Court

classified PG S
Film

Please note: This was screened in May 2016

Director
Chaitanya Tamhane
Cast
Usha Bane, Vivek Gomber, Pradeep Joshi, Geetanjali Kulkarni
Details
116 mins, Subtitled, 2014, India
"Court is just the most stunning Indian film I have seen in 20 years. Not since Satyajit Ray have I seen such a director“ – Shekhar Kapur (actor and director of Elizabeth)

An ageing activist and folk singer is dubiously charged with inciting a man into committing suicide in director Chaitanya Tamhane’s hugely impressive debut that reflects - with both humanity and humour - the painful inequalities in modern India.

When a Mumbai sewerage worker is found dead in an apparent suicide, it doesn't take long for the authorities to assign blame. Narayan Kamble (Vira Sathidar), an ageing folk singer, has been marked out by the authorities as a dissident. Charged with inciting the man's suicide through allegedly radical lyrics in his songs (despite little evidence and few witnesses to uphold the allegations) Narayan is left looking for justice in the complex proceedings of a lower Mumbai courtroom. A process which - alongside glimpses into the private lives of his defence lawyer, the prosecuting lawyer and the ruling judge - serves to illuminate the personal prejudices, corruption and ultimately injustice still prevalent in the shadows of the Indian judicial system.

Whilst highlighting bigger themes of modernity versus tradition, wealth versus poverty, young versus old, Court works so well in large part thanks to an intelligent, superbly understated script and a feel for naturalism that extends beyond mere performance. Not just an acute reflection on the fabric of contemporary Indian society, Tamhane’s sublimely observed and beautifully constructed film is, above all, a deeply engrossing work of cinema.

  • The 17:50 screening of Court on Wed 4 May will include an introduction by Nikesh Shukla, author and editor of Rife Magazine. After the film, from 20:00, join Nikesh and other members of the audience for Conversations About Cinema, an informal discussion about the themes of the film in the Café/Bar, where you'll receive 10% off drinks with your cinema ticket.

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