Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (transl.Just One Common Man is Enough), or simply Bandaa (transl.Common Man), is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language legal drama film directed by Apoorv Singh Karki and co-produced by Zee Studios and Bhanushali Studios. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee.[2][3][4] The film brings back the team of Manoj Bajpayee and Suparn Verma, who earlier collaborated on The Family Man.[5] The film was released digitally on 23 May 2023 on ZEE5[6] and also had a limited theatrical release on 2 June 2023, after a largely positive response from critics and audiences.[7] It was featured in the 54th IFFI Indian panorama mainstream section.[8]
At the 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai received 7 nominations and won 5 awards, including Best Web Original Film, Best Director in a Web Original Film (Karki) and Best Actor in a Web Original Film (Bajpayee).
Synopsis
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kafi Hai is a courtroom drama[9][10] inspired by actual events of a five-year-long standalone fight of a regular session court lawyer Adv. P. C. Solanki (Manoj Bajpayee) stands for the truth and his struggle to bring justice to a minor. The plot is based on the trial of Asaram for the rape of a minor.[11]
The case was moved to the Session Court. Witnesses were killed and threatened by the godman's goons, but due to the undeterred efforts of Adv. P. C. Solanki, the victim(s) got justice eventually.[12]
Himanshu Manek as Madhukar Tripathi, Principal of Saraswati school
Micky Singh as Mrs. Kamat
Rajesh Talnikar as Dinesh Bhavchandani
Tushar Phulke as Defence Witness
Vishwamitra Dixit as Defence lawyer's assistance
Production
Principal photography started on 9 October 2022, when it was also announced that Manoj Bajpayee has been signed to play the lead.[13][14] The film was primarily shot in Mumbai.[15] The shoots were wrapped by December 2022.[16]
Advocate P. C. Solanki filed case against producers of the film because of violation of his intellectual property rights.[17] The Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Charitable Trust sent a legal notice to the producers of the film right after the trailer launch.[18][19]
Reception
Mint Lounge wrote, " Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai review: Unlovely and uncomplicated. The screen slopes from left to right. The décor is very Wicked Witch of the West: black and brown and green. Nothing is clear, the eye goes nowhere, it’s a mess.[20]
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai received critical acclaim from critics. The Hindu wrote "Despite a pumped-up narrative style, the film looks realistic, shot in life-size courtrooms and streets. And there are some memorable juxtapositions, all of them featuring Solanki."[21]
Bollywood Hungama wrote "Apoorv Singh Karki's direction is first-rate. He makes good use of the powerful script and dialogues and adds the required drama to the narrative. The way he has helmed simple scenes and enhanced the impact is praiseworthy, like Baba’s arrest, Baba greeting his followers and distributing sweets outside the court, Solanki narrating the road accident story etc."[22]
Grace Cyril for India Today rated the movie 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "With a narrative so sensitive, the screenplay has been handled with the utmost care. There's a scene where a lawyer asks Nu if the godman made her touch his private parts. Even though he is defending the godman, he gets ashamed asking this and the entire court falls silent."[23]
Deepa Gahlot for Rediff.com rated the movie 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Karki deftly balances the emotions of hope and despair and at one level, the film makes the audience feel good, that Nu and Solanki's battle was not in vain."[24]
Pinkvilla wrote "The courtroom drama deals with the subject matter in a very delicate and sensitive way. Not just audiences having an inclination towards courtroom films but everyone should enjoy watching the film."[25]
A critic from Firstpost wrote "One of the best scenes of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai is when Solanki (Manoj Bajpayee) tries to convince the minor girl on the terrace to fight against the god-man and not be scared. He says that now it’s time not to hide your face behind the dupatta, but to tie it hard around your waist and fight like Ma Kali."[26]
The Times of India rated the movie 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "The movie, where only Advocate Solanki's name remains unchanged, while other characters are given screen names, handles the narrative with great sensitivity, even in the scenes when the defence asks Nu pointed questions about the incident or how mindfully the police handle the case. It does not sensationalise the event while ensuring it’s gripping."[27]
Scroll.in praised Manoj Bajpayee's performance and wrote "The title gives a fair warning. The movie isn’t about the teenager and her family who had the courage to file a police complaint but the crusading lawyer."[28]
A critic from The Quint wrote "In focusing on the ek bandaa (one man) at the centre of the courtroom drama, we see little of the stories bubbling around him. The way the pressure of "proving" allegations of sexual misconduct falls on the survivor is hinted at but not explored."[29]
A critic from CNBC TV18 wrote "The entire escapade, peopled with shady characters and accentuated by the ashram’s secluded and eerie premises, was as spooky as a true-crime documentary."[30]
Zoom TV wrote "The film skillfully navigates the complexities of faith and the law, questioning the influence of charisma."[31]
A critic from Lehren wrote "Most of all, there’s an unabashed borrowing of the Criminal Justice and Jolly LLB templates – a self-effacing advocate pitched against biggies in the legal business, a bit of wit attempted as the serious case proceeds and glimpses into the humble lawyer’s personal life.
Shubham Kulkarni of Koimoi rated the film 4/5 and said "It is a masterclass about how an actor can hold an entire movie on his skilled shoulders. Manoj Bajpayee doesn’t blow life in this movie; he is the life of the film". [1]
