Neru review: Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal are back with a satisfying courtroom drama

Mohanlal in Neru. The superstar is understated as Vijayamohan, playing up the histrionics only when required. (Screen grab/YouTube/Ashirvad Cinemas)

Justice is supposed to be blind, but it seldom is when the accused is powerful. That has been the premise of several courtroom dramas. Jeethu Joseph’s Neru puts another spin to it – here, justice isn’t blind while the victim of the crime is. The screenplay wastes no time in plunging into the case. Sara, a young Muslim woman, is raped in her own house by someone. Though she cannot see, she uses her skill as a sculptor to recreate his face. Very quickly, the perpetrator (Sankar Induchoodan), too, is identified.

There’s no mystery as to who committed the crime. At no point are we in doubt that the man in the dock is the criminal. But the suspense lies in how the case is argued and proved. Ten years ago, Joseph made an iconic thriller titled Drishyam (2013). That film, too, was about a young woman who is assaulted in her own home. But, there’s a significant difference between the two characters.

Anju (Ansiba Hassan) of Drishyam is terrified of what would happen if her identity is leaked by the perpetrator. When she fights back, it is out of desperation. Sara of Neru, however, doesn’t turn the shame of the crime upon herself. Through the ups and downs of the case, she is convinced that she must stand up for herself. When advocate Vijayamohan (Mohanlal) thunders in the courtroom that the girls of today refuse to be silenced, it feels like a statement about the director’s shifting perspectives, too.

Typically, such courtroom dramas revolve around a genius lawyer with a troubled past, and Vijayamohan (Mohanlal) is one such character. But it’s almost as if Joseph just wanted to tick that box because he doesn’t spend much time elaborating on Vijayamohan’s history. His less-than-cordial relationship with defence lawyer Rajashekar (Siddique) is explained over a brief conversation, without dragging us into a flashback. Priyamani is all guns blazing as Poornima, Rajashekar’s daughter, who also argues for the defence. Though Joseph dangles a romance angle, he lets it go with a mere mention.

In fact, all the characters in the film receive the same treatment. We don’t see them outside of the context of the court and the case. Be it the judge, witnesses, police officers, or even the victim and the family (Jagadeesh and Sreedhanya), every scene is focused on unravelling the crime at hand. It’s a breathless approach to the writing, and the two-dimensional personalities can make the characters less effective. The TV-serial style in which the film has been shot adds to the impression that everyone just arrived on the sets and started reeling off their lines.

Yet, the screenplay is so fast-paced and the performances so superlative that Neru is almost always riveting even when it takes cinematic liberties. There are also unexpected moments of humour – I, for one, burst out laughing when Rahul Easwar appears on a TV show reprising his real-life role as a men’s rights activist lamenting the plight of the accused. There are some enjoyable references to Drishyam, too.

Anaswara leads the cast with her brilliant performance. She plays Sara with heartbreaking vulnerability and dignity as the defence attempts to tar and feather her through the legal process. The choice to show the assault in such graphic visuals, however, is questionable. The camera feels voyeuristic, and the screenplay unnecessarily repeats the scene too. Recent films like Garudan (2023) have depicted such scenes with greater sensitivity, and Joseph would do well to learn from the criticism.

To his credit, Mohanlal steps aside to let Anaswara wear the mantle of the hero. The superstar is understated as Vijayamohan, playing up the histrionics only when required. Siddique and Priyamani are also convincing in their respective roles, sticking to the job they have to do, as despicable as it might be.

Joseph co-wrote Neru with actor-advocate Santhi Mayadevi, and though there is plenty of legalese involved, it is mercifully comprehensible. You can see the influence of American courtroom dramas in the writing, with last-minute witnesses, a smart investigator to assist the lawyer (Mayadevi), and surprise twists.

But, Neru isn’t without its loopholes. A crucial piece of evidence that would nail the accused, for instance, isn’t considered by the public prosecutor until the very end. And then, too, it’s left to luck to present it to the court. Yes, this is to generate high drama in the climax and Anaswara’s fantastic performance makes us forgive the lapse. If we feel a bit cheated, it’s because the film comes from someone who gave us Drishyam.

The background score is unbearably loud, sometimes drowning out even the words being spoken. But despite its flaws – big and small – Neru draws you in and doesn’t let your attention waver. A good addition to the Jeethu Joseph-Mohanlal line.