In one of the episodes of season 2 of Maamla Legal Hai, a seemingly-trivial infrastructural lapse threatens to ruin the professional credibility of a prominent law-maker. However, as the investigation proceeds, threatening to ruin everyone in its path, the decision-makers arrive at a friendly compromise. The human lapse is easily labelled as ‘an act of god,’ because mere mortals want it that way. 

And that’s the good news — Maamla Legal Hai, in its second season, remains a playful and effective satire at its core. There is no desperate attempt to reinvent itself, or cash on what worked in season one. It doesn’t breach the boundaries that it previously set for itself. That's the strength — the series is not playing to the gallery; it’s merely being true to itself. Which also means the writers don’t push too hard for laughs — the humour arrives rather organically out of the idiosyncrasies which are wackily specific to this universe and its people. (Although there are at least three rip-roaringly hilarious sequences, one of them involving VD Tyagi (Ravi Kishan), a recently-turned District Judge, going to outrageous lengths to prove his impartiality to a sceptical audience.)

Cast: Ravi Kishan, Naila Grrewal, Nidhi Bisht, Anjum Batra, Kusha Kapila, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Anant V Joshi

Director: Rahul Pandey

Rating: 3.5 stars

Streaming on: Netflix

Similarly, there is no strong attempt to hit the sentimental nerve either.  Except for Tyagi, there is a threadbare attempt to go into the personal lives of key players, be it Ananya (An impressive Naila Grrewal), Sujata (Nidhi Bisht), or Vishwas (Anant V Joshi). Outside of the courtroom and its corridors, we don't see much of these characters and their lives. Maybe that's the point — this court premises is all there is to their lives. Which is why it makes sense when Sujata (Nidhi Bisht) finds herself getting attached to Mintu (Anjum Batra) to some degree, despite their bickering over bar presidency. While the show necessarily doesn't get better with each episode, the light mood never becomes stale either.

And that’s where the true charm of Maamla Legal Hai lies — it's the understated style that allows the satire to be so easy-going. Every episode flirts with a theme, and not in the most overt of manners. For instance, episode 5 has the idea of vulnerable men, which is explored with disarmingly low-key energy.  The show is often laughing at the sheer absurdity of its universe and particular issues (and non-issues) — like the reasons for Tyagi being compelled to retake his oath as the district judge — and has no intention to be preachy. When Tyagi makes a certain decision about his career, it’s about him alone, and doesn’t come across as a universal observation. The series doesn’t offer easy solutions, but it’s not shying away from the problems of the systematic framework either, or undermining them under the label of ‘quirk.’  (The Office influences are visible --- the senior officials are so bored one day, they begin playing pen-fight games. Meanwhile, a sincere subordinate is eerily similar to Dwight Schrute in appearance and, occasionally, demeanour.)  

In quieter ways, the series touches upon several issues of our contemporary urban society and asks some philosophical questions, and again, doesn’t give itself any easily palatable answers. In one of the show’s few missteps, however, Ananya remains somewhat caricaturish and out of touch with her surroundings. But there are wonderful little arcs sprouting elsewhere which keep the series on an even keel, be it the budding Sujata-Mintu equation, or how the series decides to take forward the Vishwas-Ananya relationship arc. Nidhi Bisht perfectly embodies the goofy charms of her character, keeping things perfectly light. The supporting players are equally effective in their appearances — be it Anand Tiwari or Gautam Rode. Kusha Kapila’s incorporation is not as smooth though.

In an impressive touch, the new season introduces a new figure with Kailash (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), a pragmatic-looking judicial figure who teaches Tyagi a few things about his relationship with work, despite himself being disillusioned with life in a way. Dibyendu Bhattacharya deserves a special mention, playing Kailash who proves to be an interesting foil to Ravi Kishan’s Tyagi. 

If the show falters anywhere, it’s in the treatment of Tyagi as a protagonist. While Maamla Legal Hai badly wants Tyagi to remain at the centre stage, it doesn’t have the bandwidth or patience to give him suitable breathing space.  Tyagi has a life of his own, outside the Patparganj court, and is the only one to do so — and yet, the writers don’t make an attempt to coherently build his inner life. The episodic nature probably takes a toll here because Tyagi has a different issue each time — some heavy, others light —- and the last one comes out of nowhere, becoming overbearing with its heavy existential conflict. 

But through its many highs and few lows, Ravi Kishan does an incredible job of keeping us invested. Be it the moments of cartoonish humour or solemn sentimentality, the actor hits every note with impressive precision.  Even when the writing occasionally fails him, Ravi remains consistently effective in his portrayal of Tyagi, and the lifeline of this season.