‘Court Kacheri’: Heartfelt legal drama

Param Mathur (Ashish Verma) never wanted to become a lawyer, but being the son of successful criminal lawyer Harish Mathur (Pavan Malhotra) meant that everyone around him expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps.

In ‘Court Kacheri’, the director offers a refreshing take on courtroom dramas, weaving in a father-son relationship against the chaotic backdrop of the fictional Sarjanpur District Court. The five-episode series, which kicks off with a brawl between cops and lawyers, explores legal ethics and the moral dilemmas that lawyers face as they fight for the rights of their clients.

A frustrated Param dreams of escaping his father’s shadow. His father had single-handedly raised him after his mother’s death. Even though he clears LLB and joins his father’s office, this reluctant second-generation lawyer tries to run away from this life. An attempt to get a fake degree in hotel management for a job in Dubai lands him in a lockup. Thereafter, he desperately tries to get a Canadian PR, which requires him to submit a police clearance certificate.

As Param Mathur, Ashish Verma gives a nuanced performance and brings in the frustration of a boy torn between his own desires and others’ expectations.

Pavan Malhotra effortlessly plays the seasoned lawyer Harish Mathur, lovingly referred to as ‘Bauji’. Even with minimal dialogues, the powerhouse performer touches a chord, be it calmly handling the court proceedings against an enterprising amicus curiae, Anusha Ghanshyam (Priyasha Bhardwaj), or as a helpless father when his son tells him he’s moving to Canada.

Equally effortless is Puneet Batra as junior lawyer Suraj Beriya, who is caught in the moral dilemma of right and wrong. His respect for senior Harish Mathur comes as earnestly as does his camaraderie with friend Japtap, who keeps pestering him to leave Mathur’s office and become his partner.

Batra, who wrote the much-feted ‘Kota Factory’, holds the pen once again to give sharp dialogues, screenplay and story.

The series is dotted with a liberal dose of humour: Param’s comical attempts to escape during a police raid, sneaking into his father’s room to retrieve the bank passbook and donning a mask to get a police clearance certificate. The comic and poignant combine as Param vents out his frustration in the lock-up.

The amusing neckband ceremony and elaborate birthday celebrations of a Bar election candidate are also tinged with satire.

Even with their limited roles, supporting actors Priyasha Bhardwaj, Sumali Khaniwali as the poetic Kaghzaatji and Amarjeet Singh as the struggling notary Japtap give a credible performance.

The bingeworthy show, which explores the police-lawyer dynamics, also makes a subtle case for supporting single fathers, noting their lack of “maternal instincts” as they navigate parenthood. Overall, ‘Court Kacheri’ gives a grounded, heartfelt spin to courtroom dramas.