System movie review: Sonakshi Sinha, Jyotika’s courtroom drama begins on a promising note, then falters

Things fall quite easily in the lap of public prosecutor Neha Rajvansh (Sonakshi Sinha) in Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s new film System. Neha may be working to get the underprivileged justice in the Delhi court as a public prosecutor, but she comes from a position of privilege. While she is out there to prove a point to her successful father, she is also aware of her limitations and thus takes the help of courtroom stenographer Satika Rawat (Jyotika). Two women headlining a courtroom drama in Bollywood is novel, even though the premise is a known one. But does Iyer Tiwari’s film deliver a sharp courtroom drama? Only in parts.

What’s the plot of System?

Sonakshi plays a public prosecutor, who is just waiting to fulfil her dad’s challenge of winning 10 cases on her own steam before she is inducted into the family law firm as a partner. Her father, Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowarikar) is one of the most successful lawyers of the city, but wants his daughter to go through the grind of being a government lawyer in the court to value what she is born into. Neha is initially reluctant, but later takes it up as a challenge just to prove her father wrong. A shared ride to the court one morning leads Neha to Sarika Rawat, the court stenographer who is just a degree short of being a lawyer herself. Diligent and hardworking, Sarika seems to know and understand legal cases better than Neha.

Sonakshi Sinha plays Neha Rajvansh Photograph: ()

When a passing tip helps Neha to win a case, she convinces Sarika to help her with her future cases, and Sarika agrees for the extra cash. Neha and Sarika win 9 cases smoothly, but it's the 10th case that becomes a turning point in their career. Neha has to face her father in court in a suspected murder case of an influencer. The accussed happens to be Ravi’s old client, real estate giant Vikram Bajral. Considering she is up against the invincible dad, who is ruthless in the courtroom, the odds are all against Neha and proving Bajral guilty seems like a herculean task. Will she be able to crack the final case as a public prosecutor and fulfil her dad’s wish for the rest of the story.

What works and what does not

Written by Harman Baweja and Akshat Ghildial, the film begins on a promising note. The screenplay is detailed and shows Neha as a privileged, frivolous soul who would rather scroll reels and check out new restaurant reccos in her free time than research. Then there is Sarika, a woman who is working double shifts to make ends meet and help her daughter get a good education and care for her paralysed husband. The two women come from strikingly different backgrounds, and it is Sarika who helps Neha get a foothold in the city as she steps out of her mansion after an argument with her father. Neha comes from privilege but is constantly mollycodled by father, brother or boyfriend. It is only the women who cheer for her, first the mother and then Sarika.

Iyer Tiwari’s films have usually had very strong female leads. From Panga, to Bareilly Ki Barfi, to Nil Battey Sannata, all films have shown women coming of age and becoming independent individuals. System is no different, Sarika acts as an agent of change for Neha, who is initially in the game to win and prove her father wrong, not fighting for justice.

The casting of Sonakshi feels meta (nepo baby playing legal nepo baby), and the actress cake walks through the role of Neha Rajvansh. She is your regular entitled heiress, who only grows a spine in the latter half of the film. There is Ashutosh Gowarikar playing a self-assured, slightly arrogant Ravi Rajvansh who seems preachy, always ready with a lesson or two for his children. Gowarikar and Sonakshi’s scenes, especially, the underlying tension between the two feels mechanical- as if both actors are only reading out the part and not feeling the emotions.

Jyotika, on the other hand, plays the observant, silent and calculative Sarika well. She has been wronged by society, but is always keen to work hard to build a comfortable life for her family. Jyotika, much like the character she plays on screen, seems earnest in her role.

Jyotika plays Sarika Rawat Photograph: ()

While the film begins on a promising note, it ends in a whimper. You almost know who the killer is somewhere in the middle of the film. The narrative is clumpy and states the obvious things. Even the climax feels underwhelming because the film never builds a premise well for any of the characters. Instead, it takes too much time to establish the class divide. Things feel too easy for Neha right from the word go, but while the viewers get it, Neha takes a long time to understand that a lot of it is being served on a platter to her.

I wish the makers had invested more in highlighting the performances of the two women. Iyer Tiwari’s films always have memorable moments and characters, but sadly, in the case of System, every character seems passable and forgettable after a point.

Final Verdict

System is well-intended but has too many flaws to leave a lasting impression. It begins with so much promise, it has two strong women cheering each other and helping each other in a man-eat-man world and the two actors even deliver credible performances. Yet, System never fully adds up. You are invested in the story, you wait for the punchlines or a major plot twist, but nothing overwhelms or shocks you by the end of it.

System is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.