Story: The first season of Netflix‘s Maamla Legal Hai was released in March 2024 and witnessed Advocate Visheshwar D. Tyagi (Ravi Kishan), a top lawyer of Patparganj, fighting the Bar Association election and becoming the president. However, he suddenly receives the offer to become a judge and, after much thought and deliberation, finally decides to accept the position. The legal comedy-drama, which set a benchmark in the genre with its chaotic, quirky play, is now back with its sequel.
The latest series commences with a quick recap of the first season in the calm yet witty voice of narrator Vijay Raaz. He ends his satirical monologue by informing that the show is based on a few true incidents-cum-accidents (Kuch satya ghatnao (durghatnao) par aadharit). In a way, he tries to hint that it is going to be a fun ride. But is the second season as delightful as its predecessor? Read on to find out…
Review: The latest instalment begins right from the point at which the first one ended, which sees the new Judge preparing to take his oath, leaving his prestigious chamber in the hands of a dear friend, a reliable junior and a mentor. With some changes in ranks and roles, Maamla Legal Hai 2 introduces a new case and presents a fresh lawsuit in the forthcoming episodes. But at the same time, glimpses of the long-running cases also keep resurfacing intermittently.
Maamla Legal Hai 2 witnesses the law stumbling at multiple occasions, but doesn’t try to sugarcoat or glorify a still-developing system that needs much attention and improvement. Such a heavy topic requires precise and careful writing to turn a tragedy into comedy. Writers Syed Shadan, Mohak Aneja, and Tatsat Pandey do a fantastic job with Kunal Aneja leading the team, but lag a bit in bringing more interesting and quirky court cases like the first season.
For example, a man divorces his newlywed bride because she was less shy on their first night. A parrot gets arrested for hurling abuse at his owner’s relative and still gets bailed out. These incidents were like a laughter riot in the first instalment. The latest season also showcases a few quirky lawsuits, but most of them end up becoming preachy rather than amusing.
Ravi, who mostly appears as a confident top lawyer-turned-a new self-doubting judicial head, showcases the dilemma faced by judges on most days. However, irrespective of the apprehensions, he doesn’t lose his aura. Nidhi, as the nonchalant lawyer with her new chamber and unexpected love interest, tickles you with her presence. Naila Grrewal, as the Harvard-returned classy yet kind young lawyer, and the charming Anant V Joshi as the ‘Donna’ (a reference from American legal drama, Suits) of the Patparganj court, shine together with their lovely camaraderie. Anjum Batra’s new character arc shows him in a different light and earns him viewers’ empathy.
Alongside a fantastic ensemble, director Rahul Pandey brings a new set of impressive actors, including Kusha Kapila as another Harvard returned lawyer with less empathy and a more ambitious mind, Dinesh Lal Yadav as a happy-go-lucky victim of an unfair trade practice and Dibyendu Bhattacharya as the most surprising element. Meanwhile, a few cameo appearances and supporting actors add to the narrative extremely well.
While Brijendra Kala, Tanvi Azmi, Vijay Rajoria, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Pratap, Amit Vikram Pandey, Pooja Shyam Prabhat, Vijayant Kohli, Kumar Saurabh and Sameer Saxena (also showrunner) are names worth mentioning, this reviewer couldn’t get enough of a small yet immensely impressive appearance of Abhishek Sharma and his naturally hilarious one-liners. He plays the role of a small-time lawyer named Lallan Bagai. Casting director Vaibhav Vasant (Chhava and Ikkis) deserves praise and applause for a job well done.
There’s an unmissable and fascinating set piece that takes place in the final episode, focusing on a pen and its cruciality among the law and its guardians. From being a brooch to a clever sting operation prop to fake evidence to a death sentence, the pen performs numerous roles, and changes people’s lives for good, bad and worst. Such apt symbolism by the creators needs to be studied.
Verdict: If seen as a single show, the latest instalment is brilliant; however, due to a superhit predecessor, it will be declared a runner-up instead of a winner. As mentioned above, the second instalment of this legal drama series lags a bit due to comparatively less interesting court cases, but the engaging character developments and powerhouse performances not only save Maamla Legal Hai 2 but make it worth watching.
Read more entertainment news, interviews, movies and web series reviews on The Movie Mail.
