Jai Bhim - Habeus Corpus

 

Jai Bhim

2021, Tamil

Director - T. J. Gnanavel

Stars - Suriya, Lijomol Jose, Prakash Raj, Rao Ramesh, Rajisha Vijayan

History is filled with stories of heroes, but only society can take them for granted.  It is ironic that the story of Justice K Chandru, like the man himself, quietly lost itself in the shadows of an India driven only by technical and monetary progress, and not social cause.

Thankfully, Jai Bhim brings at least one incident from the career of this remarkable man to the fore, albeit with far greater drama than suits this simple man's persona.  Suriya plays him with his usual robust, tough guy, style he plays all his roles.  His hair is long and wet-combed back, and his demeanor is strong and angry, making him appear to have a lot more muscle than necessary for a courtroom drama.  He is tempered, however, by Mr. Prakash Raj, and Mr. Ramesh, in this, his first Tamil role.  Both man are so skilled and seasoned, it is little wonder they can carry this film along, even as secondary characters.

Most impressive, however, is Ms. Jose, who brings heart-wrenching emotion as the young wife and mother to a tribal man who is falsely accused and tortured for robbery.

Gut-wrenching scenes of this torture are, in some ways, what weakens what could otherwise have been an outstanding drama.   There is also the problem of presenting the real Justice Chandru, which is done only in the closing credits.  But, we can be thankful that this fine drama will generate interest in him, and hopefully, provide inspiration to others to follow his tracks.

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