User reviews

B.R. Chopra's Kanoon is a damn good movie of its time. It is a murder mystery cum courtroom drama and is generally full of suspense which makes for a very effective and interesting watch. The concept is very well brought out on screen. Kanoon questions the righteousness of India's judicial system and shows the two faces of justice and law. There's a saying which says, "It is easier to commit murder than to justify it". This film only strengthens it. It is well scripted and narrated, and Chopra's direction is excellent. He pays attention to details and makes the viewer a silent and curious witness of the often-confusing proceedings. The film is often cited as the first Hindi film which has absolutely no songs. That was quite a refreshing change. It moves at a steady pace and is consistently tense and intriguing. The courtroom scenes are fascinating. That said, Kanoon is not flawless and it certainly could have been better. As I expected from Chopra, the ending is a bit sugarcoated, and the long speech in court did not make much sense to me. The cast, however, is roundly good. Ashok Kumar, who is according to me one of the finest actors to have ever appeared in Hindi cinema, is unsurprisingly excellent. He is at par with the best actors from Hollywood's golden era: classy, controlled, likable and restrained, always delivering nuanced, impressive and convincing performances. Rajendra Kumar is also very good though he is a bit over-the-top at times. Mehmood introduces another comic character which does not really go well with the proceedings, and this is another flaw. Nanda and Manmohan Krishna are both effective. But, the one who completely steals the show, and I think many would agree with me, is Nana Palsikar, in a performance that is heartfelt and moving. His character was the one I felt for the most, and due credit for this goes to the actor himself. He brilliantly captures his character's essence, which proves once again that poverty is the mother of all crimes. All said and done, Kanoon is a Hindi classic which is worth watching.

While most of the '60s movies are known for their songs, "Kanoon" is a film revered for its story. Devoid of any songs, it emanates a court room drama which keeps one to the edge of their seats. The beginning itself sets the mood raising an issue on the judicial system which under false evidences and witnesses sends the innocents to the gallows. The theme is exemplified by its jaw-dropping plot with a thrill to the last minute, often achieved in the Hitchcock thrillers. Just forget Mehmood's slapstick comedy, there is much of conviction delivered through the impeccable performances from Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, and Nana Palsikar, for which he was rewarded the Filmfare Awards for the Best Supporting Actor. Overall, "Kanoon" is a taut classic, which should be remembered for its story. Later, B.R Chopra came with "Ittefaq," but "Kanoon" still is a gem.

Rating: 3 stars out of 4

This is an excellent suspense-thriller of 1960 which is an all time classic from the black and white era. Can you imagine a bollywood entertainer from the fifties and the sixties which is sans the regular ingredients of songs, romance and comedy ? No ? Please do see Kanoon which is devoid of songs, romance and comedy and yet it keeps you glued to the screen for two and a half hours. Its suspenseful drama is so impactful that the audience does not feel any need for any other bollywood formulae in the narrative.

It discusses the relevance of the DEATH PELANTY or the CAPITAL PUNISHMENT too. The verdict of the moviemaker is that the death penalty should be done away with in toto. My own view is that let it be in the books of law, only to be awarded in the rarest of rare cases. It has its importance but considering the fact that once awarded, it cannot be reverted even if it is known later that the verdict of the case was a faulty one; it should be awarded only selectively when the crime is quite heinous and there is little doubt in the accused's being guilty.

Judge Badri Prasad (Ashok Kumar) strongly opines that the capital punishment should be deleted from the book of Indian Penal Code because it is cruel and moreoever it does not leave any scope to correct the faulty judgment in any case which is always likely because judgments are given on the basis of evidences and witnesses which might be misleading. The twist in the tale comes when a moneylender, Dhaniram (Om Prakash) who is after his borrower son, Vijay (Mahmood) is murdered. The interesting thing is that the judge's would be son-in-law, Kailash (Rajender Kumar) is the eye-witness to this murder and he is shocked to see that the murderer is the judge himself. Now when an innocent person is arrested and put under trial for this murder in the court of the same judge with Kailash being the defense lawyer, the mutual relations of the judge, Kailash and the judge's daughter, Meena (Nanda) become tense and uneasy. After a memorable court-room drama, Kailash accuses his would-be father-in-law to be the murderer and gets him arrested and put under trial for the murder. The truth is revealed in the end with the reiteration that death penalty should be considered redundant and deleted from the legal books.

This suspense-thriller is so intriguing that it engrosses the viewer from the beginning to the end without any boredom. The viewer just forgets that there are no songs, no romance and no comedy served to him. He only keeps on watching, holding his breath and waiting for the suspense to be revealed. Legendary producer-director B.R. Chopra has directed this movie with such finesse that it is considered a twinkling diamond in the highly decorated crown worn by him.

The performances are great. Ashok Kumar and Rajender Kumar have delivered great performances in a neck-to-neck contest of excellence. Nanda, Jeevan, Mahmood, Manmohan Krishna, Shashikala, Nana Palsikar (won the award for the best supporting actor for this movie) and Om Prakash, all have done admirably.

As already said, there are no songs. However the background score is impressive. Technically this black and white movie is perfect without any deficiencies.

