Godman, rape and courtroom drama

Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai

Hindi (Zee 5)

Director: Apoorv Singh Karki

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Kaustav Sinha, Priyanka Setia

Rating: 3.5/5

Manoj Bajpayee has won acclaim for his role in the web series ‘The Family Man’. But his role in ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ has to be rated higher because he has handled a sensitive story well. The film is about a rape trial and the accused is a high-profile godman.

The movie is said to be based on the 2013 rape case involving well-known godman Asaram Bapu. It talks about politics and how even the law can be manipulated by those who operate in the name of religion.

The film takes a critical view of people unable to see through godmen and their machinations. Religion blinds people to serious crimes committed under the cloak of religion, it suggests.

Along with dramatic elements, the film talks about the law, and spreads awareness about how it can be used to deal with the heinous crime. This is a courtroom drama, and so not many scenes are shot with the victim and the accused. The proceedings give viewers a perspective about the many sections of the Constitution. In that sense, this is an informative and educative film, and makes people aware of laws against rape.

The acting represents the emotional toll a rape takes, but sometimes the drama is let down by poor dialogue. The camera tries to intensify some scenes with unusual angles, but does not always pull it off. Overall, this is a good attempt to show the complexity of court proceedings.