We have seen it time and again, haven’t we? Of regional movies being more powerful, hard-hitting and sensational that their more commercial counterpart, Bollywood? Chaintanya Tamhane’s delightful Marathi debut, Court, is a fine example of that. It’s no wonder that it has picked to represent India in the Best Foreign Movie category at the Oscars. We tell you why this movie deserves to bag the big prize at the 88th Academy Awards…take a look:

Intriguing plot:

What sets the movie apart from rest of the blockbusters is its intriguing plot. The plot revolves around a folk artist who is charged for sedition. The movie traces his journey from a poet-activist to a guy who abets the suicide of a municipal employee. It’s fast, thrilling, and a genuine look at the Indian judiciary system and its ups and downs.

Power-packed cast:

Even though the movie introduces fresh faces, the cast doesn’t come across as ‘debutants’. Vira Sathidar as Narayan Kamble is explosive. He lights up the screen with his acting and powerful dialogue delivery. He is ably supported by Vivek Gomber (also the producer of the movie) as Vinay Vora and Geetanjali Kulkarni as public prosecutor Nutan. The trio make this fare a must-watch with this realistic acting and commanding screen presence.

Realistic drama:

There are no masala breaks, no item numbers to move the story ahead. No randomly placed fight scenes. The movie’s aim is to track Kamble’s life and it does so with much aplomb. Right from capturing the chaos of the courts to the everyday dialogues, this flick is as real as it can get. Halfway through the movie you’d realise that you could be Kamble and this could very well be happening to you. Whoa!

Critical appeal:

Whenever a movie is ruled more by critics’ appeal than box office numbers, you can safely assume that it’s a super film. Court has already won rich acclaim from famous film circles like Venice Film Festival, apart from honours from Mumbai, Vienna, Antalya, and Singapore film festivals. Moreover, it won the Best Feature Film award at the 62nd National Film Awards.

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