Undertrial (2007) User Reviews

Much better than the average Bollywood flick

[vebkumar · 8/10 · 1 November 2007]

While some reviewers are correct in pointing out that this movie lacks polish, the substance of the movie and the acting of Rajpal Yadav more than make up for it. One of the more outstanding aspects of this movie is that it presents a much more realistic depiction of legal proceedings than any other Bollywood movie I have seen till date. Although it would be erroneous to call it wholly accurate, it was gratifying to see that some thought had been put into this matter.

The theme of the danger of trial by media / society is a very pertinent issue today in India (in fact in much of the world), with standards in journalism rapidly falling. The effect this is having on the integrity of judicial proceedings is a very contemporary issue, and this movie is fairly thought-provoking in this regard.

I would give the producers / directors extra points for not tainting the movie by hiring big "stars" as is the unfortunate trend followed all to frequently in Bollywood in trying to maximize on a film's marketability.

The dialogue could be slightly better in parts. Yet in parts it was very good in terms of being realistic and not forced. A little bit more polish, and this movie would be excellent.

Definitely worth a watch!!

Moving but weak

[mojaswi · 7/10 · 6 April 2007]

A real life story about a man accused of rape of his 3 daughters. Although some viewers might find the film too dark for their liking, but its worth the watch.

Rajpal Yadav playing the lead role is brilliant! If someone thought he was only good for comic roles, they need to watch this movie. Through minimalist dialogue, he acts with great expression, dark, mysterious, happy, in pain, fear - its a treat to watch.

The main female protagonist did some crazy acting too. Oldie Kader Khan is a classic while Prem Chopra is decent. I found one of the daughters pretty hot too.

Now the bad part - its the director's debut, so its a typical bollywood 90's directing. Slow start, overdone dialogues at times, few scenes going over the top, there are some flaws. No post-production happened, I guess cause of the low budget. If Mani Ratnam directed it, it could win a damn Oscar. Watch it!

gross injustice? or not?

[OZ-Fox-39 · 8/10 · 28 August 2010]

*may also contain some plot elements* I don't usually view films from any country which does not speak English, however, this is one of several exceptions to that rule. After a couple of times watching this one, I began to sympathize with the central character (Sagar Hussain (Rajpal Yadav) - he did an excellent job of portraying a man guilty of everything including being alive!) - after a woman he had met (and married) accused him of raping his 3 daughters repeatedly for years.

He is ultimately arrested and sent to prison (which looks more like a concentration camp than a jail) to serve his sentence as an 'undertrial'. He does not know what fate he will face, but while he is there, he is tortured, beaten, kicked, punched, and left for dead for the crime he is accused of. He is transferred to the 'safe yard' and, despite one person there out to get him too, he meets Nadir, a religious, peaceful type, who guides Sagar and offers friendship as well as protection. Sagar is grateful, but is sad because society has treated him so badly. Sagar is the most obvious character here, because he is the only one who looks scruffy, like he hasn't seen a razor or a shower in months - he stands out like a sore thumb amongst the others.

Meanwhile, Amre - the man who helped put Sagar behind bars, Sabina, the wife of Sagar who in reality despised him, and wanted him to die in jail, and her daughters were involved in something else. It is revealed, later, that Sabina, Amre and the daughters have engaged in prostitution, and Sabina's subsequent greed for wealth eventually brings her undone, when one of her daughters is killed because she threatened to turn her own mother and Amre in so she could get her father (Sagar) released. This angered Sabina, even more so in court, when she testified against him.

Loads of comical one liners (particularly from the 'lawyer' Ravi Vishnoi - who babbled on meaninglessly about irrelevant matters when he was meant to present his case in defense of the client - Sagar. (Hilarious) In this court, though, the Judge said very little, it was the defense lawyer(s) doing the case presentation. One of the witnesses in the court was Sagar's childhood friend (Imdad) who told his side of the story, basically saying Sagar was a good person, and that he would never do a terrible thing as Sabina claimed.