On the flip side, the narrative loses its charm in the end after revelation of the suspense and the five minutes long lecture of Ashok Kumar on the relevance of the capital punishment bores. Anyway, this is not a big minus point because the movie is just about to end.

Some three decades back, a session judge, Justice Sanwar Mal Agarwal had awarded capital punishment in a dowry-murder case and became quite famous due to this verdict. I had read his interview given to the popular Hindi magazine - Sarita in which he had referred to this movie (seen in his youth when he was studying law) and asserted that the difference between reel courts and real courts is even bigger than the reel life and real life. He's right. The high-voltage drama shown in the court in this movie is impossible to be witnessed in real courts. We can ignore this unreal portrayal of courts for the sake of the liberty taken by the narrator for the sake of entertaining the audience, i.e., us.

Summing up, Kanoon is an edge-of-the-seat classic suspense-thriller with a gripping court-room drama. No movie buff should miss it.

I watched this movie in 2021, and it was a surprise for me. The movie is exceptionally well made. Top class acting of great actors especially Ashok Kumar. Please watch this movie.

This movie is by far superior than normal bollywood movies. Very tight script, Good pace and top class acting by Ashok Kumar.

It is hard to believe in 1960s when songs were mandatory part of movies this was made without any song.

Like a good European movie this movie doesn't divert from the main plot.

Very good, excellent movie.

The only negative thing about Kanoon is its climax and it doesn't mean it is short of a suspense twist. It is just too feeble for a strong plot.

Ashok Kumar is calm & fine with his portrayal, and I am impressed by Rajendra Kumar. His seriousness throughout the movie keeps you hooked & pulls you inside. Supporting cast is little overactive, but that's fine.

Story of how the judicial system can convict any person if advocates throw witnesses & evidences to it. It talks about how a court doesn't go and search for clues or proofs, it only decides upon the things thrown to it. Wonderful plot describes relationships inside a family, murder & honesty between advocates.

Although released in 1960, its technical attributes are way thinner than its counterparts, especially the score & setup. Editing is very good. It gives its audience what they deserve & comes straight to the point, telling a gripping tale. It entertains incredibly & hence a 6.7/10 for the topic & performances.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the few films on courtroom drama that is gripping & psychological. Recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity/Nudity/Vulgarity: No | Violence/Gore: Mediocre | Smoking: Strong | Alcohol/Drugs: No | Sex: No

Capital Punishment has a marked prominence in the annals of all recorded history. There has been no civilization where this form of punishment has not been practiced. Be it the Greeks, or the Romans, or the Chinese- all had strict stipulations on human execution as a part of their code of law. Even major religions like Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism have permitted capital punishment for certain offenses. But despite all this, there has always been a serious debate on whether human execution is justified. It has always been argued whether justice is always just; most certainly there have been many recorded instances where apparently innocent have been executed. BR Chopra's 1960 movie Kanoon essentially debates and discusses this very pertinent issue of whether a human has got the right to take the life of another human, even if it is a means of enforcing punishment. Starring Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, and Nanda in principal roles along with some splendid lesser known actors essaying crucial roles, Kanoon is a resounding statement on the fallacies of human court of justice and on the inadequacies of the written law.

Kanoon is completely a director's film. It is an explosive subject and each and every scene shows the kind of efforts that would have gone in writing it. The dialogues are emphatic, the silences even more so. Most of the movies have one or two memorable scenes, but this one boasts of a series of such spectacular scenes that create a tremendous impact- right from the first scene, to the culmination of the drama. If one has to choose the most dramatic scenes, surprisingly a lot of them also come outside the court of law- behind the scenes of all the true drama. My vote would go to the interactions between the father and son in law post the murder, when Badri Prasad finds Kailash peeping into his private diary. Also the dialogue between the accused thief and his defendant Kailash is remarkably handled. There is also a superbly done slight side track when Meena starts suspecting Kailash of the murder, having absolutely just reasons for doing so. This delicate interplay of emotions between the protagonists is a delight to watch. The highpoint, though, as expected is the jaw-dropping climax, complete with the tense buildup and replete with an efficient disrobing of facts post the suspense is revealed.

The actors do more than a fine job, and show great dexterity despite the help they receive from the remarkable written material. I haven't seen much of Rajendra Kumar, but still can safely assume that this would be one of his best performances (most of the others I believe are in the sappy romantic space where he excelled and thus got knighted as the Jubilee Kumar). Ashok Kumar is truly amazing in his highly sinuous role. His effortless ease is hard to miss. Meena is slightly more than a typical Hindi movie heroine and gets good scope to leave a mark. There are no songs in the narrative, though it does boast of a finely choreographed ballet dance performance that blends seamlessly with the story.

Parting Note: Kanoon is simply a MUST WATCH for the people who love their court-room dramas, and also for those who like watching thrillers (though this is not a thriller in the conventional sense). What elevates it from being just an excellent film is its thought, and its purpose which it conveys in the most effective manner possible- through the route of a highly entertaining story.

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No-nonsense murder mystery. After a long time I saw such movie with very good plot, need more such no-nonsense movies. B.R Chopra was great director, I am going to search up all his movies to find such hidden gems.

