With films like Bareilly Ki Barfi and Nil Battey Sannata, director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has already demonstrated her ability to craft an entertaining mainstream Bollywood film that also stands out for its strong storytelling and smart screenplay. Understandably, her foray into a legal thriller with her latest film had me intrigued. However, the Sonakshi Sinha- and Jyotika-starrer System would probably go down as a misstep in Tiwari’s filmography, as it tries to juggle multiple themes and drops the proverbial ball at almost every turn, largely because of the clunky execution of a convoluted script.
With a team of writers that includes Iyer herself, System explores a story that aims to be a taut courtroom thriller with a touch of social commentary. Not an especially lofty ambition, one would assume it is an achievable one. However, the screenplay sorely lacks ingenuity, leaving the film as little more than a pastiche of similar stories. The film opens with a visibly poor, seemingly innocent man committing suicide in jail, lamenting the fact that the legal system has left him helpless. Before his death, we see a faceless lawyer casually offering him false hope. But the man knows there is none.
It is a heavy-handed but impactful opening. It immediately grabs your attention and underscores the fallacy of the eponymous “system,” a recurring theme in the film. Cut to the present timeline, and we meet Neha Rajvansh (Sonakshi Sinha), the daughter of Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowariker), who is introduced as the city’s leading defense counsel. As an additional, if somewhat unrelated, commentary, Neha tells her colleague that her father will not take her into his firm until she has proven herself. A stab at the classic nepotism debate. Anyway, this explains her current role as a “lowly” public prosecutor, with an office that is far from Instagram-worthy. It becomes clear that the story is preparing Neha — and us — for an eventual journey of growth. But does it actually deliver that?
Before answering that, let’s turn to the second leading lady. Ravi eventually and inevitably challenges Neha to win ten cases as a public prosecutor to earn a place at his firm. It is a tricky proposition, especially since Neha is about to lose her first case. Enter Sarika (Jyotika), the street-smart court stenographer. Having observed countless cases over the course of her life, Sarika seems to know the tricks of the legal system well. A chance meeting with Neha changes the course of Neha’s life, and Sarika’s advice helps her win her first case. Thus begins a beautiful friendship, as well as a convenient partnership, with Neha pledging to pay Sarika 20,000 for each consultation.
Comradeship of this nature is something director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari is adept at adapting. It is, therefore, no surprise that the best moments in System are those that capture the bond between the two women. However, as mentioned earlier, the film tries to juggle a dizzying array of themes and plotlines. At times, you would not be faulted for thinking that two or more parallel stories are unfolding before your eyes. Although they converge in the final twenty minutes, the screenplay handles these threads so unevenly that a bitter aftertaste is difficult to avoid. Then there are the usual thriller and mystery tropes. The sleight of hand is far too familiar to surprise anyone. For instance, when Sarika becomes almost a non-entity for much of the middle portion of the film, her role in the climactic twist is easy to see coming. As I said, System is not nearly as clever as it thinks it is, or needs to be.
Speaking of unfounded cleverness, System’s dialogue writing is glitteringly frivolous. “Now you have tasted success, make it a habit (Kamiyabi chak li toh isko aadat bana lo).” Or, “The punch that hurts the most is the one you do not see coming.” Such lines are trite, to say the least. Sure, they have the veneer of being “cool,” and in your head, they might even sound a little Aaron Sorkin-esque. But without the necessary heft, these supposedly sharp dialogues remain little more than forgettable catchphrases. The abundance of stock characters, like Neha’s brother, Neha’s boyfriend, and Neha’s frenemy, does not help either.
Apart from Jyotika, who feels somewhat wasted by the script until the very end, no one rises above the material they are given. Sonakshi Sinha, as the protagonist, is the most disappointing of all. Part of this is because her character’s journey is not well etched; part of it is due to Sinha’s tired portrayal of Neha. The result is that Neha’s growth never quite resonates. Despite her inevitable courtroom battle with her father and her shift from “just wanting to win” to “caring about justice,” the transformation feels ill-structured, rushed, and frankly meh. By the end, we see her taking on pro bono cases. But like the half-baked commentary on class struggle, Neha’s attempt to help the underprivileged reeks of tokenism. Jyotika is the saving grace in the acting department, while the rest of the supporting cast leaves little impression.
