Show: Your Honor 2
Cast: Jimmy Sheirgill, Gulshan Grover, Varun Badola, Parul Gulati, Mita Vashisht, Richa Pallod, Pulkit Makol, Mahie Gill, Suhasinu Mulay
Director: E Niwas
OTT: SonyLIV
Rating: 3 Moons
The first season of SonyLIV’s Your Honor, remake of a popular Israeli web series was a well-made show and its sequel Your Honor 2 comes pretty close to keeping the legacy intact. Director E Niwas and writer Ishan Trivedi have managed to keep a tight rein on the story and present an intriguing and gripping thriller starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Gulshan Grover, Varun Badola, Parul Gulati and Mita Vashisht in the lead.
Your Honor 2 picks up from where the first season ended where Judge Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill) continues to sink into an abyss with him battling his conscience, the underworld and the police as he tries hard to fight for his troubled son Abeer (Pulkit Makol) and brings to fore a man of justice with questionable morals.The series finely weaves in strong emotions and a man’s unbridled love for his family, his desire for revenge and the unsettling anguish that comes with his actions.
Your Honor 2 unfolds in Ludhiana where Bishan shoots Satnam Mudki after learning that he was the cause of his wife’s suicide. However, this starts a chain reaction of revenge as Satnam’s father and younger brother Harman Mudki (Kunj Anand) are eager to avenge his death as they hold Bishan and Abeer responsible.
Jimmy Sheirgill reprises his role as the sessions court judge but this time he has a lot to deal with as his song is locked up in jail in a hit-and-run case that killed a gangster’s son. Jimmy is impeccable as the central protagonist who is torn between his duties as a father and his responsibilities as a judge. Caught on the wrong side of the law the stakes are high for him as he is worried about the safety of his son in jail while he himself is being blackmailed for Satnam’s murder. His righteousness gets a severe beating as the gang asks him to pay a heavy ransom and influences his decisions as a judge.
Jimmy pulls off the dilemma of his character with aplomb and gets one to sympathise with his problems and misery. He creates a tense atmosphere making the audience feel his trappings and wonder whether he will be able to escape unscathed. He is rarely seen with a smile on screen and adheres to his worried-looking demeanour throughout the show. He successfully transfers the tension onscreen to the audience watching the show.
Pulkit Makol convincingly plays an unlikeable and feckless Abeer. He is the epitome of a bad character who gets himself into trouble and then expects others to bail him out. On the other hand, Mita Vashisht as just-reinstated police officer Kiran Sekhon mounts pressure on Sheirgill. She leads from the front and does not rely on the men around her to wield power. The clash between the judge and the policewoman is a highpoint of the show even if it takes time to build up.
Gulshan Grover, as the suave slimeball and a nightclub owner Gurjot, along with his cold, calculating partner Yashpreet (Mahie Gill) makes life truly hell for the judge as they pressure him to pass judgments in their favour. Richa Pallod nails it as Indu (Kaashi’s wife) as she essays a strong-willed character even when she is caught in the most hapless situation. Zeishan Qadri plays the ruthless new gang leader who takes over after the death of Pandit (Yashpal Sharma). Suhasini Mulay as Sheirgill’s mother-in-law gives an equally remarkable performance and their banter brings another dimension to the judge’s misery.
E Niwas’ direction takes a long time to culminate in a gripping series, yet when it does it does end each episode on a cliffhanger that makes you want to watch the next one. The script could have been more taut and crisp and do not do justice to the calibre of the actors in the ensemble. Also there are too many subplots to keep in tune with, yet Your Honor 2 is an engaging watch and a commendable show that rests heavily on Sheirgill’s and Vashisht’s shoulders.
PeepingMoon.com gives Your Honor 2, 3 Moons.
