User reviews

Raj Kumar Gupta's No One Killed Jessica is based on the true story of the murder of model Jessica Lal. The movie does not work as a docudrama but more as a dramatic thriller which is effectively fictionalised in large portions to tell a story. The story may be based on a real-life event, but it never depends on it. It does not chronicle in any way the entire case with all its real-life elements. The story is real, but many cinematic ingredients are added to make it more alluring. Rarely do pictures of this sort get made in India, sadly, while in foreign countries, this has already become a well-known movie formula. No One Killed Jessica centres around two characters: Sabrina Lal, the quiet sister of the late Jessica, and Meera Gaity, a foul-mouthed hot-blooded journalist. Both women seek justice which does not seem to be coming because the murderer is none other than the son of an influential politician.

It's a funny paradox that many times people use to laugh at the fact that politicians and other powerful figures are presented as corrupt and hypocrites in Indian movies, calling it stereotypical. And here the law is dumber than ever, and the funny thing is that it's actually the truth. A woman was brutally murdered and it takes many years until justice actually prevails. This aspect of the film is very well portrayed, and well, the courtroom scenes are just fascinating. No One Killed Jessica is a fast-paced feature which tries to work more on the emotional level. It does not excruciate the audience by following the never-ending case in minute detail, and perhaps that's where it scores the most. The movie may be a bit unsettling but at the same time it is inspiring to see how a majority of ordinary citizens take the power to their hands by just uniting and fighting against injustice together.

While watching Rani Mukherjee's strong-minded and assertive journalist Meera, her lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui from Veer-Zaara often comes to the mind, although the characters are different. She evidently enjoys playing her part, but at the same time suffers from it. I don't know if she was the prefect choice for it, frankly. Her line delivery is not that of a news presenter, and she is endlessly given an opportunity to curse, swear and insult her colleagues. Now that's not a strong character make, and at times it looks like the otherwise graceful lady is terribly miscast. Having said that and barring the fact that something is missing in this performance, Rani is still pretty good. Some of her fans may be surprised because her role is not that lengthy, and maybe that's why the director tries to make it so bold, but the actress does occasionally manage to rise above these poor attempts by honestly portraying Meera's feisty nature, her tough outside, and her soft inside.

And without the slightest of doubt, it is Vidya Balan who owns the film with her sincere and heartfelt act. Balan looks impossibly authentic in the role and skillfully captures the essence of Sabrina. Although the film does not always portray her character in a positive light, Balan wins it over by creating a simple and understated portrait of anguish, despair and courage. The film's music is so-so, with some songs, like that energetic "Dilli" song, being really fun and enjoyable and others just dragging the narrative to no end. All said and done, No One Killed Jessica is definitely not without its flaws but is still an interesting and entertaining picture. It does not always ring true, and some aspects of it are overdone, the character of Meera being the prime example. The ending in particular turns into an emotional ride which leans more on drama rather than on an actual and deep message, but in the end, it just grows on you and ultimately leaves a mark.

It's a good movie.

That's not just my opinion. All the people leaving the 75% occupied theater had the same feeling. One of them clapped when the movie finished. Others were silent admirers.

I understand it's not the best way to start a film review but what's the point in beating around the bush when something is clear from the onset. It feels really good when you are looking forward to a film and when you watch it; it not just delivers just what you wanted it to deliver but also surprises you with something additional.

To start with, No One Killed Jessica (NOKJ) is not just an ordinary film. It's a film with an imperative story to tell and a gigantic point to make. It shows a ferocious face of the society but it also shows how sometimes hope comes in from an unforeseen source.

Starting with a slightly protracted monologue by Rani, NOKJ takes you back to the 1999 case mentioned above and opens one page of history after another. The first half is 100% based on truth, the second half goes a bit filmy adding some necessary Bollywood touches to the story. The good thing, however, is that the story has been kept near original as much as possible. How Jessica was killed, how the witnesses turned hostile and how the judicial system responded to the whole thing. The filmy twist is Rani Mukherjee taking control of the proceedings to bring justice to the Lall family. It might not have happened the way it is shown in the film but it did eventually happen.

Vidya Balan has done an extraordinary job. Languorous body language as the nerdy girl, poignant expressions of a broken yet determined sister and angry demeanor of someone who has given up hope; she has handled it all very well. It's difficult to say that its one of her best performances because with Ishqiya, she has raised her bar too high to better. Nonetheless, almost flawless. The costume designer has given her shapeless masculine clothes which add to the barefacedness of her role.

