No One Killed Jessica

At a party in Delhi in 1999, Jessica, working behind the bar, is shot for refusing to serve a drink. There are hundreds of witnesses in the room. The accused is the son of a powerful politician; the witnesses change their statements one by one and the court acquits him. Her sister keeps the case going and a television reporter takes it to the national agenda. Raj Kumar Gupta directed. Vidya Balan plays Jessica's sister Sabrina, Rani Mukerji the reporter. The source is real: the Jessica Lall murder and the trial that followed. The public campaign after the acquittal reopened the case and the accused was convicted. At the centre are two women with different methods: one quiet and worn down, the other aggressive and media-driven. The film does not vindicate either. The telling is close to the journalism film template: short scenes, fast editing, narration. It revived the argument about the judiciary and influence in India. Who it is for: viewers who like adaptations of real cases. Who it is not for: anyone expecting detachment; the film takes a side openly.