Chandrasish Ray directs this courtroom drama starring Mimi Chakraborty, Tota Roy Choudhury, Anujoy Chattopadhyay, Kaushik Chakraborty, Debesh Chattopadhyay, Anindya Banerjee, Joydeep Mukherjee and others. The series marks Mimi Chakraborty’s OTT debut and has 6 episodes, each with a runtime of around 20 minutes.
Courtroom dramas aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but when a show calls itself “based on a true story,” one can’t help but be intrigued. Whether it be a horror, comedy or, well, courtroom drama, this tag makes things oh-so-interesting. The series starts off with a gruesome crime and takes a few interesting turns throughout its runtime. It’s a short series, and with only 6 episodes of 30 minutes, things rush forward quite fast, but most of the first few episodes have very little happening to progress the criminal storyline.
Interestingly enough, after the above comment, I must say that the entire series is just so predictable that you can’t help but roll your eyes every time the series tries to create some sort of mystery surrounding the incidents showcased in the first episode. Either way, the series does a good job of addressing the personal and professional angles of the different people involved. In this short span of time, we learn Pritha’s backstory and her issues other than this dangerous problem that she has found herself in.
Jaha Bolibo Shotto Bolibo, in spite of its predictable plot twists, still manages to reel you into its bubble. I think it’s because the characters the quite well-rounded and believable. The characters’ vulnerabilities make up for a big part of the runtime which can irritate a lot of viewers since it sometimes completely pushes the criminal case to the backburner. For large chunks of the runtime, we sit and watch Pritha’s personal life unfold, making this less of a thrilling watch and more of an emotional drama.
In that respect, I find it interesting that the series gets this deep into the personal lives of these people. I don’t understand why that decision was taken, but regardless of the why, the series turns into a melodrama soon after the first few episodes and takes away any thrill that the series had started with. You realise why so much backstory was given for so many episodes near episode 6, and it personally made me roll my eyes. At least we are not left off with a lacklustre end without any conclusion meant for another season.
In the end, thus, this courtroom drama is a chill watch with emotional highs and lows. The stakes are never that high, but it puts its point forward well and, if not anything, gives us a conclusion, which is hard to come by these days.
Performances
Tota Roy Choudhury, fresh off the success of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, continues to win hearts in this series. His general calm demeanour is a juxtaposition of his demeanour in court, and both are equally admirable and extremely charming. Yes, he’s technically the bad guy here, but you will get it when you see him. His backstory was also quite an interesting addition, which I think really helped shape his character.
On the other hand, Mimi Chakraborty is a fierce but shaky protagonist whose personal issues shape her to be a real human being. Chakraborty plays her role well, and you can’t help but root for her thanks to her genuine performance. There’s also Anujoy Chattopadhyay’s Arnab Basu, whose connection with Pritha is quite sweet and believable. His character feels dependable and is a worthy addition to the series. Toward the end, I was left to wonder about the future of their relationship, considering we saw it progress a little. However, no luck in that department.
Jaha Bolibo Shotto Bolibo Review: Conclusion
This series is watchable but extremely melodramatic. For those who want a thrilling courtroom drama that will make breathing difficult for you, this is not that. However, if you are in the mood for a chill and stake-less weekend, which is somewhat arresting and features good performances, then this might be the one for you. It leaves you asking a few questions after its runtime, but then again, you forget about them the moment you press ‘back’ on your remote.
The series is streaming on Hoichoi.