I am not a Rani Mukherjee fan but I have to admit that she too has put up a wonderful show in NOKJ. The first surprise was her look. She looks matured but certainly not bad. She was never skinny but here she oozes sex appeal. Surprising, as far as I am concerned. Her performance is very vigorous. She has restrained herself from going over the top which has helped the cause. Her chemistry with the co-star Satyadeep Mishra as her boss is very natural. She is one actress who is very good at swearing and she gets a free-hand at that in NOKJ. Her portrayal of Meera; she is probably playing Barkha Dutt here; is a woman who is opportunistic, street smart and a self-proclaimed bitch. Rare.

Supporting cast is perfectly assembled. Rajesh Sharma has grabbed the most powerful role of his career; much stronger than Ishqiya and Khosla KA Ghosla. Satyadeep Mishra is also good in his cameo and should get bigger outings in the future. Geeta Sudan as Jessica's mother is brilliant in a couple of scenes. Samara Chopra as Naina Sehgal is the best of the lot. Her court scene with the lawyer is stunning.

I loved Rajkumar Gupta's Aamir and was looking forward to the director's next outing. Just like Aamir, he has picked up an interesting and important subject and has treated it in a similar unglamorous way. He will probably never work with Yash Chopra and Karan Johar. I particularly liked the director's attention to detail in this drama. Showing Windows 98 on the monitor screen in old scenes, old Pepsi logo on the walls, absence of mobile phones etc. were small things which could have been overlooked. There was a minor hiccup though when they failed to spot IDEA mobile's banners in the background of a shot. Cinematography could have been better though. Unnecessary addition of some humor could also be avoided.

What happened to Jessica Lall could happen to any of our friends or family. We all live in similar societies at the end of the day. If we are not immune to such events, we need to have the courage to stand up for our right and fight for it till the end. It might not become a big success, films like this don't. It will still remain one of the finest films to come out of Indian cinema lately. More so, because it covers an important subject. For me, it was a much needed relief after the underwhelming Tees Maar Khan experience.

It had great potential. It started well, but somewhere in the middle it falls short of delivering the kind of impact that was expected from a film like "No One Killed Jessica". But that in no way takes away the effort that has been put in to make a film like this; something that requires a lot of balls. The screenplay gets a bit overstretched in the second half which becomes the weakest point of the film. Talking of strengths, Vidya Balan steals the show (literally) with a performance that is understated, uninhibited and totally spontaneous. She deserves a standing ovation. Newcomer Myra shows tremendous potential, while Rani as the sour-tongued journalist is delightful but by far not her best. Amit Trivedi's music too is the highlight of the film. Hats off to the entire team for making the movie that deserves to be made, and passing a message that deserves to be passed.

"No one killed jessica" is an important movie. The storyline is a dramatized version of the Jessica Lal murder case and the events that transpired after that: a girl (Jessica) who was killed in a pub in Delhi, the sub-sequent attempts at the cover-ups and the painstaking efforts undertaken by the victim's family and the news agencies that finally forced the powers that be, to take notice and punish the guilty.

What pulled this movie through is the direction and technique. Specially the first half of the movie was top-notch. The tension in the scenes was right there at the edge. The acting was impeccable.

The second-half saw some dilution from the onset, primarily due to the awful, melodramatic and over-the-top performance by Rani Mukherjee. May what the requirements be, she still acts like a teenager. Maybe someone with better acting caliber like Nanidta Das would have made for a better candidate to play this role. However, I would say that this is as much a fault of the people that wanted the character to be this way, as the actress. Towards the end, however Rajkumar Gupta somewhat managed to get things back on track.

Regarding acting, two people would stick to the mind long after the movie ends .. First is Vidya Balan. She plays Jessica's sister Sabrina with such panache, it would be difficult to imagine others doing that role. The second one is Rajesh Sharma, the police inspector, a very Grey character who plays his part to bring the perpetrators to justice from the background. His acting is very good and one wishes to see such character actors get more screen time in good movies.

The background score and sound track are great, and help to keep the viewers at the edge. The cinematography is good throughout the movie.

The main reason why I gave this movie a 7 out of ten is that I felt that towards the end, the movie ended up as being somewhat another masala Hindi flick.

Overall, I would recommend everyone to see this movie for the subject, the overall techniques employed in telling the story and Vidya Balan. But don't expect to see an Erin Brokovich or an Aamir.

