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.
