Illegal: The legal system at its sinister best
Story
The infamous ‘Meher Salam’ case lands in the lap of ‘The Mad Lawyer’, Niharika Singh (Neha Sharma). She’s recently been appointed as Senior Advocate at Janardhan Jaitley’s (Piyush Mishra) law firm. The accused is involved in a quadruple murder. The court of law has sounded its verdictand stated that Meher Salam (Kubra Sait) should be hung till death. But why is she still around? Why isn’t she executed? She’s still around because the Indian legal system doesn’t employ a female executioner. While Niharika is trying to find a way out and give her client the justice she deserves, she’s forced to take her stepbrother, Neeraj Shekhavat’s case and bail him out of a rape case. She knows she is fighting the wrong case, but is forced to do it for the love of Akshay Jaitley (Akshay Oberoi), Janardhan Jaitley’s son, and the respect that she has for the Janardhan himself. As the series progresses, Niharika realises that she’s been exposed to a can of worms. She gradually learns of JJ’s malicious intent. He applies his dirty politics both inside and outside the courtroom.
Review
Piyush Mishra will compel you to despise him. He’s delved into the nuances of his role and has given this dark character of Janardhan Jaitley a deserving arc. Piyush Mishra is very loyal to his craft and knows how to take twists and turns at the desired moment, adding flavour to the series.
One may assume that Kubra’s part is trivialised, but even with the little screen spacethat she has, she conveys a strong message, compelling the forerunners of our constitution to take a reality check and make our legal system a bit more foolproof.
Akshay Oberoi showcases his myriad moods through the multi-dimensional role. He is in his element and is given the opportunity to explore relationships in the most astounding manner. Neha’s voiceover sets the tone of the series. The tone is reflective and urges the viewer to think of the little things as they watch the show.
While the series has a very important messages to convey, there isn’t much emphasis laid on the same. The message is belittled and there is too much time invested on the rape case. Luckily enough, unlike in reality, Niharika thankfully forces Neeraj Shekhavat to confess his misdoings, and gets the victim to where he belongs: in prison.
Interestingly, with the number of back-stories that are woven into the existing plot, one can be certain of season two that is planned and could release in the post Covid-19 era. The show is a must watch and in many ways is an eye-opener.