Law Movie Review: This courtroom drama makes a case for women’s rights

A young couple on a joy ride bumps into a young girl who is chased by three men. They offer to help her, enquire about her injury, and without any hesitation, she replies, “I was gang-raped.” Although she is in need of a hospital, the girl chooses to go to the police station first. She is abused, she is suppressed, she is stifled, but nothing deters the young law graduate, Nandini Vardhan (Ragini Prajwal), from fighting her own case and standing in solidarity with other women in society.

Cast; Ragini Prajwal, Avinash, Achyuth Kumar, Mukhya Mantri Chandru
Director: Raghu Samarth
Production house: PRK Production, (Ashinwi PUneeth Rajkumar and Govindu)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

In her fight, Nandini uses the strongest weapon — Truth. However, not everything is in black and white in this quest for justice. Law, a legal drama, focuses on the relentless struggle for justice for sexual-assault survivors despite insurmountable odds.

Young director Raghu Samarth has come up with an absorbing film that incorporates the necessary thrills to the routine proceedings of a courtroom drama. The initial episodes portray how some cops handle such cases and provide a reflection of their insensitivity. The case takes a serious turn when Nandini seeks the help of social media for her cause. This public support results in the Crime Branch getting involved and officer Parthasarathy Brahma (Hebbale Krishna) taking charge. A case that was in cold storage for three long months is suddenly revived by Brahma and the investigation points to three men, one of them from a political background, as the prime suspects.

Throughout this film, we see Nandini not showing any signs of weaknesses, which are often used to depict a sexual assault survivor, and instead goes about her daily routine. But then, there comes the twist that brings all the difference to this legal drama. In a non-linear narration format, we see how Nandini’s guru, Jagadish Prakash (Achyuth Kumar), and his daughter, Dashmi (Siri Prahlad), a mute by birth, are also somehow involved in this case.

The second half of the film, mostly set in the court, works effectively on not just high drama but also subtle doses of humour, coming from the judge played by Mukhya Mantri Chandru. Nandini, in her first case, squares off against senior criminal lawyer Shyam Prasad (Rajesh Nataranga).

Will she be able to nail down the culprits, and fight back against the rape culture? What pushes her to fight the good fight on her own? These questions make up the rest of the film.

Raghu Samarth has handled an unusual plot which makes the audience wonder if such cases actually exist. Through this, he has managed to explore how such cases are usually handled by the police and law, and how the rich, despite all misdoings, go scot-free. However, considering this is a blazing issue, the film falls short on providing a strong and intriguing narrative. At the same time, the director does make sure the sensitive subject is not ignored.

Ragini Prajwal, in her debut film, has taken on a lot of responsibility in this women-centric subject. It is a good attempt by the newcomer, who is ably supported by a lot of senior actors, including Avinash, who makes a mark as Nandini’s father. Other actors like Achyuth Kumar, Rajesh Nataranga, Mandya Ramesh, and Sudharani ensure the film is effective in what it is trying to say. The film also boasts of a subtle score by Vasuki Vaibhav, and balanced visuals by cinematographer Sugnaan.

Law, which was directly released on OTT through Amazon Prime Video, is bankrolled by PRK Productions backed by Puneeth Rajkumar and Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar. The film, which revolves around issues for women does warrant our one-time attention, and surely sticks to the banner’s principle of backing content-driven films.