System Review In Hindi: A debate that has been going on on-and-off for years among cinema contractors is whether the storyteller has a gender? Meaning, if there is a female director, does she change the glasses to see the world? Now this dilemma is never going to end, but when you see the work of Ashwinya Iyer Tiwari, you feel that Boss, there is weight in this.
When a woman filmmaker brings the world of women into the camera frame, she also captures small emotions, which many male directors often move on by saying ‘Hey, leave it, man’. The film came on Prime Videosystem‘ This is also a story of two women woven on the same fabric.
This film is different
But wait! If you are thinking that like Sunny Deol, ‘date after date’ will be fought in the courtroom, then Bhaisaheb, you have lost your way. This is not a chest-beating and crying drama. This film, under the guise of law, exposes the bitter truth of the society, where the glamor of the rich and the helplessness of the poor stand face to face. The film raises very piercing questions, like, if the judge has given the verdict, has justice really been done? And the one who was given a clean chit by the court, is he really a washed up person?
What is the story of ‘System’?
The story starts from Delhi High Court, where Neha (Sonakshi Sinha) is fighting a case related to drugs and smuggling. Now the twist is that Neha is not from a common background. She is the daughter of the city’s most famous and influential lawyer Ravi Rajvansh (Ashutosh Gowarikar), who has his own big law firm ‘Rajvansh Legal’. Now you will ask that when there is such a big shop at home, then why is Neha struggling in that humid and junk-like environment of a government office? Is she too idealistic like Ananya Shroff of ‘Masla Legal Hai’?
The answer is- no! There is definitely a similarity of privilege between Ananya and Neha, but Neha faces the same problem with the filth of a government office as any child from a rich family would. Actually, the catch is that his father has put a condition before him, “First prove your capability by winning 10 consecutive cases as a government lawyer, only then you will get partnership in Rajvansh Legal.” You can call this ‘reverse nepotism’ in the language of films, on which even the internet enjoys a lot these days.
Amidst this struggle, Neha meets Sarika (Astrologer), a court steno. Sarika comes from a lower middle class family, with the burden of the entire house on her shoulders. Sarika knows the court environment inside out, she has experience. She gives Neha a small useful tip and Neha wins her first case. It is from here that an unspoken coordination is established between these two. Neha starts taking Sarika’s help in every case and the winning streak continues.
But the real shock in the story comes when a social media influencer named Inaya dies. The police are considering it as suicide, but it also points towards murder. Neha gets this case, but standing in front of her as a wall is her own father Ravi Rajvansh, who is fighting the case of the main accused in this case and big builder Vikram Bajral. To know what happens next, you will have to go to Prime Video and watch the system.
How is the film and how is the direction?
The biggest quality of director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (who has made excellent films like ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ and ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’) is that she does not allow the story to be loud. The run-time of the film is 2 hours 3 minutes and at full speed it does not force you into any drama. There are no screaming monologues in the film. The story progresses in a very calm and composed manner, which forces you to think.
Ashwini has beautifully juxtaposed two completely different sections of Delhi. On one side is Neha’s hi-fi rich world, where tea-latte is drunk, and on the other side is Sarika’s world where solace is found in vegetable market pakodas and marigold flowers. The ‘sisterhood’ (friendship and bond) shown between these two women is the real soul of this film.
The best thing about the film is that it does not shy away from showing men as outright villains or ‘one-sidedly bad’. Be it the character of the father or the boyfriend, emotions and shortcomings have also been given in them, due to which the story does not seem black and white but seems absolutely real.
Where is the weakness left?
A big imbalance is clearly visible in the writing of the film. Neha (Sonakshi) does not get half of the time and depth that the screenplay spends in showing the life of Sarika (Jyotika), her pain and her compulsions. Neha’s inner turmoil, her decisions and her weaknesses have been touched upon superficially. Because of this, as a viewer, you get very attached to one character and the other one seems a bit incomplete.
Who won in acting?
Talking about acting, this film is completely Jyothika’s. She is the ‘scene-stealer’ of this film. She has breathed life into the character of Sarika. The burden of a caregiver, the silence hidden in the eyes, the self-respect and that slow silence on the face – he has done a wonderful job in every frame. When she is on screen, you cannot take your eyes off her.
Sonakshi Sinha has done a good job in the role of Neha, who is confident and wants to make her own identity. Especially in those scenes where she wants to get out of the burden of her family name, she looks quite real. But the problem is not in his acting, but in the weak graph of his character, which does not give him a chance to rise much above the screenplay.
Ashutosh Gowarikar has given the necessary grandeur and dignity to his character as Ravi Rajvansh. Whereas Adinath Kothare seems to be under-utilized in the beginning, but with a big twist in the story, he manages to make his presence felt.
see or not
Overall, the ‘system’ is not just about who won which case in the court and how. This film is about how a woman is able to muster the strength to write her own story in this very complex and ‘system’ which dances at the behest of the influential people. This film by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari should be seen for its honest intentions, simplicity of characters and great depth. If you like to watch some different and mind-blowing cinema this weekend, then this film of Prime Video is for you.
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