This movie shows gross injustice on all counts - society, the law, the media, the judicial system, and above all, the family Sagar supposedly loved but which did not love him in return. Plus the fact some people can be so callous, and vindictive, when they don't get everything they want their way. The question is ' is he guilty? or is he innocent and society has simply labeled him as guilty without sufficient evidence to support this verdict? '

Bollywood movies are not really my cup of tea, but this one is definitely an exception.

I rate it 8/10 - which is very good for a foreign film. (the DVD contains English subtitles so it helped me understand what was going on)

Something different, and despite being done without big name stars and a huge budget, it is definitely worth a look.

A daring underrated take on a taboo'd vice

[acroking87 · 9/10 · 5 November 2021]

This movie is way ahead of its times. What it highlighted in 2007 is now emerging to be a dire commonplace headline, albeit still not discussed openly and frowned upon in private discussions. Undertrial takes the courage to demonstrate the plight of a common Indian man who's otherwise misunderstood to be a pervert opportunist who not only is alleged with voyeuring on bathing women, is also eventually slapped with a charge of raping his own daughters.

Every frame of the movie depicts a dirty truth about the way the Indian society would place an Indian common man into a trial for one charge or another. Rajpal Yadav doesn't have much to speak in this movie and still delivers a very apt performance. Prem Chopra didn't disappoint either as a veteran filling in an important role. The real star of undertrial though is the legendary Kadar Khan who is a real dynamite as the protagonist's defence lawyer.

The first half of the movie might take its time to build up the characters and might stretch a bit. Sometimes the plot gets deviated, though the able direction brings it back quickly before it gets lost. The second half is a totally intense courtroom drama which keeps getting more and more gripping as the layers peel off the unexpected truth.

Most subscribers of the typical feminist rhetoric might get triggered by the unusual truths at display here. Movies such as undertrial are a big necessity of the current times to bring up this often ignored societal anomaly. The only points I'm subtracting from the review are for the occasional foray of the script into a different tangent during the prison scenes. Spot on otherwise.

Undertrial(2007) : Significant Movie in Bollywood History

[ShibdasBhattacharjee · 10/10 · 17 April 2024]

I recently watched this unique movie, which is a trendsetter in the history of Bollywood movies. The Movie hooks the attention from the beginning and, as the action progresses, underlines various dimensions of life both as a prisoner in the vast world and in the so-called Prisons where one is sent after trial. The story-line and the narrative are excellent in every aspect. The assessment of ethical and unethical is beyond the ordinary logical purview. The Film proves why a Book should not be judged by its cover. It also realistically proves what Shakespeare said: "There are more things in heaven and earth that are measured by our daily philosophy. The gasping agony of a father has been depicted with perfection. The film also proves what divine blessings actually mean for an unfortunate one who is the victim of circumstance. Prison life has been painted as a miniature world where, along with negatives, lots of positives exist. This approach is realistic, and there is no doubt about it.

All the scenes of the movie bear special importance. But the unforgettable one is when Nadir Saab (Mukesh Tiwari) offers Sagar Hussain (Rajpal Yadav) a cup of tea. After a long phase of humiliation, Sagar Hussain bursts into tears and ceaselessly weeping after the magical touch of affection and humanity. Rajpal Yadav proves his genius as an actor. This scene keeps haunting every sensible individual.

The film has both veteran and new actors. The casting is brilliant. Apart from the stalwarts like Kader Khan and Prem Chopra, the new age actors have performed excellently. But this Movie is exceptional for Rajpal Yadav. Yadav proves that he is an actor of all weather and versatility. The film shows how humanity keeps on sailing amidst high tides of odds. The film is definitely a milestone in modern Bollywood movies and is Excellent to watch. I am out of words. The Film has made me a fan of Rajpal Yadav; great performance is a must-watch film.

Closest to accurate depiction of Undertrial jail.

[anikrahman-82618 · 8/10 · 6 May 2022]

The attention to details in these movie is just top notch. Excellent story. The film lacked performance in the daughter acting performances. Other than that, this movie deserves much credit and much appreciation. No spoilers, just watch it.