This is easily BR Chopra's best movie and Rajendra Kumar himself never ever gave a better performance to beat his sheer brilliance in this film Everything was top notch. I normally hate watching movies in black and white,but this was an exception. One of my all time favourite films.

Kanoon (1960) : Brief Review -

BR Chopra's pathbreaking courtroom drama might never be matched by anyone in Indian cinema. It is a proud thing for me to say that a year before Stanley Kramer made a pathbreaking courtroom drama like "Judgement at Nuremberg," Indian cinema made Kanoon. Interestingly, both films are about the same topics-the sanity and morality of "justice." However, Kanoon races ahead because it adds a sentimental touch to human relations. How many courtroom dramas have the judge as a culprit? This is perhaps the most unique conflict ever seen in courtroom drama. Witness for Prosecution was so unique with the witness being the main culprit. Now just imagine how unique Kanoon is when you know that the judge who is going to declare the verdict and send someone to death is himself the culprit. Talking about human emotions, it's his own future son-in-law who is giving testimony against him. His own educated and sensible daughter is giving fake testimony on the witness stand to save her future husband. The alleged killer himself admits being the real killer and betrays an honest lawyer who is fighting against his loved ones to prove this unknown man's innocence. When you think that this investigation has found a killer and everything's going to end on a sad note with a lecture on "justice," you have a big twist that destroys the entire narrative built so far. The film raises questions about judges, lawyers, witnesses, testimonies, juries, and the sentences passed by the court. I don't really think any film has been so damaging to the courtroom proceedings so far. Chopra's visionary classic is powered by the strong performances of Rajendra Kumar, Ashok Kumar, and Nanda. Kanoon has no songs (the only second Bollywood film by that time to have no songs). Storyline, screenplay, acting, direction, and impact-Kanoon hits all of them on a different level.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

While the movie is 57 years old (released in 1960), it is still relevant in terms of the debate on capital punishment, especially in the convictions that are not proved through exact science (forensic evidence).

I watched "Kanoon" only a couple of years back and again, a few days ago. In spite of knowing the suspense, the movie is still a great watch for great story-line, brilliant direction and amazing performances from Rajendra Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Nana Palsikar.

Story (10/10): Advocate Kailash (Rajendra Kumar) is a budding public prosecutor with a very promising career ahead of him under the able mentor-ship of his guru Judge Badri Prasad (Ashok Kumar). However, in a dramatic turn of events, Kailash ends up witnessing the murder of a local money lender Dhaniram, committed by none other than his own mentor, Badri Prasad. However, as fate would have wanted it, a local small time thief, Kaalia (Nana Palsikar), is arrested on charges of Dhaniram's (Om Prakash) murder as he is found fleeing the crime scene with hands soaked in Dhaniram's blood which he bumped upon while trying to make his way through the home in darkness. As Kailash comes to know about this development, he decides to defend Kaalia, while still torn apart between his duty as a lawyer (to bring culprit to justice) and his affection towards his mentor, who is also going to be his father in law. The least he can do is to ensure Kaalia is not sent to gallows by defending. To make things worse, the culprit himself is the judge of the case. With a weak case, to begin with, he logically places the pieces together, exposing key flaws in the investigation as well as prosecution's arguments. However, it is still not convincing enough defense for the accused without uncovering the culprit and bringing in front, the prime eye witness of the crime - himself. The main plot of the movie is very brilliantly written. The story starts with a prologue Judge Badri Prasad's court comes across a strange case where a man is convicted of a murder of the same person twice (he was falsely convicted the first time, because of which he kills the supposed victim, who is actually alive, after being released from the jail). This sparks a debate in the legal circle about death sentence and its necessity, especially in cases where the conviction is based on circumstantial evidence and eye witnesses. The prologue sets the tone of the movie and keeps playing in the minds of the audience throughout the movie.

Acting (9/10): Today's audience will find the movie a bit high on melodrama, which was perhaps the normal in that era. However, the brilliance of Rajendra Kumar and Ashok Kumar's performance can inspire any generation of actors and entertain audience across eras. Nana Palsikar, playing the accused, showed great commitment into projecting a character of poor petty thief who cannot fathom how fate can play such a cruel game with him when he is already struggling to ensure a daily meal for him and his kid. His expressions and dialog delivery is enough to evoke sympathy - raw acting brilliance. Mehmood plays, a quite rare, negative role in the movie which is pretty much okay even as it has some humor into it. Nanda gets her due part in the second half of the movie when she is in a dilemma due to her love for her father as well as fiancé and needs to take some tough decisions.

Direction (9/10): B.R. Chopra's direction is almost impeccable, except for a few scenes such as Mehmood's hysterical laughter that stretches beyond the tolerance limit. Background score was used cleverly to create a greater impact. Except for a few scenes, the entire movie has been shot in a studio set up with greater control on lighting. In terms of length, the movie is a little long for a crime mystery but it doesn't come at the cost of pace because of which it still holds audience's interest.

Overall (9/10): Overall, it's a great watch for the topic it takes up and builds a very compelling and seemingly thriller movie out of it.