'A thriller that doesn't thrill can't be a great audience pleaser.'
'Patience is key here,' observes Moumita Bhattacharjee.
Your Honor is an Indian adaptation of the critically acclaimed Israeli show Kvodo, and has premiered on SonyLIV.
It tells the story of District Sessions Court Judge Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill) in line for a spot at the high court. He is much respected and revered.
But his troubled teenage son Abeer (Pulkit Makol) puts a spoke in the wheel when he crashes into a biker and leaves him to die on the road.
Being a judge who pronounces sentences as justly as he can, Bishan decides to make his son surrender until he realises who he has hit.
The victim is the eldest son of a ganglord who was sentenced to imprisonment by Khosla himself.
Fearing the worst, he begins his web of lies to save his son and his reputation by using the intricacies of the law he is so well versed in.
The thriller gets to a rocky start as the first episode is a downer.
You hardly feel the dread of a boy who has just crashed into a man or a father, fearing the worst.
All they do is talk lame.
It's from the second episode that the proceedings start getting interesting.
Basing the conflict in the Haryana-Punjab belt gives Director E Niwas and Writer Ishant Trivedi ample material to work on.
They have picked the Bhaiiya concept and weaved it fantastically in the narrative.
It's quite easy to lift a well-etched out screenplay by adding some tweaks, but changing the setting to suit India's sensibilities is a huge task. The series has done a credible job of that.
You will love the tricks Bishan employs to keep the case off his son and also protect his status.
The sluggish pace of the thriller works in some instances, but it's mostly a deterrent. It will be quite challenging for the series to keep the viewers invested in it.
A thriller that doesn't thrill can't be a great audience pleaser.
One of the best parts about Web series is that it does not to adhere to the star game.
So the directors or producers get the liberty to cast actors based on merit.
Your Honor is headlined by Jimmy Sheirgill and he does a suave job.
The reticent, cool, calm yet a subtly commanding demanour is instantly likable. But that also becomes one of the sore points of the show.
Jimmy's character has been so underplayed that at times, you are astounded at the lack of emotion. When his car falls into the cops' hands, he doesn't look shocked or afraid. That robs off the thrill element from the proceedings.
Also, Bishan and Abeer's conversations don't have much heart.
In fact, you are drawn to Guddan (the fall guy) and Ruma (his attorney), as they add to the narrative. Jimmy and Pulkit's interactions don't evoke any reaction from you and that's the biggest drawback of the show.
But to give due credit, Jimmy does stir the show really well aided amply by Mita Vashisht, who plays a single mother presiding over the accident case.
Her reverence for Khosla is evident but she cannot shake off a nagging feeling that the judge is not telling everything.
This dilemma has been superbly shown by Mita and deserves applause.
Varun Badola's Kashi has been supremely dealt with by the actor, which makes you wonder why isn't his talent tapped more.
Your Honor is a perfect assembly of Indian sensibilities with selectively fine performances. But at times, that's not enough for you to binge-watch this show.
Patience is key here!
