Patna Shuklla Review: Raveena Tandon Film Offers Engaging Experience

Patna Shuklla Review: In 'Patna Shuklla', Raveena Tandon tackles patriarchal society and education scams, however, the script is loose.

Despite being an engaging and slightly frustrating watch, Patna Shuklla never really made sense to me as to how Tanvi got the nickname, but we never actually see how that came about. Despite Patna Shuklla's flaws, it still has a lot to offer. Sometimes, even films that aren't perfect make for good material. This is one of those films.

Plot and cast of Patna Shukla

In the film, Tanvi Shukla (Raveena) is a lawyer in Patna's lower court, living out her childhood dream. Her husband, Siddharth (Manav Vij), a senior engineer with the water board, and Sonu, their school-going son, are both loving wives to her and doting mothers. Her father (Raju Kher) refers to her as ‘papa ki laadli (Father's favorite)’, but she doesn't depend on him for daily tasks.

One day, Tanvi decides to fight the case of Rinki Kumari (Anushka Kaushik), and she sets out to expose a big scam in the education system involving youth icon Raghubir Singh (Jatin Goswami).

In her quest to get Rinki the justice she deserves, Tanvi ends up rubbing elbows with influential, privileged and connected people and discovers a dark secret about herself in the process. As the case gains momentum and makes headlines on news channels, Tanvi receives the title Patna Shuklla, where one section lauds her courage, while another tries to bring her down.

What awaits us more in the Film?

The film's understanding of privilege is its best quality and it clearly isn't afraid to examine the same through a very timely lens – when a family does something that irks a politician, a government employee husband suddenly finds himself facing an inquiry and a bulldozer is sent to their house. Husbands are told to 'keep their wives in control'; a Muslim man and a student from a poor family are victims of a system that doesn't listen to them.

The film posits that anyone in a position of privilege does benefit from a corrupt system, whether they like it or not. In a world like that, it becomes crucial to acknowledge our privileges and to stand on the right side of history. Speaking of privilege, Siddharth's character is well-written and quite well-rounded. My only qualm with Bhakshak was that the husband had a complete change of heart after one argument.

The change in Siddharth's heart here is more personal. He doesn't change his ways simply because he's called out; he's just a good person who understands his privilege. He supports his wife because she's right, not because he wants to claim moral authority. Neither does he strive to become a saviour – instead, he is a good partner.

In the film, there are many moments in which ‘tell’ rather than ‘show’ is used. Tanvi explains she's a lawyer after the guests at the Shuklas' house point out they're all housewives. Tanvi's former opponent has an ailing wife to care for. A corrupt official is thankful Tanvi does not call him out in front of his daughter in one scene. Tanvi's relationship with her father throughout the film and the way it ties into the ending is impressive. I do, however, appreciate how the daughter's dialogues seem so cosmetic that the entire scene falls flat.

Patna Shuklla is a decent addition to the list of courtroom dramas that have caught the audience's attention, and are much appreciated both on the big screen and through streaming platforms like Disney+.

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