After a long time, there's chance to see a good Hindi movie based on true events. I almost lost my hope from Hindi movies, since few months I was used to watch crap films. But again I got to see a nice film, with nice performance by everybody. I like the movie because of many reason here are they:

Music: Amit Trivedi has again proved that whatever he do different from others is always good, prior to this I liked his "Amir" and "DevD". The starting song "Delhi" has a dramatic form which suites very much to the situation, the other songs like "Yeh Pal" and "Aitbaar" are also too good. The performance given by all singer are very good.

Story: As we know that this is based on true events, I still remember the news when I was in studying in std 11th. Sabrina will get sympathy from the audience of this movie. In the film there's a parallel story of a journalist's life which is played by Rani Mukherjee, not sure if that's a part of the true story. But one thing is sure that there was a important role of Media towards the justice. Direction/Screenplay: Direction and Screenplay of the movie was good, the flashback in between the story was well adjusted. The contemporary incidents were also included in the movie such as Indo-Pak war, Kathmandu plane high-jack.

Performance: The performance given by all the people in the movie according is very nice; Vidya and Rani are in lead role. Vidya has done a very good job, in this film she has got the full chance to show her capability as an actress. She will get sympathy from audience since she has done a challenging role of Sabrina, definitely this will help much for her career. Rani on the other side has been seen in a modern girl who is very frank, people who have seen "Bichoo" film will get a glimpse of same Rani again. Apart from these the policeman and the guy who use to swear every moment "Maa Kasam" has also done well.

I'll recommend everybody to watch this film, I'll give 9.5/10 to this.

No one killed Jessica directed by Raj kumar Gupta is a "hybrid" of real and fiction, that describes the murder of a model named Jessica Lal, her sister's fight for justice and eventual punishment of accused. Anyone born in the late 80's and earlier would be aware of Jessica Lal, a model,killed by a politician's son(in 1999), for refusing drinks at a party and who went Scot free thanks to political influence and corruption.

The movie's first half shows how Jessica got involved in the unfortunate incident, her sister Sabrina's(Vidya Balan) fight for justice and how a gritty reporter-Meera(Rani mukerjee), who initially refuses to take up the case, regretfully picks it up after the accused gets let off. The second half we see Meera fight for justice and with the support of media and people she is successful in reopening the case.

The movie moves at a smooth pace. Although Meera's role is very tiny in the first half of the film, Gupta makes use of the time to build her character. A brash, honest reporter who stops at nothing to get the job done. Rani Mukerjee (Black) is a terrific actor who for some reason has made all wrong choices in picking up mushy stereotypical roles since her award winning performance in Black. But here she shines again as Meera, although her role is not as impressionable as the one in black, she deserves accolades for it.

Vidya Balan as Sabrina does a good job too but sadly her's is a role that is not as satisfyingly written as that of Meera. We see Sabrina Lall as a woman who has no boyfriend, no life because she spends all her time trying to get her sister's killer arrested .This cannot be real! The Real Sabrina Lall, I am sure had a life in which she studied or worked or did something other than moving from police station to court for eight years!. On the other hand Jessica's character has been sketched out neatly and just enough to connect with the viewers.

The supporting characters are okay but the scenes of the common people watching television, their reaction and reactions of eminent public figures(depicted through look-alike)inadvertently evoke laughter mainly due to the poor acting.

The music by Trivedi impressively highlights certain scenes like the opening credits and songs like 'aithbaar' plays perfectly in tandem with intense scenes involving court and Sabrina's plight. In fact the rock tunes in the background score help some scenes from seeming too dramatic.

In Conclusion, Although No one killed Jessica gets over dramatic sometimes,it does a decent job of entertaining and educating the viewers. Watch No one killed Jessica, to remember 'that' event which roused the whole nation to fight against corruption with unity, for truly and sadly we don't see it happening often.

The movie is based on a true story that changed the way journalism and the judicial system were viewed in India. It is about 2 girls who decide to fight against the system which faltered in providing justice, while succeeding in the endeavor also manage to touch the hearts of millions of Indians.

In the movie the director fulfills his promise which was displayed in his earlier movie Aamir, with this brutally honest, yet rivetingly thrilling rendering which makes many points without being preachy or over dramatic.

The movie takes a dig at the aged Indian judicial system and how it is prone to be abused at the hands of the rich. The director looks after and gets right most of the little factual details in the film which is very appreciable and often missing in bollywood.

The movie strengths are that it is so close to the facts of case(visit the wiki page to check out)without sounding like a documentary or going over the top.It has a thriller like pace especially in the second half whereas the 1st half could do with a bit more of editing.

