When a revered self-styled godman is in the witness box for the sexual assault of a minor girl, you know the courtroom drama will be more than just a battle of wits. The proceedings will be fierce and furious, and props to director Apoorv Singh Karki for ensuring that the gripping tale keeps you hooked throughout. Tremendous responsibility rests on the writer to effectively pull off a film that largely relies on dialogues (arguments in this case), which Deepak Kingrani aces in, whether inside the courtroom or outside. The one person who holds it all together firmly is Manoj Bajpayee, just like the protagonist he portrays. The film is a biopic on a humble lawyer from Rajasthan, Advocate PC Solanki, who single-handedly brought justice to the minor girl under the POCSO Act in the much-publicised self-styled godman's sexual assault case. While lawyers in courtroom dramas are portrayed to be larger-than-life, Advocate PC Solanki (Manoj Bajpayee, ) is a simple man living with his mother and son in Jodhpur. He takes on his contemporary defence attorney (Vipin Sharma) with great confidence, but it’s endearing to see him starstruck and nervous when he faces colossal names from the legal world during the court proceedings. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is a well-researched story where the viewer will be filled with admiration at the due diligence on the public prosecutor Solanki’s part, especially in proving that the survivor Nu (Adrija) is a minor and that the case must be tried under the POCSO Act no matter what, or other legal nitty-gritty. The movie, where only Advocate Solanki's name remains unchanged, while other characters are given screen names, handles the narrative with great sensitivity, even in the scenes when the defence asks Nu pointed questions about the incident or how mindfully the police handle the case. It does not sensationalise the event while ensuring it’s gripping. Arjun Kukreti’s cinematography complements the tight direction and writing. The chase scene in the bylanes of Jodhpur when goons attack Solanki is well-shot. Nu is being taken for a medical examination after the police complaint, and when she covers her face up with her dupatta, your heart goes out to her as it conveys the shame is trying to hide. Or the scene when the case is won, and Nu stands by the window—her patly lit-up face seems to depict the hope and the scars together. Sangeet-Siddharth Roy’s background score heightens the drama, but in many instances, it gets overbearing and takes the attention away from the dialogue. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai boasts of outstanding performances, whether Adrija or Jaihind Kumar and Durga Sharma as Nu’s hapless but supportive parents, Vipin Sharma as the defence lawyer (he acts exceptionally well in the scene he’s grilling Nu and is ashamed to ask her about the crime in detail). But the star here is undoubtedly Manoj Bajpayee. He shows prowess, especially in adapting his mannerisms while interacting with different stakeholders—Nu, her parents, his mother, his son, the judges, the lawyers he admires, and his assistant. From determined to scared, emotional, awestruck and outraged, he aces every nuance. He shines in the scene when he breaks down, his mother consoles him, and they recite a poem together and his closing statement. He knows he’s dealing with a nation obsessed with religion. Instead of explaining why Baba deserves to be punished from a human or legal standpoint, he uses a language they’d understand. He quotes the example of why Lord Shiva refused to forgive his greatest worshipper, Ravan. This was a brilliant touch. The film must not be missed for the exceptional storytelling, drama, and dialogues but, above all, for Manoj Bajpayee’s extraordinary performance. You will cheer for him and Advocate PC Solanki.Read more

'Ye dilaye fateh, law hai iska dhanda, ye hai rabb ka banda," a narrator introduces Manoj Bajpayee at the start of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, thus setting the tone for the entire film. Bandaa deals with a very sensitive topic of rape, loosely based on the self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's case that sent the entire nation in shock nearly a decade ago. To jog your memory, the highly influential godman was sentenced to life imprisonment after one of his minor devotees accused him of assaulting her at his ashram. Bandaa is a biopic on the Sessions Court lawyer in Jodhpur, PC Solanki, who fought a five-year-long battle to bring justice to that minor girl. Manoj Bajpayee as Solanki is the thread that holds the whole film together to finesse. The hard-hitting storyline also keeps you hooked. Bandaa, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, is set to release on Zee5 on May 23. