Jolly LLB must be one of those rare series that is getting better with every episode. Not by a lot, though. And considering the first one was barely memorable, that is not saying much now, is it? Yet, this one will stick mainly because of the premise of the plot and the arguments on both sides. But it won't stick a lot better in memory because it is padded up with way too many side-tracks.

Saurabh Shukla does what he is told to do so well. But, should he really be made to say or do all that inanity on screen?

Jolly LLB 3 is, certainly helped by the topic—development, farmer suicides, inequality, and how the rich and powerful manipulate to marginalise the already marginalised. It is a burning current issue that is talked about way too flippantly in middle- and upper-class societies. Jolly LLB does well by giving the generic "farmer" a face and a story, even if it is as predictable as any such courtroom drama.

It is not just that you know what the general outcome of the case and the film will be. You even know which defence arguments are going to be picked up by the plaintiff's lawyer—line-for-line. And that would still be okay. It is an important enough conversation that I was willing to sacrifice my need to be surprised or blown away.

The fluff around this solid storyline is problematic, though. Of course, there is the passing derogatory language-tone combination used about gender and skin tone. But there is also the trans person prelude, the lawyers' personal life, and most of all, the judge's personal life—all extraneous, doing little to add context, and adding unnecessary minutes to the runtime.

Unnecessary because the film has so much going for it. There are lovely background-music-free conversations that allow you to soak in the vibe. The one stand-off between Khaitan (Gajraj Rao) and Janki (Seema Biswas) leaves a much more powerful impact compared to all the arguments in the courtroom.

It does help that a couple of the actors do justice to their characters. For instance, you do feel like slapping Ram Kapoor's Advocate Vikram for thinking poor people ought to feel obligated to his client for buying their land. And you feel infuriated on behalf of the villagers led by Seema Biswas. Shilpa Shukla's role might be the most inconsequential one, but she takes it on earnestly. She blushes so well!

The other actors such as Arshad Warsi, Akshay Kumar, and Gajraj Rao might not inspire any strong feelings, but they don't turn you off either. Huma Qureshi and Amrita Rao, though, are mere props. And, of course, there is Saurabh Shukla, who does what he is told to do so well. But, should he really be made to say or do all the inanities his role demands? Shouldn't he be treated better?

There are lovely background-music-free conversations that allow you to soak in the vibe.

Despite all of that, I did walk out of the theatre feeling grateful to all these people for taking on this all-important and controversial social commentary. Maybe one day, real life will match reel life.

- meeta, a part of the audience