The music is loud but works well to keep the viewers attention when the movie drags a little.But undoubtedly the movie is worth watching for the actors and characters they portray. Catch Rani Mukherjee in perhaps the most daring female character ever written for a heroine in India with her oozing attitude not to mention the flying f words.She has guts to accept that role! Among the side roles only the police inspector's laid back role impresses.But the movie belongs to Vidya Balan who comes back to surprise us over again with a completely deglam, gritty and yet vulnerable role of Sabrina lal.She is amazing.Wish the lead ladies had more screen space together. Kudos to the team for a daring venture avoiding most of the clichés and showing the way forward for Indian movies in 2011.

One of the better movies in recent times to come out of that film churning machine called Bollywood, this film does not flatter to deceive.

Script & Music: The film runs on a very tight script and has a nice flow to it, with the music and songs never releasing the tension or disrupting the flow. In fact, the biggest plus point would be the soundtrack, edgy, metallic and racy at times, yet moody, melancholic and somber at other times, carrying the narrative forward. Rajkumar Gupta has carried forward the good work from his last masterpiece, 'Aamir'. Excellent direction and camera work, along with high emotional content make this eminently watchable. However, unnecessary use of expletives at times seems forced and contrived.

Acting: Rajesh Sharma takes the cake with his brilliant portrayal of a dishonest cop who still has some qualms of fairness left in him. Vidya Balan starts off shakily with wailing and screaming, but later matures and pulls off her part beautifully, particularly in the funeral scenes. The one big let down is Rani Mukherji, who never gets under the skin of the role, despite all her acrobatics, huffing & puffing, obscenities and supposed 'wise cracks'. Her act seems contrived, and the dialogues lack conviction or charm. The role of a firebrand journalist eludes her, which was portrayed much better by a Preity Zinta in Lakshya.

Styling: Spot on for almost everyone, except again, the journalist protagonist. TV reporters are careful about the image they portray and Rani's clothes kept clashing from scene to scene, while she goes on national TV in a girly T shirt, jeans and neck pendant, she wears beautiful designer trench-coats at rallies. Amateur stuff not expected from a director of this caliber.

Overall, a good watch, not living up to 'Aamir', but tight, edgy editing and music ensures the interest of the audience is engaged till the last minute/ scene. The biggest plus would be, there are very few loopholes in this film, though in retrospect, since the film has been scripted exactly along the real murder case, scope for such bunglings and necessity for research work was low.

Should a person who wants to relax a little, stay away from the never ending burdens of life,to grab a popcorn and coke and have their free laughing classes inside the theatre, watch this film ? NO. Cause after coming out of the theatre he/she is bound to realize how insignificant an average citizen is in front of money and power which rules the country.

This is a very hard-hitting film, maybe a slap on the face of everyone who desperately try to remain unaware of the wrongs happening in this country.Just like Sabrina(Vidya Balan) was,till Jessica got murdered.

Keeping it in mind that this film was purely based on true events ,kudos to the director for not sensationalizing any part of the film for making it "filmi". And it wasn't a documentary either. The story is obviously known to everyone so don't expect nerve-ripping surprises.It is a movie which makes you have a seat beside Sabrina while she is sitting beside her ailing father,Shout in agony "Lets nail those bastards" with Meera(Rani Mukherji) as she promises to bring justice.

Raj Kumar Gupta is a very promising director who uses Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee to perfection.The first half belongs to the silent Vidya and the second to Rani.

The music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya fits right into the story. Final word, this film makes you think.For example what had you done had you been in the prime witness Vikram's place."Mujhe ek Crore rupaiya nahi chahiye par ek goli bhi nahin khani" Isn't this the mentality of almost every middle-class citizen of India ?

There are very few movies which can live upto your expectations and this movie is one of them. As was shown in the trailers and during promotional events of the movie, it was an open message to the audience that movie is based on a real incident, come and watch the movie without anticipating something heavenly. No one killed Jesica will be remembered as a successful endeavor to depict the murder case of Model Jesica lal. The movie starts on a high note with scintillating sound track Dilli Dilli and catch the momentum pretty soon. Thanks to Amit Trivedi for this masterpiece of the background music which creates the real life in the movie. It echos completely with the emotions and various scenes in the movie. Rani Mukharji as an firebrand reporter, the practical but human side of today's girl played her part awesomely and made a strong statement every time she appeared on screen. Vidya Balan on the other hand looked a little thin in her performance. She was supposed to play a character, carrying immense pain but with a hope of justice in her heart. I felt movie going off track only once during the last 20 minutes when, craziness of public about the justice to Jesica was over stretched. I rate it 7 for good direction, clean characterization, awesome music and stick to theme effort.

