Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, which will release tomorrow on Zee5, is a courtroom drama about a righteous lawyer who takes on a powerful person through his sheer guts and deep knowledge of the law. Inspired by the Asaram Bapu case, the film starts on a great note. Certain courtroom moments are powerful and even funny. The performances add to the impact while the finale is memorable. On the flipside, the middle portions are a bit haphazard and not properly explained. Also, the tension levels don’t go up to the expected levels, especially since the lawyer is seen clashing with those who can go to any lengths to get their work done. One would also wish that the protagonist suffers minor defeats in the courtroom and doesn’t counter every point put forth by the prosecution; that would have added to the impact. Speaking of performances, Manoj Bajpayee is simply outstanding. He rocks the show in the intense scenes but watch out for him when he has to strike a balance between being a fanboy of the defence lawyers and doing his duty. Vipin Sharma (Pramod Sharma) rocks the show. Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha looks every inch the character of Baba and does very well. Adrija Sinha (Nu Singh) plays a challenging character with ease. Abhijit Lahiri (Ram Chandvani) leaves a huge mark, though he’s there for just one scene. Durga Sharma (Nu's mother), Jai Hind Kumar (Nu's father), Ikhlaque Ahmed Khan (Judge), Archana Dani (Mrs Bapat; school principal), Saurabh Sharma (Nu's first lawyer) and the actor playing Venkateshwar Swamy also do well. All in all, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai deserves to be seen for its powerful moments and Manoj Bajpayee’s award-winning performance.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!