proceedings up to that point.
The problem (or not, depending on which side of the attention divide you have been on) with System is that the film, in its entirety, is based on so much contrivance that by the time you arrive at the “rabbit out of a hat” moment, you simply don’t care. If you are smart — and more importantly, if you somehow manage to push yourself and remain engaged enough during its 123-minute running time — you would have anyway figured out the “twist” long before it happens. In fact, you would have eye-rolled your way through it.
Which is extremely disappointing given the kind of cast and crew talent that System boasts of. Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has so far had a career peppered with hits and misses, but System is definitely not her finest moment. The cast is led by Sonakshi Sinha and Jyotika — both consummate actors, who have anchored many a tricky (but much better-written) role. The supporting cast comprises actor-filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker who, on any given day, is an asset to have, no matter what character he may be playing.
But System, that is now showing on Prime Video, painfully squanders what must have sounded like a sure-shot winner on paper. The idea of two women in the business of law joining forces in the quest for justice, a move that takes their partnership (and friendship) down a tenuous path eventually, had all the makings of an absorbing film. But System isn’t more than a laboured one-time watch.
Besides incorporating the elements of a courtroom drama, legal politics, family friction and a murder mystery, System attempts to be a commentary on ambition and privilege.
Set in Delhi, System has Sonakshi playing Neha Rajvansh, an under-confident young lawyer in the public prosecution team. Neha’s father is seasoned legal eagle Ravi Rajvansh (Gowariker), a man known to decimate his opposition (the quintessential “woh zindagi mein ek bhi case nahin haare hain” type). Neha would give an arm, leg and more to join her dad’s firm, but senior Rajvansh is inexplicably salty towards his daughter. “Win 10 cases on your own merit” is his thunderously delivered criterion, but that condition doesn’t seem to extend to his son. So Neha, the poor, little ‘n’ girl (nepo, nepo) huffs and puffs her way through her unforgiving job. Till one day, a tip — more common sense than legal — from the court stenographer Sarika Rawat (Jyotika) makes her finally win a case.
That prompts Neha and Sarika, on opposite ends of the socio-economic divide, to partner up in solving cases. Soon the duo, through a series of convenient plot points, starts acing cases left, right and centre. Their professional lives flourish, and so does their friendship. When a case compels Neha to face-off against her father (no surprises there), it not only tests her and Sarika’s mettle, but also their equation.
System has the kind of script that thinks it is cleverly winking at the viewer, holding what it believes is a prized ace up its sleeve. But the story — mystery, intrigue, relationships, romance, helplessness and rage against the powers that be — is so unnecessarily convoluted that nothing makes an impact. Not even the so-called “pulling the rug from under one’s feet” scene. If anything, the film slips even more while doing so.
Teaming up to write System is actor Harman Baweja, who is also now a producer, and Tasneem Lokhandwala, with director Tiwari being credited for additional screenplay. The chasm of privilege between the protagonists is not subtly hinted at but brazenly driven in through a series of scenes. So if Neha sips on chai latte, Sarika labels it “kadwa” even after heaping spoonfuls of sugar into it (much to Neha’s disgust). Neha’s plush mansion is in direct contrast to Sarika’s tenement in a chawl. The ultimate aim of driving in this divide is to illustrate the motivations that propel a crime, but, barring a few rare instances, System just doesn’t get it right.
What adds to the misery (of the viewer, of course) are Akshat Ghildial’s dialogues. Ashutosh Gowariker does the best he can, but ends up fighting a losing game with lines like: “The punch that hurts you the most is the one you don’t see coming.” At one point, Jyotika’s Sarika says: “Yeh insaaf jo hai Bhagwan ki tarah hota hain... bahut mushkil se milta hain.” The overly dramatic background score tries to cover up the loose ends of the plot, while the romance between Sonakshi’s character and her boyfriend (a dull Gaurav Pandey) is colder than the coldest day in Oymyakon.
What works partially in System is the probing of what actually constitues morality, with none of its characters being simple black or white characters. But that, ultimately, is too little, too late.
In a film that relies on the simplistic and superficial, there is very little that the actors can do to elevate the material. Sonakshi and Jyotika give it their all, but they are ultimately let down by the “system” that makes up System. Terribly cliched we know, but true.
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