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai stars Manoj Bajpayee along with Adrija Sinha and Surya Mohan Kulshrestha in pivotal roles. The storyline follows Manoj's character, PC Solanki, a lawyer, fighting the case for Nu Singh, played by Adrija. Nu is a minor who was sexually assaulted by the self-styled godman, played by Surya (he is referred to as 'baba' in the film). Bandaa sees Solanki doing everything in his will to bring justice to Nu under the POCSO Act, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. In the process, he is attacked by goons but never loses hope. Solanki is a simple man living in Jodpur with his mom and son, and he constantly fears their safety. In the film, only Solanki's name remains unchanged, while others are given screen names. You don't need an extraordinary man to shake the entire nation and PC Solanki, (Poonam Chand Solanki) proved that when he advocated on behalf of the rape victim in the Asaram case. He was the man who stared at death and won. He fought without fear! So, when a biopic is made on him, the makers did an excellent job in casting Manoj Bajpayee to portray him. He is your neighbour next door, kicking his scooter every morning to go to work. If you are expecting something larger-than-life, forget it because Bandaa knows the story is more important to be focussed on. It does not sensationalise the crime in any way. With a narrative so sensitive, the screenplay has been handled with the utmost care. There's a scene where a lawyer asks Nu if the godman made her touch his private parts. Even though he is defending the godman, he gets ashamed asking this and the entire court falls silent. Nu's character has also been written perfectly. She is a child in shock because she can't believe that her 'bhagwaan' has done this to her. When her middle-class parents reach the police station, things start to get worse. A constable even asks Nu "beta apna muh chunni se dhak lo," as she is made to walk out for a medical examination. This was a direct hit at how women are often accused or looked down upon when they go through something similar. She is being made to feel ashamed for being a sexual assault victim. The family is misled until PC Solanlki comes along, and the story takes pace from there. PC Solanki is a lawyer who isn't scared even when a goon tries to attack him with a knife, chases him on the roads, and he is constantly dreading his son's safety. His closing statement in the case is the highlight of the film. Instead of humanising it, he gives Lord Shiva's example, who refused to forgive his greatest devotee, Ravan, when he abducted Sita. This scene was brilliant. Sirf Ek Hi Bandaa Kaafi Hai is a film that relies solely on Manoj Bajpayee's performance. He is fierce when he is fighting a case, and a common family man outside the court. He is a simple lawyer who wants to take a selfie with a popular lawyer fighting against him. He gets starstruck when he sees another lawyer whom he admires. However, when the proceedings start, he buries them to the ground with his words and evidence. No one else could have pulled this off as brilliantly as Manoj. He has also mastered his Rajasthani accent well.Adrija has also done a phenomenal job. When Baba is sentenced to life imprisonment, she breaks down in tears that will break your hearts. Even with her face mostly covered throughout the film, she aces her performance. You can see Nu's pain through her. Writer Deepak Kingrani has also done an extraordinary job churning out dialogues that leave an impact. A courtroom drama is something where dialogues are the USP, and he has nailed it. Three cheers to director Apoorv Singh Karki for ensuring that the story never falters but keeps you hooked. He has done his research well, and added no drama to it to make it filmy. Arjun Kukreti’s cinematography is also worth noting. He keeps it tight within the courtroom and the small, thin lanes of Jodhpur. Watch out for the scene where Manoj is being chased by godman's goons on a bike. Even with nothing flowery to add to the screens, Arjun managed to shoot it well. Sangeet-Siddharth Roy’s background score, especially in PC Solanki's dialogues, adds to the drama. Where the film falters is the victim's emotions. For a subject based wholly on Nu's emotional torture and her being sexually abused, we see very little of her. She should have gotten more screentime, and the makers should have shown more of her pain and hurt that she went through. There is only one scene where she talks about how people look at her everywhere she goes as if she's the one who did the crime. Solanki tells her that she did do a crime, that is, she sent their godman to prison. While his response was hard-hitting, an emotional impact was missing. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is an example of how courtroom dramas should be made in India. There is no over-the-top drama, and the focus remains on the main topic throughout - to make sure the godman pays for his sins. It makes you have faith in the judiciary. Moreover, Bandaa should solely be watched for Manoj Bajpayee's performance. No other actor could have given the performance this film deserved.Read more