This season of 'Criminal Justice' focuses on a juvenile case trial for the murder of Zara Ahuja (Deshna Dugad), a teenage celebrity. Mukul Ahuja (Aaditya Gupta), her stepbrother, becomes the prime suspect after all evidence points to him. As a result, no one is willing to take Mukul's case, but his mother Avantika Ahuja (Swastika Mukherjee) turns to advocate Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi) for help. Will he be able to uncover the truth and prevail against all odds ?
Zara Ahuja, the most beloved celebrity in the country, rose to fame as a child actor on a hit TV show. Her family consists of four members-father Neeraj Ahuja (Purab Kohli), who handles her finances, stepmother Avantika, who serves as her manager, and Mukul Ahuja, her 17-year-old stepbrother, who feels abandoned, leading him to temper and behavioural issues. One fateful night, Zara goes missing and is later discovered dead, brutally burnt with acid and wrapped in tarpaulin. When cops Gauri Kamarkar (Kalyanee Mulay) and Prashant Waghmare (Adinath Kothare) began investigating this heinous crime, every shred of evidence pointed to Zara's brother, Mukul, as a prime suspect. Following that, the Ahuja family deals with the aftermath.
Thus, the stage is set for the third installment of the franchise, 'Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach', an eight-part series directed by Rohan Sippy. We've known what happened since the beginning, and all of the evidence points to Mukul as the murderer. But, as the title implies, it's only adhura sach; the series is all about what motivated Mukul to kill his sister, and whether or not he actually did it. For the prosecution, Lekha (Shweta Basu Prasad), this is an open-and-shut case. Whereas defence counsel Madhav Mishra believes that "seedha aur simple toh mere syllabus mein hai hi nahi." As a result, he and his assistant Deepu (Aatm Prakash Mishra) are convinced that there is more to it than meets the eye.
Rohan Sippy and his writing team (Bijesh Jayarajan, Iti Agarwal, Riya Poojary and Siddharth) craft an engaging legal drama with emotionally dragging scenes. The plot revolves around a teenager who has troubled adolescence and is now being treated as a criminal before he can even seek justice in court. Following the discovery of Zara's body, the investigation and the session court trial, and the thrill of solving the case begins. Instead of hammering in details, this slow-burning story drips them in. It takes time to peel away the layers that hide the truth. Behind them is a web of lies and assumptions that is put to the test in a courtroom in the last three episodes.
Pankaj Tripathi, the series' and fans' favorite lawyer, reprises his role with wit, cunning strategies, and a desire to discover the truth. Similar to previous seasons, he continues to firmly believe that 'jeet aapki ya meri nahi, nyay ki honi chahiye.' It's Tripathi's show all the way, as he perfectly slips into the role of an earnest man on a mission. This time, the show also delves into Mishra's marital life. Ratna, his wife (Khusboo Atre), ends up being his biggest supporter.
Shweta Basu Prasad plays a prosecutor from a wealthy family, matching her imposing co-star move for move and adding depth to a character who struggles to establish her worth in everyone's eyes. As Madhav's assistant-turned-brother-in-law, Aatm Prakash Mishra (previously seen in Jamtara) adds to the series' levity.
Aaditya Gupta's believable act as Mukul Ahuja keeps the audience invested in his fate. Deshna Dugad's character Zara has a limited role to play, but she exhibits the right attitude for a celebrity who wants to live her personal life in addition to the well-known character she portrays on TV. Purab Kohli and Swastika Mukherjee did a fair job as Zara's parents. Gaurav Gera gives a convincing performance as dependable support to his ex-wife Avantika and son Mukul.
All said, the initial episodes provide an enticing build-up, but it is overly stretched before the actual action and courtroom drama begins. Therefore, if you're looking for nail-biting suspense, then this season of criminal justice might be somewhat underwhelming. But, without a doubt, this legal drama is worth watching for Pankaj Tripathi.
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