Review: 'Maamla Legal Hai' is a delightful comfort watch aided by knockout acts from Ravi Kishan & Nidhi Bisht

The OGs continue to remind us why they are indeed the OGs. In its essence, this is a vague sentence, but when you attach names like Biswapati Sarkar, Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani and add the iconic name 'TVF (The Viral Fever)' to it, everyone knows what one is talking about. The aforementioned trio isn't associated with TVF anymore and has their own company, Poshum Pa Pictures, which presented the fantastical Kaala Paani last year. And now, in less than six months, they have arrived with another show, this time much more in the space we are used to them being in - a courtroom comedy, Maamla Legal Hai, on Netflix. Spanning eight episodes, I had the chance to see it beforehand, so does it manage to be another knockout, or is it just trying too hard? Here's what I thought about it-

Comfort viewing blending simplicity & fun

Right from the get-go, you know that this comedic prowess is only something that hails from the people and the team who were once associated with and responsible for the iconic TVF content. The comedy, one-liners, situations and the dialogues are some of the finest you will see in recent times. From being tongue-in-cheek to slapstick, from wit to loud-mouthed blabber, the humor is so innovative, fresh and genuinely funny. You will actually be having an audible laugh sometimes, while some of it is intended to just have you chuckle - but always making you feel good and invested. Saxena is the showrunner here, and along with director Rahul Pandey and writers Saurabh Khanna and Kunal Aneja, they somehow retain the flavour we are so used to with TVF without aping or deliberately intending to be. 

There is just so much intellect that goes into carving situations that are funny but still relatable, that are authentic to the fictitious town of Patparganj but also seem as real as anything else - Maamla Legal Hai is almost perfect when it comes to these aspects. There is a humongous amount of verbose spanning the eight episodes, and that could have easily been a problem owing to the fact that you are dealing with several law-related jargon and terminologies - but it never becomes the case. In fact, you learn so much about law and lawyers effortlessly. The character of Ananya Shroff (Naila Grewal) becomes the entry point for an upper-class urban viewer into this world of Patparganj, and on the flip side, the quirkiness, tomfoolery and absolute chaos that ensues around becomes your entry into the kind of content we adore, love, relate to and cannot have enough of. 

Knockout Performances, Especially by Ravi Kishan & Nidhi Bisht

Little nuances of having a monkey man, who is actually a langur in order to scare off rogue monkeys to knowing and agreeing the importance of and difference between gaali and galoch - the sheer freshness that the creators have presented you with - is enough to have you hooked on instantly and throughout.

Maamla Legal Hai also soars higher than its material owing to the illustrious ensemble cast it has assembled. Legends like Ravi Kishan and Yashpal Sharma, young blood like Anant Joshi and Naila Grewal, seasoned veterans like Brijendra Kala and Nidhi Bisht - and the fabulous supporting cast are in fine form. A special mention to Bisht, who I believe has given a performance to remember and one that puts her on notice. She wasn't necessarily taken too seriously as an actor so far, but this show is a reminder of what she is capable of.

Courtroom comedy with emotions

And what a week it is for Ravi Kishan. Having two knockout performances - one here and the other one in the theatrical film Laapataa Ladies. Maamla Legal Hai does suffer a bit with the number of episodes, even though they merely average around half an hour to 35 minutes each. But spanning eight episodes, the continual story arc suffers through some unwanted filler scenes and hinders the gradual progression of the storyline, but overall, it is never a problem too big to kick you out of the world by any means. The end also seems so fulfilling and heart-warming thus seeming like an apt conclusion to what is an incredibly endearing watch.

The Verdict

In the end, Maamla Legal Hai is just the kind of comfort viewing one yearns for amidst everything else appearing seemingly heavy and dense. It will make you smile, cry, love and mostly, learn a lot more about law and order than you know about (unless you already are a lawyer or advocate). Yes, there is a difference, which is so beautifully explained in the show as well.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)