Cast: Arjun Rampal, Manav Kaul, Anand Tiwari, Rajit Kapur, Madhoo Shah, Samreen Kaur
Director: Bugs Bhargava Krishna
Rating: ***1/2
Most of the times I prefer to give reviews that are spoiler-free but in case of Nail Polish, it is impossible to give one. So a fair warning right at the start that there are some spoilers in this review but I have tried my best to not divulge the juicer details so that you can enjoy this series to the fullest.
Nail Polish started streaming on ZEE5 from January 1, 2021, and it was like a New Year Gift from the OTT platforms. From the trailer, the show looks like a legal dram but would like to say that it is much more than that. It is also a crime thriller which has its twists and turns. In the complete run time, which is more than 120 minutes, you will always be wondering what is next in-store.
The movie is said to be based on real-life incidents. At the very start, we get to know a harsh truth about burnt corpses of 38 migrant children being found by the cops. Further investigation reveals that these children were sexually assaulted before being charred. Only two of these kids could be identified and through this Police zeroes in on Veer Singh (Manav Kaul) as the culprit.
At the same time, it is also shared that Veer Singh is a model citizen. He is an ex-serviceman who is very popular in his circle and is also a sports coach. It is difficult to come to terms if Veer has indeed committed such a heinous crime. The movie starts off as a courtroom drama with the government prosecutor trying his best to make sure that justice is delivered. And it is at this stage that the character of Sid Jaisingh (Arjun Rampal) makes an entry. He is a big-ticket defence lawyer, who is offered Rajya Sabha ticket from the higher-ups to make sure that Veer Singh walks and thus starts the drama of turning things around and one starts to wonder on what is the real truth.
The big turning point for the case is when it is established that the DNA inside one of the child’s mouth is that of Veer Singh that it starts to sink in that probably there is more than what meets the eye in case of this protagonist. While one would expect the movie to go like most with the high profile lawyer be able to get a rabbit out of the hat or perhaps the state lawyer getting his due but neither is the correct guess. The movie runs into a new dimension where another personality of Veer Singh takes centre stage. There are so many twists that you are always at the edge of your seat.
Coming over to the performance Manav Kaul is brilliant in this movie. He has portrayed three different roles and his performance as Veer Singh and Bhawna Raina is beyond words can explain. There are not too may shots of Kaul as Ranjeet but that part of his life too is well etched out in the narrative.
Arjun Rampal also fits well in his role. However, his back story could have been better narated. There are also instances in the movie where they show the backstory of the Judge who is sitting over the case. In this, his relationship with his drunk wife is portrayed. Some of the instances shown here looked force and take you away from the main plot.
Another issue that I had with this movie is while it talks to be a progressive movie and the makers have tried hard to be real but as soon as one speaks Hypnosis, the same old pendulum is shown doing the work. Wish they could have remained in sync with times even on this.
Nail Polish has an unconventional name and most people will never be able to guess just from the name on what this movie is all about. It does not do complete justice to the narratives that it packs. However, one should not get deceived by the name and watch this intriguing movie that has some commendable performances. Also a word of caution, please have a closer look at the end, much like Andhadun, Nail Polish too has an open ending which will haunt you for a while.
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