Patna Shuklla REVIEW: Raveena Tandon as Tanvi Shukla impresses in this David vs Goliath courtroom drama

Film:
Patna Shuklla

Director: Vivek Budakoti, Rajendra Tiwari

Cast: Raveena Tandon, Satish Kaushik, Anushka Kaushik, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Manav Vij, Jatin Goswami, Raju Kher

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Duration: 2 hours 5 Minutes

Story

Patna Shuklla is a social film that not only talks about the scams and corruption in the education system but also the influence power and politics have on the lives of those who are less fortunate. The film, produced by Arbaaz Khan and directed by Vivek Budakoti, is a simplistic small-town tale that is relatable and will surely give you fodder to think about. 

What Works:

Raveena Tandon’s honest effort to make her Tanvi Shukla believable is one of the major reasons Patna Shuklla works. Despite a slightly weak script – that fails to let Tanvi shine brightly, Raveena does. The climax of the film, with its expected twist, overcomes the shortcomings of the film.

What Doesn’t Work:

The major flaw of the film is that Tanvi’s journey to becoming Patna Shukla is frivolous, there never comes a wow moment when people suddenly start calling her Patna Shuklla – it’s just thrown around. 

Technical Analysis

Script & Dialogues:

The social courtroom drama that highlights corruption in the education system, especially when it mingles with political agendas, never strongly delivers a dialogue on any of its causes. The weak script pulls through a bit thanks to the actor’s commendable performances.  

Music: 

The music of Patna Shuklla does not seek any attention or disruption. At certain moments the background score reminds you of the stereotypical sounds and music used to depict the middle class and tier-two cities on screens.

Star Performance

Raveena Tandon as Tanvi Shukla breathes life into her character as a determined lawyer who is also a down-to-earth homemaker. From cooking food for her family and friends to fighting different kinds of cases in court, Raveena has given her all to the character and that’s visible in the film. Anushka Kaushik as Rinki Kumari leaves a believable performance thanks to her commendable dialogue delivery and ability to play the small-town girl fighting the system well. 

Chandan Roy Sanyal as Neelkanth Mishra – a top-class lawyer fighting against Raveena’s Tanvi Shukla, lacks the confidence – or overconfidence, one would expect for his character. This is the fault of a poorly written character and not finger-pointing at the actor. Jatin Goswami as Raghubir Singh impresses. He embodies the character perfectly with his body language, dialogue delivery and dominance over every scene.

Seeing the late Satish Kaushik gracing the screens for the last was a sight for sore eyes. Manav Vij as Tanvi’s husband, Siddharth Shukla, and Raju Kher as Tanvi’s father, JP Sharma, are sincere in their performance as they express their support and love for Tanvi.

Conclusion 

Raveena Tandon starrer Patna Shuklla is a good film that is sandwiched between drama and raw emotions. The mediocrity of this film proves to be the saving grace for the film – in certain instances. Raveena’s diligent effort throughout, Jatin Goswami’s dominance over scenes and the film’s attempt to shed light on the scam involving changing students’ roll numbers make it a good watch.

Watch the trailer of Patna Shuklla 

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