A gaze at Chaitanya Tamhane's Court (2014)

 COURT

by 

Chaitanya Tamhane

A Marathi protest singer, Narayan Kamble, is charged with the abetment of suicide. He is accused of allegedly using "strong lyrics about manhole workers" in one of his poems, which resulted in a manhole worker committing suicide after attending one of his recitals. During one of his many court sessions (that extend over months, he is not granted bail all the while), he is questioned by the public prosecutor regarding the usage of such strong language and themes in his poems. Kamble's answer is honest, he replies that even though he never used the exact lines he was being accused of, he wrote about themes such as suicide and that he might write a poem that would have lines similar to the ones he is being accused of. He is a revolutionary in every sense. An honest one, whose “arrogance” towards /and pain because of oppression is evident in his poetry.

 

Even though the story revolves around the trial of Kamble, it is not about the dramatized court sessions. Don’t get me wrong, legal dramas, when done right are sizzling cinematic experiences, what I mean to imply is that this film ‘Court’ does not follow the same beats as any other legal dramas. It is more of a reflection of our society that uses the trope of a case trial, rather than being a dramatized trial itself. It is an impeccable social critique, that explores the flaws with the norm that are not talked about, or not talked about enough. Maybe because of the burden of everyday living, lack of exposure, or simply be because of negligence. All of us fall into one category or the other. But for the ones like Kamble, someone who is so affected by it, it is something they can not keep quiet about.

Kamble is defended by criminal lawyer Vinay Vora (played by Vivek Gomber), an advocate of human rights, and founder of an NGO. While public prosecutor Nutan (played by Geethanjali Kulkarni), is a typical Indian working female, who must rush home every day to look after her family. These lawyers fall into two different categories of people that were mentioned before. While Vora is a progressive & urbane lawyer, Nutan is conservative. While Vora lacks exposure to the complexities of the unjust aspects of the society which he criticizes, Nutan lacks the time or inspiration to even think out of the norm that is being followed since times unrecollectable, I think she is not even surrounded by the people who would question the norm in any manner. What is beautiful about the film is the way these ideologies are presented and how both of the lawyers (all of us in general), despite their differing standpoints are passively criticized for the ultimate suffering of a person such as Kambli or people like him in general. Both of them have lifestyles that are polar opposites, one is highly westernized and the other’s is a typical Indian one. One has a very conservative mindset and argues over the points from the past while defending her argument through “Victorian” Laws, and the other criticizes the exact point. But, at the end of each session, both of them have a life they value more. A judgment that concerns the very existence of a person like Kamble is after all a part of their professional life.

For the most part, ‘Court’ is non-judgemental. The characters are grounded and so is the drama.  The camera is entirely static and there is no score, we are made to feel as if we are in the middle of a real court session. The drama never gets over the top, the only time we hear something that is louder than the film’s average sound intensity is only while Kamble recites his radicle poetry. There are no character arcs either. The drama does not begin with the characters having a particular “need” or “want”. The people we meet at the film’s beginning are the same at the film’s end. All of which were creative choices to make the film as realistic as possible. It is a portrait of our society or the place our society finds itself in, rather. One of my favourite moments from the film is when the judge of the sessions court advises his relative about a remedy for his son’s inability to speak. For, it gives you an understanding of the judge’s standpoint and makes you wonder about the quality of judgment.

‘Court’ is one of those films that is almost flawless. I say almost because, I felt that the film was a bit longer than the actual runtime, especially in the final act, when get a peek into the life of the judge. Yes, it feels necessary to make the point the writer had in mind, but for me, it was a stretch and I wouldn't have been disappointed without that particular sequence. 

The film brings up arguments that make you wonder. Despite being a reflection of our society, presenting the situation as it is, not taking sides, for the most part, the film has a subtle inclination towards the left. After all, it is a very clever critique of our judicial system. Of all, it’s laws, the obsolete ones & those amended, and the one's who interpret them.