'Court Kacheri' review: TVF drama struggles to find its voice
What's the story
SonyLIV's series Court Kacheri aspires to offer a blend of humor, emotions, and drama. Created by The Viral Fever and directed by Ruchir Arun, it stars Pavan Malhotra, Priyasha Bharadwaj, and Ashish Verma, among others. It focuses on a reluctant lawyer's personal and professional hardships, capturing his struggle to prove his worth in a cut-throat world he doesn't fully understand. Here's our review.
Plot
Focuses on a man buried under his father's legacy
The show revolves around Param (Verma), a young man reluctantly pushed into the legal profession by his extremely successful father, veteran advocate Harish Mathur (Malhotra). Stuck at the crossroads, Param tries multiple ways to somehow leave the profession, while also trying to keep his father's legacy intact. Can Param escape his destiny, chase his passion, and finally settle in Canada?
#1
It's bloated due to the presence of multiple ideas
Court Kacheri plods through its five episodes and isn't too sure about what it wants to say. Does it wish to focus on the generational gap or underline the need for unbiased, timely judicial verdicts? Toward the end, it also tries its hand at social commentary! Court Kacheri wants to do a lot at once, and eventually, it's unable to do anything with finesse.
#2
Nothing to remember the show by
With forgettable supporting characters, Court Kacheri struggles to stay with you. TVF's superior shows, such as Panchayat, Gullak, and Cubicles, work so flawlessly because they don't simply rely on the central character but also boast a memorable ensemble cast. Court Kacheri, however, is in a rush to stuff itself with too many ideas and thus has no time for character development.
#3
Feels too flimsy and convenient
Projects that take the convenient route of showing one emotion-filled monologue completely transforming a character are extremely unexciting. Court Kacheri makes this exact mistake. The misunderstandings and conflicts between Harish and Param are largely resolved through just one conversation, which renders the entire central conflict weak and shallow. Plus, we don't understand any character well, and they always remain at a distance from us.
#4
What works: The performances don't miss
This is a role Malhotra could do in his sleep, and he is extremely watchable as a man torn between his own desires and those of his son. Verma, as a hapless, frustrated young man, is also a dependable lead. Moreover, since this is a TVF production, naturally, there are some good jokes scattered across the episodes, and the actors deliver them well.
#5
Might remind you of 'Panchayat' in some way
Though the settings are different, Param, in some ways, is like Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) from TVF's Panchayat. Much like Param, in the first season of Panchayat, Abhishek, too, is stuck with a job he loathes, in a place he struggles to call home. If Court Kacheri spawns more seasons, Param's journey will likely end up mirroring Abhishek's.
Verdict
Can skip the show; 2.5/5 stars
With its heavy-handed sense of storytelling, Court Kacheri ties itself up in knots. It can't decide if it aspires to be a comedy or an out-and-out drama, and it seems to run out of fuel early on. The fine performances encourage you to keep watching, but Court Kacheri needed more vigor and surprises to distinguish itself in the overpopulated OTT landscape. 2.5/5 stars.