The Verdict – State vs Nanavati Review: A Captivating Courtroom Drama Aided by Fine Performances From the Cast

The Verdict – State vs Nanavati Review: ALT Balaji-ZEE5 web-series The Verdict is based on one of the most controversial cases in the history of the Indian Judiciary. The series is based on the infamous controversial case of Commander KM Nanavati vs the State of Maharashtra, which is the reason why the Jury system got scrapped out of the Indian constitution. In 1959, Nanavati (Manav Kaul), a Naval Commander, faced a murder trial for killing Prem Ahuja (Viraf Patel) who allegedly had an affair with his wife Sylvia Nanavati (Elli Avrram).

Now the plot is very much explored in films like Akshay Kumar's 2016 film Rustom and Sunil Dutt's 1963 film Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, and the one good thing about this Ekta Kapoor show is that it uses real character names associated from the case. The Verdict Trailer: Sumeet Vyas, Elli AvRram, Angad Bedi, Kubbra Sait’s Performances Increase Expectations From The Web-Series! (Watch Video)

The very first episode opens in the current timeline when a journalist interviews a 96-year-old Ram Jethmalani (Sumeet Vyas) to ask about the Nanavati case who then takes the viewers to the 1959 Bombay. The flashback opens with Kawas Manekshaw's confession of murder to the police which seems like an open and shut case (but we know the plot, right?). The series takes no time in introducing other pivotal characters from the film. Prosecutor lawyer Chandu Trivedi (Makrand Deshpande) represents the victim's side. Karl Khandalvala (Angad Bedi) is a top Parsi Defence lawyer from the city who takes the Naval Commander's case. Kubbra Sait plays the murdered Prem Ahuja's sister Mamie Ahuja who fights hard to get justice for the brother. Also, a key player in the entire case that shaping the mind of people is news agency Blitz Ceo Russi Karanjia (Saurabh Shukla). ALTBalaji’s The Verdict – State Vs Nanavati To Start Streaming From September 30!

If you haven't got a slight inkling about what happened with the real-life Nanavati case, and were disappointed with the frivolous way Rustom handled the case, then The Verdict – State vs Nanavati earns brownie points over how it depicts the courtroom trial. The trial in itself lacks a little conviction, but it is made all the more engaging with the backdoor politics involved, the interesting motley of characters and the performances.

Our two favourite characters - Ram Jethmalani and Chandu Trivedi  - turn out to be like the pillars of this series. Sumeet Vyas and Makrand Deshpande are the charm of the show and they just raised the bar every time they are on screen. They also provide some of the best humour in the series. The rest of the cast, including Manav Kaul, Angad Bedi, Saurabh Shukla, Elli AvRram, Kubbra Sait - perform well in their capacity.

The Verdict – State vs Nanavati Trailer:

Another huge plus point for The Verdict is that the show's production design was top-notch, giving us the right kind of feel of the bygone era, right from the costumes to the sets.

Final Thoughts

The Verdict – State vs Nanavati is a captivating courtroom drama, aided and abetted by its production values and engaging performances from its cast. Do give it a chance.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2019 08:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).