A must Watch " No one Killed Jessica " Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta and acted by Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan.

A must watch. I would like to say after Udan In 2010 I have seen such a impact-full movie. A Rang De Basanti recreated. Powerful performances by Rani and Vidya makes the movie more interesting. A very good direction indeed in the first half you will not even for single moment blink your eyes, it has the right power , punch and story which is needed for a good movie. Story is as we all know. For those who do not know, the story deals with a killing of Jessica who works in a pub and is a aspiring model. She is killed by a man who happens to be son of a cabinet minister. And he kills in the rage of just not getting the drink. And all the political bullshit happens to protect him but our Rani who is a famous journalist fights back when she comes to know that Vidya's (Sabrina) effort has gone in vain and the killer got free without any charge.

A good start for the year 2011.I wish Raj makes more good movies. Four and half stars out of five. Enjoy..................

A very straight forward and average movie. It just tells the events as they happened and is predictable. The casting is so wrong- many of the actors are not even genuinely Delhi sounding. It's so typical.

great story and acting, with a powerful message... it's especially great to see stories like this being told in modern India, in which mass media has played a large role in curbing corruption, and social networking is also helping...

HOWEVER!!!! do we really need to hear indians say the f-word as much as possible? it DOESN'T SOUND COOL, it sounds STUPID. i can't help dropping my face into my hands every time one of these characters says the f-word, for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON AT ALL.... indians are sooooo obsessed with looking cool that they make themselves look like complete idiots... i don't understand this stupid trend and it really takes away from the movie when everyone is trying to outdo each other with the English swearwords they can say. it's not cool at all, it makes them look silly and low class... but i have a feeling this trend will continue, and audiences will keep eating it up until typical indians become as foul-mouthed as typical Americans... this goes along with so many other bollywood trends, such as everyone being a smoker. in American films, you hardly ever see this anymore, yet it seems that more and more Indian films now have characters that smoke, again FOR NO REASON AT ALL.... another scene is one in which rani's character is seeing aggressively making out with a man, presumably after a night out, and this scene is NEVER referred to again. i just don't understand why so much effort goes into trying to look cool, especially when there's no purpose for it. i have no problem with swearing, smoking or making out, but when it's being put into a movie that it has nothing to do with, the audience is cheated. slaughtering animals is also a part of daily life, so why don't they put in a few scenes of that too? or of rani using the the toilet? or of vidya using tampons? because that's basically how trashy they look when they're CONSTANTLY repeating the f-word for no purpose other than to make young indians giggle and try to look cool....

Wow! Now that's great film-making. Always good to see a hard-hitting movie with a conscience, and this one goes at it full force. A glimpse in to the power-based society that is Delhi, I knew little of the Jessica Lal case before watching. While entertaining yet quite scary in its portrayal of the common (wo)man's value in Indian society, the film does ask some good questions about our world and humankind in general. Think something like this could never happen in other parts of the world? OJ Simpson, anyone? The film is really lifted though thanks to the convincing portrayals by Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherji. The latter plays convincingly to the gallery, and the former is completely deglamourized and convincing in her little sister avatar. What a great way to start a new year for Hindi cinema. A few scenes are not 100% convincing or over-dramatized, but it doesn't matter. I loved the great scenes between Meera and her boss the most. An eye-opening way to rationalize the often sensationalized and under-cover Indian journalism.

Kudo to Raj Kumar Gupta. Must now catch the director's previous flick, Aamir.

For those of you who wasted your hard earned money on crap Bollywood movies like Golmaal 3 of late, here's your chance to support good cinema at your local box office. Don't miss it.

The movie Didn't work for me. Nada.

If the movie is nearly good, the industry tends to heap praises on it too quickly. It seems like we thank our stars every time someone like Raaj Kumar Gupta makes a "nearly" good enough movie because in the day and age of Tees Maar Khan, we really feel fortunate to have something good at least in the theater to chew upon.

Nearly good is not enough, it has to be right there. It should be laden with electrifying performances, it should be well researched and well acted by all the cast, not the known 5 of the few actors. There are as my missteps in the movie as great ones.

