No One Killed Jessica
Encyclopedia
No One Killed Jessica is a 2011 Bollywood
film starring Rani Mukerji
and Vidya Balan
, produced by UTV Spotboy
and directed by Raj Kumar Gupta
, who directed the acclaimed film Aamir (2008).
The film has music by Amit Trivedi
, who also composed the soundtrack for Dev D
(2009). Vidya Balan plays the character of Jessica’s elder sister, Sabrina Lal, Rani is set to play a reporter. Upon release, the film met with positive critical and box office reception.
, is based on the media coverage of the controversial Jessica Lal murder case
. The director clarified that the title and the script are actually inspired by a headline written by The Times of India
(epaper link) in 2006, when the accused in the infamous murder case were acquitted by a trial court, leading to nationwide protests, the appeal and re -opening of the case and subsequent sentencing of the accused, and not the case per se.
restaurant by Manish Bhardwaj, alias Manu, the son of a wealthy powerful influential and intimidating Haryana
politician.
Jessica, along with actor and model Vikram Jai Singh, were closing a restaurant's bar for the evening when approached by Manu and two friends. Infuriated by Jessica's refusal to serve them drinks after the bar closed, Manu fatally shoots Jessica. The powerful family's poltical, financial, justice and police connections of the accused intimidated, coerced, threatened and bribed nearly all the witnesses to the shocking, wanton and horrific crime. It then became an uneven battle between Jessica’s family, especially her sister Sabrina and the politically-backed and influential family of the accused.
In February 2006, the court acquitted Manu and other accused due to lack of sufficient evidence setting off a public outcry and widespread protests. The backlash from the initial acquittal forced the re-opening of the investigation. In December 2006, Manu was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
of the Times of India gave the movie four stars out of five stating, "No One Killed Jessica is a film that unleashes a myriad emotions in you. The hard facts of modern India's most written about case are well known by almost everybody but the director Rajkumar Gupta's (he'd already displayed his talent in Aamir) dramatic handling of the crime, the criminals, the crusaders and the victim creates a storm, once again." Taran Adarsh
of Bollywood Hungama
also rated the film 4/5 and described it as "a remarkable blend of facts and fiction inspired by a series of real-life episodes, which has thankfully not been presented as a tedious biography or in a mind-numbing docu-drama format." Anupama Chopra
of NDTV
while rating the film three stars out of five wrote, "No One Killed Jessica is several notches ahead of the tripe we’ve been subjected to in theatres lately." Rajeev Masand
of CNN-IBN gave the film two and a half stars out of five and wrote, "With the exception of a few powerful scenes that leave you with a genuine lump in your throat, Gupta goes for full-on melodrama that doesn't always ring true." Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times
gave it three stars and argues, "Can a feature film, in a couple of hours flat, ever detail an entire truth about anything? Possibly not. But it can entertainingly dramatise it. That’s what the fine director-writer and a consummate raconteur here (Rajkumar Gupta) manages to do." Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan
wrote that this film is a "pertinent, media friendly and brave effort by the makers. The performances living up to the title and story of the film."
who had debuted with the same director in Aamir. Lyrics are penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The album received generally positive reviews from critics.
, where University School of Information Technology
(one of the 12 on-campus schools of university) was disguised to Patiala House District-Court. In mid of the process the Vice Chancellor of university Dilip Bandopadhyay
was prevented from entering his own campus. So while Bandopadhyay haggled with bouncers
— on guard outside the main gate — to let him in, the cameras rolled allegedly without the VC’s permission. On this matter University has terminated the contract of a faculty member accused of organizing the April 19 film shoot on campus.
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film starring Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. In the course of her film career, she has received six Filmfare Awards, among twelve nominations....
and Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
, produced by UTV Spotboy
UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures Plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Software Communications Ltd. , based in London media and entertainment production company...
and directed by Raj Kumar Gupta
Raj Kumar Gupta
Raj Kumar Gupta is an acclaimed Indian film maker and screen writer. He made his debut as director with critically acclaimed Aamir and followed it up with Rani Mukherjee and Vidya Balan starrer No One Killed Jessica based on the Jessica Lall murder case, which also received critical acclaim...
, who directed the acclaimed film Aamir (2008).
The film has music by Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
, who also composed the soundtrack for Dev D
Dev D
Dev.D is a 2009 Indian romance film released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali novel Devdas., previously adapted for the screen by P.C. Barua and Bimal Roy and more recently by Sanjay Leela...
(2009). Vidya Balan plays the character of Jessica’s elder sister, Sabrina Lal, Rani is set to play a reporter. Upon release, the film met with positive critical and box office reception.
Cast
- Rani MukerjiRani MukerjiRani Mukerji is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. In the course of her film career, she has received six Filmfare Awards, among twelve nominations....
as Meera Gaity - Vidya BalanVidya BalanVidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
as Sabrina Lall - Myra Karn as Jessica LallJessica LalJessica Lal was a model in New Delhi, who was working as a celebrity barmaid at a crowded socialite party when she was shot dead on 29 April 1999. Dozens of witnesses pointed to Siddharth Vashisht, a.k.a...
