Guilty Minds review: Shriya Pilgaonkar, Varun Mitra in a slow but compelling courtroom drama

Language: Hindi

There are two sides to every story, and what better place to witness two points of view than in a courtroom. _Guilty Minds _ (Amazon Prime Video), a 10-episode drama, explores the world of the law and lawyers, of ethics, morals, humanity and fact. It also explores interpersonal relationships, office politics, legacy, social causes and romance.

Created and directed by Shefali Bhushan, and co-directed by Jayant Digambar Samalkar, each episode opens with a situation on which a legal case will be built and the matter taken up in court. The situations are often drawn from headline-making stories, such as sexual harassment, the dilemma around driverless cars, cola companies exploiting and overusing natural resources and so on.  

Most of the cases are taken up either by the high-flying lawyers representing the firm of Khanna Khanna and Associates or a modest firm of two lawyers who take on issue based cases. If the former is seen as a large profiteering firm, the latter is an ethics driven outfit. Deepak Rana (Varun Mitra) is the flamboyant and charismatic face of Khanna and Khanna. His fast track to partner status and proximity to the firm’s head L N Khanna (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) upsets the deeply jealous heir Shubhrat Khanna (Pranay Pachauri). Things get more complicated when Shubhrat’s younger cousin, the newly qualified Shubhangi (Namrata Sheth), is attracted to Deepak, her senior at work.

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On the other side is Kashaf Quaze (Shriya Pilgaonkar). She comes from a family of lawyers and judges. Upright to a fault, Kashaf and her partner Vandana (Sugandha Garg) predominantly take up public interest litigation cases and fight for the underdog.  

The initial episodes have a docu-drama feel, especially when the lawyers are doing their research to build the case. There is more emphasis on the background than lawyering or courtroom drama.

The series starts slow but hits its stride mid-way when the personalities of the lawyers themselves begin to take shape and as the cases, themselves become more compelling.

Since each episode features guest appearances related to the case being contested, the lives of Kashaf, Deepak, Vandana, Shubhrat and Shubhangi become the connecting factor through the season. There is also an ongoing case that links the entire season, which also draws a line in the sand between firm and family.

Writers Shefali Bhushan, Manav Bhushan, Deeksha Gujral and Somalkar adeptly balance out the two sides to every argument, raising questions we might all ask of the situation. The research and legalities, production design and authenticity of the courtroom etiquette and procedures, along with the strong lead cast, makes up for some awkward supporting performances. The jaunty background music is not always mood appropriate and some of the side-bar situations, like a loud bar-keep and the numerous squash games between Shubhrat and his girlfriend could have been abridged.

Performances by the principal cast are on point, gradually involving us in their ups and downs. Pilgoankar, Mitra, Pachauri, Sheth and Garg have a great chemistry whether as friends, opponents, rivals or lovers. As Kashaf and Deepak, Pilgaonkar and Mitra have the most complex character graphs and backstories and the actors inhabit those parts wholly. Their journeys and experiences, as well as the motivations of their respective situations, propels an involving series that is well poised for a second season.  

  Guilty Minds is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Udita Jhunjhunwala is a writer, film critic, and festival programmer.

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