Things not quite great about the movie: 1. The first half of the movie is okay. Its great in some patches, especially after the shooting leading up to the courtroom drama, with everyone pitching in with pitch perfect performances. For me, the hapless cop stole the show. 2. The setup in the beginning was tending to veer very close to Bhandarkar category in its cheesiness of execution. Very ordinary. 3. The tone of the movie was just like "Damini". Everyone kept shouting. I walked into the theater expecting a lil subtlety but it was a completely different movie. Which brings me to the fourth point. 4. It was irritating to see how the movie was playing to the gallery. The premise was power packed in itself. What was the need to execute the movie in this fashion? In fact there was a surdar ji joke too in "Justice for, justice for" which was a new low to stoop to bring in humor. Cringe worthy. 5. I don't know how much did Vidya Balan channeled the actual Sabrina Lall in her acting, but the result was tolerable for the first half and totally irritating, dragging and a bore in the second. In fact it was ham-territory. I saw the actual Sabrina on youtube and she doesn't seem nearly the same. 6. Where is the closure? The only fact that I didn't remember about the case was the sequence of events and court trial after the "fastrack". How did they re-prove the crime? It was all about making hero of Rani a.k.a Aamir in Taare Zamin Par, rather than providing an intelligent closure to the proceedings.

So no, for it to get 4/5 stars in the media, it better be a classic. Otherwise its run of the mill stuff.

"No One Killed Jessica" is a film based on a famous murder that occurred years ago in Delhi. The character of Meera in the film is a personification of the reporters who went on the warpath when the punk who murdered her was acquitted--even though there was a mountain of evidence against him. How did he get acquitted? In India, there's a long tradition of corruption and folks who are rich and important have been able to literally get away with murder. And, the punk's family is a politician...exactly the sort to remain unpunished. But Meera is determined to make this case huge as is Jessica's sister....to force action and force people to be accountable. The film chronicles the case and is also about the police cover-up and the press insisting that truth prevail.

Non-Indians watching this film might be very surprised by the story and how widespread corruption has been in India. However, as I've seen a couple hundred Indian films, I see that this is actually one of the most common recurring themes in their films--that the police cannot be trusted and the government is run by kleptocrats. So, reporters refusing to let such an injustice get swept under the rugs IS unusual and I can only assume they risked much to expose this conspiracy. I also assume that some pressure must have been exerted on the studio that made this film...yet they made it anyway.

This is a very well made film and I am glad I watched it. I had a couple minor quibbles: the occasional use of the shaky cam as well as some unnecessary musical interludes which are common in Indian films but which didn't really fit the story. But these didn't negatively impact the film and overall it's extremely well made, compelling and worth seeing.

After seeing "Three Idiots", "Dabaang" and "Tees Mar Khan" produced by the scum of the Indian producers and acted by--the Three Scums of the Indian actors-The ugly,the midget and the meat head and hailed as the greatest movies of Hindi Cinema by the scum of the Indian Media..here comes a breath of fresh air. The movie is well directed, acted considering the fact that there are too many characters to portray and too many situations to show. The ace is Rani. The movie is an expose on corruption that even corrodes the justice system. Rani excels as "Meera". She emotes well the tenacity, the persverance and courage of a good journalist not just to score a story but get to the bottom of the truth even if it involves a sting operation. She adds credence to the character that she portrays. Other actors have done well. All in all this is one good movie for a change.

When I heard there is a movie on Jessica Lal murder case, the first thing that came into my mind was some boring movie on social message. But since not any good movie released this week we made a plan for NOKJ. And from the first minute of the movie it turned out interesting. I watched the movie with full concentration and believe me, even if its not comedy,romantic,thriller or action I was bound to your seat once it starts and to the emotions the characters were going through. I was easily connected to the characters.

The music was wonderful and backed the story. It really need a heart to make a movie on a real issue and a brain to make it entertaining too. Rajkumar Gupta really deserve applause for making such kind of movie. As per acting goes, Vidya and Rani both were Impaccable. Hats off to an excellent movie.

After a long time, there's finally a Hindi film that has been worth the hours. I did not have to use the fast-forward button at all (which was the case with most Hindi films I watched recently) and I was engaged from start to end. Raj Kumar Gupta's 'No One Killed Jessica' is based on the murder of aspiring model Jessica Lall who was brutally shot at a party (in front of 300 witnesses) because she refused to serve drinks.

Many directors have used this news in their films while failing to do any justice in telling the story. At the start of the film there's already a disclaimer that even though the film was based on true events, many things have been dramatized and some even fictionalized. Yet, not once did 'No One Killed Jessica' feel lacking in realness where portrayal and storytelling is concerned except maybe towards the end it arguably felt slightly dramatic. Gupta tries to keep it as stark as possible. You even hear characters cussing and swearing (yes, the 'F' word is used here) and it's never overdone.

