'Criminal Justice 3' Review: Promising Story & Great Actors Wasted by Tired Plot

'Criminal Justice' season 3 pits Pankaj Tripathi against Shweta Basu Prasad.

Pankaj Tripathi in Criminal Justice season 3.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

'Means, Motive and Opportunity' - these three words are uttered time and again in the third season of Criminal Justice. After a disappointing second season, there had to be some others means and motive to rectify the series. The plot in the latest season is definitely promising, but the opportunity is kind of lost.

The second season begins with a bickering family, that lives in South Bombay and sits on a mountain of wealth. Zara (Tripti Sahu), a pre-teenager, is a child actor and already famous. Her parents, Avantika (Swastika Mukherjee) and Pankaj (Purab Kohli), dote on her.

Pankaj Tripathi in Criminal Justice season 3.

Zara's brother Mukul (Aaditya Gupta) feels unseen and underappreciated. The Ahujas go to Madh Island for a weekend, and Zara gets brutally murdered there. All clues and evidence point to Mukul, who is hell-bent on not helping himself. As luck would have it, the Ahujas run out of money. Enter our saviour Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi).

The State of Juvenile Correctional Facilities

Every season of Criminal Justice deals with some correctional facility - in this case, it's the juvenile correctional homes. A prime suspect, Mukul is detained and sent to the custody. The experience is nothing short of harrowing for him. He is mocked because of his privileges, bullied and even beaten up.

A still from Criminal Justice season 3.

But what's shocking is the behaviour of the person in charge of the correctional home. He is foul-mouthed and, from the get-go, is convinced that Mukul has committed the crime. The words 'innocent until proven guilty' does not exist in his dictionary.

Which is really ironic, considering all the inmates there are minors and most of them are dealing with some form of trauma.

Mental Health of Children

A lot of emphasis has been given to how a lot of parents are oblivious to the mental health of their children. We have a misunderstood Mukul battling anger issues and taking recourse to drugs and alcohol when his pleas for help are obviously shrugged off by his parents.

A still of Mukul in Criminal Justice season 3.

In one of the scenes, Pankaj is seen watching an old video wherein he and Avantika celebrate Zara winning her first award. In the same video, Pankaj notices Mukul standing in a corner. However, it strangely does nothing to the father who is sure that his stepson murdered Zara.

Then there's another set of parents who do not even acknowledge that their daughter is differently-abled.

In a country that's woefully unaware of mental health problems, it's commendable that the show triggers a conversation. But can long speeches by a lawyer during a trial bring about a change in hearts?

Incessant Trolling & How It Affects People

Not just trauma from broken families, but there's an increasing role that social media also plays in affecting someone's mental health. Incessant trolling can lead to young people taking drastic steps, and Criminal Justice 3 harps on the challenges of bringing up children in Instagram and Twitter-saturated times and does a sensitive job.

One big let-down this season is the almost insincere portrayal of teenagers. At a time when we have seen terrific performances by young actors, both Mukul and Zara are unconvincing. They are flawed youngsters, but the characters are not well fleshed-out.

We sense Zara's frustration as constantly being used as a prop, mostly by her own father, but we don't get a glimpse into Zara's mind. What does Zara aspire to become? How does it affect someone whose childhood has been snatched away because she is constantly in the limelight?

A still from Criminal Justice season 3.

Even Mukul's transformation from an angry teenager to a responsible person isn't very convincing.

The series doesn't make full use of the acting heavyweights either. Criminal Justice rests solely on the immensely likeable Pankaj Tripathi's shoulders, and every time he proves that he is the master of his game.

Madhav Mishra is a wizard of words, and he knows how to get things done. He is not a fancy lawyer, but is supremely intelligent.

In a bid to make him the hero, the season wastes Shweta Basu Prasad aka Lekha, his opponent. Lekha is a young, cocky lawyer whose sole motive is to prove Mukul guilty. Lekha is ready to shrug some important facts, too, in order to achieve her goal.

A still from Criminal Justice season 3 with Pankaj Tripathi and Shweta Basu Prasad.

Her arguments are half-baked and funny and she solely exists so that Madhav can prove once again that he is unbeatable. Purab Kohli is completely under-utilized and Swastika Mukherjee's character is just helpless and sad.

When Pankaj Tripathi becomes repetitive and a show struggles to separate the fabulous actor's real personality with that of his character's, you know it's time for the curtains to fall.