Case dismissed

Seven reasons not to risk Janatar Adalat:

The plot: A simple story told in the most agonising manner. Janatar Adalat is two-and-a-half hours of torture. Jisshu Sengupta is a jobless Christian boy whose parents live abroad. He spends his time singing mindless songs with his girlfriend, newcomer Soma Chakraborty. Dulal Lahiri is the rapacious MLA whose goons go about raping women of every size and shape. Countless rapes and attempted rapes later, Jisshu and his gang of six friends don bandanas and vermilion streaks before going on a killing spree.

The acting: Soma is an eyesore — she can’t act and she is overweight. Jisshu looks good, but his role is a no-brainer. And he keeps terrible company — there is little to choose between his girlfriend and his boy gang. The bad guys are, well, bad guys. Sabyasachi Chakraborty as the good cop and Tapas Pal as the NRI have precious little to do.

The camerawork: Is appalling. The angles are all wrong and the close-ups far too many.

The technique: With drab lighting and dull cinematography, Janatar Adalat can be a front-runner for the most Technically Challenged Film to have hit theatres in recent times.

The music: Is a ear-sore, loud and pointless. The six songs get on your nerves. The lyrics, by the director himself, are juvenile. Sample this: Maa Kalir dibbi bolchhi aami tomaye bhalobashi!

The editing: In one scene, Jisshu loses his younger brother. In the next, he is prancing around with his lady love singing a Holi scene. Why, pray?

The direction: If Manoj Thakur believes in the verdict of janatar adalat, he should never make another film. Case dismissed.