- Neil Bhoopalam as Vikram Jai Singh
- Rajesh SharmaRajesh SharmaRajesh Sharma is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is currently Punjab Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.-Early life:Rajesh Sharma was born in Toronto in Canada, to Devinder and Ranbir Sharma...
as N. K. - Shireesh Sharma as Pramod Bharadwaj
- Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Manish Bharadwaj
- Bubbles Sabharwal as Mallika Sehgal
- Yogendra Tikku as Sanjit Lall
- Geeta Sudan as June Lall
- Samara Chopra as Naina Sehgal
- Satyadeep Mishra as Meera's Boss
Production
The political thriller, set in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, is based on the media coverage of the controversial Jessica Lal murder case
Jessica Lal
Jessica Lal was a model in New Delhi, who was working as a celebrity barmaid at a crowded socialite party when she was shot dead on 29 April 1999. Dozens of witnesses pointed to Siddharth Vashisht, a.k.a...
. The director clarified that the title and the script are actually inspired by a headline written by The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
(epaper link) in 2006, when the accused in the infamous murder case were acquitted by a trial court, leading to nationwide protests, the appeal and re -opening of the case and subsequent sentencing of the accused, and not the case per se.
Themes
The film, No One Killed Jessica is based on the true story of Jessica Lall, a Delhi-based model, who was shot in 1999 at a New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
restaurant by Manish Bhardwaj, alias Manu, the son of a wealthy powerful influential and intimidating Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
politician.
Jessica, along with actor and model Vikram Jai Singh, were closing a restaurant's bar for the evening when approached by Manu and two friends. Infuriated by Jessica's refusal to serve them drinks after the bar closed, Manu fatally shoots Jessica. The powerful family's poltical, financial, justice and police connections of the accused intimidated, coerced, threatened and bribed nearly all the witnesses to the shocking, wanton and horrific crime. It then became an uneven battle between Jessica’s family, especially her sister Sabrina and the politically-backed and influential family of the accused.
In February 2006, the court acquitted Manu and other accused due to lack of sufficient evidence setting off a public outcry and widespread protests. The backlash from the initial acquittal forced the re-opening of the investigation. In December 2006, Manu was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Release
The film was released on 7 January 2011. It received positive reviews from critics. No One Killed Jessica opened quite well and got positive feedback from audience. The film recovered its cost before release through satellite and music rights.Critical response
No One Killed Jessica received a number of positive reviews. Nikhat KazmiNikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
of the Times of India gave the movie four stars out of five stating, "No One Killed Jessica is a film that unleashes a myriad emotions in you. The hard facts of modern India's most written about case are well known by almost everybody but the director Rajkumar Gupta's (he'd already displayed his talent in Aamir) dramatic handling of the crime, the criminals, the crusaders and the victim creates a storm, once again." Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
also rated the film 4/5 and described it as "a remarkable blend of facts and fiction inspired by a series of real-life episodes, which has thankfully not been presented as a tedious biography or in a mind-numbing docu-drama format." Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra is a noted author, journalist and film critic. She has written several books on Indian cinema and has been a movie reviewer with NDTV and India Today.-Career:...
of NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
while rating the film three stars out of five wrote, "No One Killed Jessica is several notches ahead of the tripe we’ve been subjected to in theatres lately." Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN gave the film two and a half stars out of five and wrote, "With the exception of a few powerful scenes that leave you with a genuine lump in your throat, Gupta goes for full-on melodrama that doesn't always ring true." Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
gave it three stars and argues, "Can a feature film, in a couple of hours flat, ever detail an entire truth about anything? Possibly not. But it can entertainingly dramatise it. That’s what the fine director-writer and a consummate raconteur here (Rajkumar Gupta) manages to do." Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
wrote that this film is a "pertinent, media friendly and brave effort by the makers. The performances living up to the title and story of the film."
Soundtrack
The music of the film is composed by National award-winning composer Amit TrivediAmit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
who had debuted with the same director in Aamir. Lyrics are penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The album received generally positive reviews from critics.
Track listing
Controversy
During the shooting of movie in Delhi, one shot was taken at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha UniversityGuru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University is a public, professional university located in Delhi, India...
, where University School of Information Technology
University School Of Information Technology
University School of Information Technology is a premier constituent institute of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.The school offers a full-time B.Tech, M.Tech, as well as MCA programs. The School has established itself in the league of the most sought-after technology schools in India...
(one of the 12 on-campus schools of university) was disguised to Patiala House District-Court. In mid of the process the Vice Chancellor of university Dilip Bandopadhyay
D. K. Bandyopadhyay
Dilip K. Bandyopadhyay is a professor, PhD and scientific management researcher. He is the current and second vice-chancellor of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. His term of office started on December 18, 2008...
was prevented from entering his own campus. So while Bandopadhyay haggled with bouncers
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
— on guard outside the main gate — to let him in, the cameras rolled allegedly without the VC’s permission. On this matter University has terminated the contract of a faculty member accused of organizing the April 19 film shoot on campus.