The film SIRF EK BANDAA KAAFI HAI tells the narrative of a man who takes on the struggle for justice on his own. 2013 is the year in question. A girl named Nu Singh, who is 16 years old and played by Adrija Sinha, goes to the police in Delhi with her family to file a sexual assault complaint against an influential man named Baba, who is played by Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha. Because the event occurred in Jodhpur, the Jodhpur police have decided to arrest Baba on the basis of the complaint that was filed. The members of Noor’s family find out that their attorney has taken up the matter only for the purpose of extorting money from Baba’s group. They report it to the authorities, who then advise the family to get in touch with Poonam Chand Solanki, also known as P.C. Solanki (played by Manoj Bajpayee). Despite the difficulties involved, the honorable attorney who has extensive experience handling cases involving sexual offenses makes the decision to take on the case. His comprehensive understanding of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and other elements of the law come in helpful, and they prevent Baba from being granted bail. However, the difficulties do not disappear. P.C. Solanki’s life is in danger, in addition to the elimination of several witnesses who were testifying in the case. The rest of the movie is comprised of what occurs after this point.
The tale told by Deepak Kingrani is compelling (story research was done by Vijay Chaturvedi). The fact that it is based on a true event contributes to the shocking and mysterious nature of the story. The screenplay that Deepak Kingrani wrote is quite good. Especially the sequences that take place in the courtroom are carefully planned out, which helps to maintain the audience’s interest. However, the writing isn’t very strong in a few of the scenes. The film’s dialogues, which were written by Deepak Kingrani, are among its most notable strengths. A movie of this nature needs to have powerful punchlines, and the dialogue writer deserves a lot of credit for making sure that this happens.
The direction provided by Apoorv Singh Karki is of the highest caliber. In addition to providing the plot with the necessary tension, he makes effective use of compelling writing and lines. It is worthy of admiration how he has directed simple sequences while amplifying their effect, such as Baba’s imprisonment, Baba meeting his supporters and distributing sweets outside the court, Solanki narrating the account of the road accident, and so on. In addition, things that are not directly connected to the primary plot contribute significantly to the overall quality of the movie. Take, for example, the relationship between PC Solanki and the defense attorney. P.C. Solanki is depicted to be star-struck despite the fact that he is a low-level lawyer practicing in a relatively unimportant town. This is because eminent lawyers have been assigned to defend Baba. On the other hand, both Manoj Bajpayee and the director pull off a brilliant move with the way they have Solanki strike a balance between being a fanboy and being an honorable lawyer.
On the other hand, the middle portion of the movie is slightly disorganized, which is unexpected given how neatly the first half hour and a half of the movie flows together. The producers do not take the time to educate the audience on who Mahesh Bhavchandani was. In addition, the storyline involving Baba’s son is poorly done, which will cause the audience to be perplexed. Second, there are various points in the story where the reader may get the impression that there is a lack of intensity. After a certain point, it becomes predictable and repetitious to observe PC Solanki handily refuting every case that was put out by the defense. One wishes there were sequences when PC Solanki was cornered or that he was able to bounce back after confronting some tough conditions in court. One also wishes that there were episodes where PC Solanki was able to recover.
When it comes to performances, Manoj Bajpayee just kills it. He knocks it out of the park. He has given a number of performances that will live long in the memory, but the one he gave in SIRF EK BANDAA KAAFI HAI stands out. It is necessary to watch him perform in order to believe how completely he inhabits his role. There are a few of his sequences that stand out, and you should keep an eye out for him throughout the climax. Because of his strong performance, Vipin Sharma (Pramod Sharma) makes an impression on the audience. Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha is a noteworthy performer who is well-suited for the role. Adrija Sinha does an effortless job of portraying a complex character. The health of both Durga Sharma, who is Nu’s father, and Jai Hind Kumar, who is Nu’s mother, has been confirmed. Even though he’s just in one scene, Abhijit Lahiri’s (Ram Chandvani) performance is a highlight of the program. The same may be said for Nu’s initial legal counsel, Saurabh Sharma. If this movie hadn’t been released directly to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, audiences in theatres would have applauded Archana Dani’s role as Mrs. Bapat, the school principal, since it’s so good. Ikhlaque Ahmed Khan, often known as the Judge, is reliable. Kaustav Sharma (Bittu; Solanki’s junior) is decent. Priyanka Setia, who plays the role of Inspector Chanchal Mishra, has a strong screen presence but doesn’t have a lot of significant screen time in the movie. The performance of Manish Mishra as Inspector Amit Sial was adequate. The son of Baba, Vivek Sinha, is a complete waste. Fair-skinned performers have been cast in the roles of Venkateshwar Swamy and Solanki’s mother.
The movie contains a total of just two musical numbers. The haunting quality of Sonu Nigam’s singing lends a certain amount of memorability to the song “Bandeya.” During the opening credits, the song “Bandaa” is performed. The background score that Sandeep Chowta composed is excellent. The cinematography that Arjun Kukreti has created is up to par. The outfits that Rabindra Kumar Sonar created for Manoj Bajpayee and those that Avani Pratap Gumber created for the other actors are like something out of real life. The actions taken by Mohammed Amin Khatib are constrained but productive. The editing done by Sumeet Kotian is precise, but at certain spots it becomes haphazard.
Overall, SIRF EK BANDAA KAAFI HAI is a compelling courtroom drama, and it features one of the most outstanding performances by Manoj Bajpayee.