The writing is solid. Characters in such films tend to end up appearing as caricatures but here all the characters are beautifully written. Gupta's attention to detail is brilliant. The way he depicts passage of time by referencing films and news items is cleverly done. With excellent cinematography, editing, lighting, and background score, 'No One Killed Jessica' is a very well made film.

Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan are at their best. Balan seems to be making some very wise choices. She performed excellent in one of my favourite movies of 2010, 'Ishqiya' and here she is again in a restrained performance as Jessica's sister fighting for justice. It's finally great to see Mukherjee step out of her comfort zone and do something challenging for a change. The actress performs naturally. Newcomer Myra Karn is competent in the title role. Most of the rest of the cast do nothing short of a fine job.

With 'No One Killed Jessica', 2011 seemed to be off to a good start. While many films tend to use true stories to make money, this one at least does justice in its storytelling and respects the people it is based on and the truth. I did not watch Gupta's debut film 'Aamir' because it was a rip-off but he's proved that he has potential to make great movies and I hope he stays on this track.

No one killed Jessica It's bit of a mix between Viruudh and Rang De Basanti ( RDB was shown in the movie too). I found it a good movie. Maybe Because my hopes are high because of Rajkumar Gupta's previous work "Aamir".

Though we have to give credit to him for how well he portrayed Country's one of the most talked-about murder case. The dialogues and screenplay written by the director himself his also good. Amit Trivedi's music goes well with the movie's turns of events.

As there was not exactly any male lead actor, the performances mantle is carried by two leading ladies, and both Rani Mukherji and Vidya Balan has done superlative work. Special mention to Rajesh Sharma for his brilliantly portrayed cop character.

8.0/10

After Aamir,expectations were sky high from director Raj Kumar Gupta and he easily manages to match those. Dealing with a real subject and reeling it into a movie with adding flavor to it is what has been tried in past as well and many failed. No One Killed Jessica is an honest attempt to show the (mis)use of power in India and what Sabrina( sister of murdered Jessica Lal)went through all these years. Vidya never misses a single emotion and shows one of her best performances ever. She has portrayed the role of Sabrina in a way it should have been done. Rani is a delight to eyes after a long time. The dialogs used in the film shows how Delhi talks in everyday terms. The music of the film is brilliant. Nice work Amit Trivedi. Overall a cinema not to be missed.

Verdict: It is a mix of fiction & real events but overall a good flick not to be missed. Go for it.

Director Raj Kumar Gupta's second venture, after the much appreciated but inspired AAMIR, is indeed a must watch for everyone interested in some thought provoking and soul searching stuff moving away from the usual fantasy.

Starting with the references of Kargil War and Air India plane hijack in Kandahar, NOKL makes the impact from its first scene itself showing both Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherjee in their separate unrelated sequences. The execution of the actual killing scene of Jessica in the bar is skillfully done by Raj Kumar, Director, Raj Kumar Santoshi also used the reference of this case in his HALLA BOL few years back, but here the context is used in a more focused and bold way revealing all the hidden parties involved in the case very openly. The excellent pace of the script in its initial hour both entertains as well as enlightens the viewer about the big nexus between the rich, police and the politicians. And there are three main factors responsible for its thrilling first half.

First is the authentic use of the famous Delhi lingo spoken by the people and the police incorporated in a blunt way. Second is the exceptional choice of the supporting cast by the director and his associates which works instantly and third is its spellbinding first court room scene which makes you feel like hitting all the hostile witnesses denying justice. Along with that the satire portrayed by the murderer's mother speaking from behind the door, "Mere Monu Ko Kuchh Nahin Hona Chahiye" indeed deserves praises for its writer.

Making a good move, Raj Kumar Gupta very cleverly divides the movie into two parts giving one entirely to Vidya Balan and the second to the veteran Rani Mukherjee. The first half has Vidya Balan fighting for the justice with her helpless family and friends, coming up with a remarkable performance. And the second has Rani Mukherjee taking on the task of getting the case re-opened and then putting it to justice with the help of her media profile and channel. The proceedings in the later part seem to be going too smoothly as if the re-opening of the case and making everyone admit their mistake in the judiciary system was a very easy task for the few people related to the media. Especially I found the media and the channel part of the film a little hushed up and not worked upon properly. Moreover the concluding hour surely could have made a more solid impact on the audience with a sharper editing towards the end.

