IT’S A JOLLY GOOD SLICE-OF-LIFE CINEMA

IT’S A JOLLY GOOD SLICE-OF-LIFE CINEMA

    Jolly LLB, which is set to release by mid-March, has evoked a positive response from the industry. Filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani saw the film and signed up the movie’s director, Subhash Kapoor, for the next Munnabhai outing — Munnabhai Chale Delhi.
    The official word from them reads, “We felt that Subhash’s sensibility matched what we were looking for in taking the Munnabhai franchise forward.” Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani and Saurabh Shukla, who have acted in Jolly LLB, also put in a strong word for their director.
    What is it about the film that’s getting Subhash accolades even before its release? To begin with, Kapoor’s film follows the life of a Meerut-based lawyer (Arshad), who wishes to make it big. In the process, he ends up reopening a case that pits him against the biggest lawyer of the country (Boman). With this as the backdrop, Subhash has presented the inner ramblings of the legal system. “I am welcoming people to the courts of India — where you may neither find the Bhagwad Gita to take an oath on, nor chaste Hindi/ Urdu-speaking lawyers. Rather, you will see everyday life being presented as it is. A court proceeding has all the elements of drama, it’s a slice-of-life,” Subhash says.
    Those who have seen the rushes feel the film will connect with the common man. Adds the director, “We continue to fight our battles only on hope. Our belief keeps us going and that is where Jolly, as a character, works. He is someone you may know in real life.”
    If one were to draw parallels, the film seems to fit in with flicks like English Vinglish, OMG Oh My God! and Vicky Donor. They were all slice-of-life films and celebrated a common man/ woman’s spirit. As Subhash sums up, “It’s a biting comic satire that will make you laugh at situations that seem serious.”
    Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios, says, “Jolly LLB has been getting fantastic word-of-mouth from those who have seen the film. It’s a very special film that we are extremely proud of — it not only entertains but also makes you think and reflect.”
    Jolly LLB, produced by Fox Star Studios and written and directed by Subhash Kapoor, releases March 15.

A still from Jolly LLB