But I was really glad to see Raj Kumar Gupta rightly showing the role played by "RANG DE BASANTI" in getting the justice in Jessica's case. As shown in the film, it was indeed the influence of RANG DE BASANTI on the youth which triggered the Candle Light March in Delhi at that time.

Another plus point of NOKJ is that it never tends to be a documentary or a biographical kind of movie made on a true incident. The film is based on a perfect thriller script with a better first half preparing the viewers for a modest second. Shot mostly in Delhi as demanded by the subject it has a realistic kind of feel and Camera-work which makes you relate to the characters on the screen very easily. The Background Score and songs by the duo Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattcharya (Lyrics) are used quite minimally just as required by the theme with the "Delhi Delhi" song already becoming famous. But giving it a second thought I really feel that the emotional part in the music was really missing and it was more designed with the aim of creating an artificial sensation on the screen.

The two main aces of NOKJ, Vidya Balan and Rani Mukherjee do win the game played by Raj Kumar Gupta with élan. However I would like to rate Vidya Balan more than Rani here, since her role neither had any amount of glamour, thrill or excitement in it as it was there in the character played by Rani. Yet, Vidya comes up with another splendid performance after PAA and ISHQIYA. On the other side, I felt the character of Rani a little over energetic, with an extra superficial kind of energy and enthusiasm than required.Before the intermission she looks more lively & hard hitting with all those abusive words in her dialogues and actions but post intermission she becomes rather pretty cool, deliberately pushing her subordinate in the front which doesn't fit into one single character together. Still she strongly goes on to prove that she is in fact a veteran of the Industry and knows her job well.

In the supporting cast, as I mentioned before, there is a small gem of a performance coming from Rajesh Sharma as the investigating officer, especially in the first half. Neil as the key witness and Zeeshan as the main accused are fine too along with Myra as Jessica playing it quite effortlessly.

All together, I would like to add that films like NO ONE KILLED JESSICA got to be made and seen for the betterment of the society as a must. It's not a kind of venture which would give you some instant big returns on the box office, but as proved by RANG DE BASANTI, films like NOKJ are surely capable of bringing more awareness in our society and may we all start taking some collective actions together before it becomes too late.

And I sincerely hope that the film becomes a decent success breaking the New Year's first week jinx of Bollywood.

Every character when he or she tries to act makes you cringe. the way the shooting is depicted is terrible. even the mother crying is laughable. vidya balan makes it bearable.

I missed out on this movie when it first came out but the songs were a big hit at the time and I used to play them on repeat, especially Aali Re. Moving on to the plot, this movie enlightened me to the Jessica Lal murder case, something I was previously not very well aware of. The case itself seemed to be an open and shut one. Jessica Lal was shot and killed by a man who was refused a drink. The situation itself begs the question: Why? Is someone's life cheaper than the price of a drink? Unfortunately, even though there were about 300 witnesses in the location of the crime, the prime accused were acquitted due to gross miscarriage of justice, backtracking witnesses and evidence tampering. Later, due to awareness campaigns by media and human rights protection groups, the case was brought to a higher court and the perpetrators were punished.

The movie did a good job in portraying much of the facts, although it did border on over-dramatic representations. The primary cast fit their roles- Rani Mukherji as Meera, a tough journalist who dismisses the case at first but takes it up after she finds out about the acquittal, and Vidya Balan as Sabrina Lal, the victim's sister. Here, Rani took up a role that completely went against her image, she did full justice to her character. On the other hand, Vidya was understated and extremely believable as the sister who has to witness serious personal turmoil in the form of her sister's death. The supporting cast was good, especially Rajesh Sharma. Myra, the actor who played Jessica Lal was also given enough personality and screen time to make a connection with the audience, through the effective use of flashbacks.

I had two major annoyances with the movie. First, there were a lot of interviews of Indian citizens reacting to the miscarriage of justice and I found the acting in those clips especially overdramatic and caricaturish. I understand that these clips were essential as they showed the public outcry, but couldn't they have gone with better actors? My second annoyance lies with the fact that the timeline of the movie is all weird. I was expecting minor scenes having anachronistic moments, considering this movie was shot in 2010-2011 and the original story was in 1999-2000, but there was a major scene which was inspired from Rang De Basanti- a movie released in 2006- that should not have made an appearance in the 2000 timeline of this story. The timeline is slightly confusing.

Overall, this movie does succeed in putting the message across. Power and Money can help, but when a united front stands against Corruption and Perverse Morals, Justice and Truth have a way of shining through.