C OURT Adjourned! But for what exactly? Jolly LLB 3 misses its own case. Subhash Kapoor enters the courtroom promising fiery arguments, sharp satire, and compelling investigations, but what unfolds is an emotion, heavy drama that dismisses the case. The expectations are bailed, and the franchise itself stands guilty as charged. JollyLLB(2013)wasacourtroomgem,sharp and clever.Jolly LLB 2 (2017)raised the stakes and kept the momentum going. But the third entry? It drops the brief, loses the evidence, and botches the case. The filmopenswitha faceoff: Arshad Warsi’s original JollyagainstAkshayKumar’s “client chor” and “fraud Jolly”. This confrontationis quite hilarious, thenintense, but the two are forced into partnership soon enough.

 

 

The actual case revolves around a farmer’s suicide in Rajasthan after losing his land. His widow, Janki, takes on the fight against Haribhai Khetan, India’s wealthiest businessman, who envisions a ‘Bikaner to Boston’ project built on seized farmland. On paper,it’sacompellingcase.Onscreen,itlacks bite. The film attempts to balance humour with socialjustice themes. Sometimes,it does succeed. AkshayKumar performing prayers after poachingclients, theconstant frictionbetween the two Jollys, or the scene where Akshay crashes his battered scooter into a wall only to emerge with carrots as his legal fee. These moments work. There’s even a domestic gag where he makes roti while his partner (Huma Qureshi) drinks whiskey. The satire feels like it is spot on. The franchise’s true star? Enter the OG, SaurabhShukla as JusticeSunder LalTripathi, jogging in a tracksuit inside the courtroom. He remains the heart and soul of these films, and once again, he commands every scene. Pictureajudge entering with a rose, browsing dating apps, yet delivering judgments more incisive than the lawyers arguments. Shukla is exceptional and delivers.

 

The supportingcharacters fulfil theirrolesadequately, but our ‘bald dating app enthusiast judge’ emerges as the most memorable, particularly when he covers the Valentine’s Day bill for both Jollys and their wives. At least he delivers more impact than the supposed villain. Haribhai Khetan, positioned as the intimidating tycoon, fizzes out like flat soda. The antagonist lacks depth and acts irrationally in the end. Ram Kapoor makes a grand entrance, positioned as a formidable counselready todismantle theJollys.Hecommands a good presence, until he speaks in court. His arguments feel less like legal brilliance and more like a nervous law student’s first courtroom appearance. His argument has no legs to stand on and the promise quickly fades. Thismarks the film’stonalshift.Thehumour, which held things together, hits a wall. Suddenly, the courtroom drowns in speeches, melodrama, and manufactured excitement. The camel race sequence at the end of the first half, intended as a grand set piece, falls completely flat. Among the subpar writing and screenplay, some thingsdostandout.Apowerfulline from Shukla's judge resonates: “Everyone focuses on the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law or the meaning behind it; I just try to give truth a chance to come out.” The film’s message carries weight: development and infrastructure matter, but not at the expense of turning the nation into a soulless corporate landscape where only the poor lose their homes. The farmers’ plight, though clumsily handled, gets attention, and Janki’s restrained yet powerful performance stays with you. Her silence throughout the proceedingsgivesway toaheartbreakingmoment after the closing argument, where only her cry echoes, capturing the pain of those who sacrifice so the country can claim progress.

 

The film concludes with chants ofJai JawanJai Kisan andamessage on the screen appears, “When you eat today, thankafarmer.”Admirablesentiments, certainly. But in a courtroom drama, noble messages need sharp arguments, tight investigations, and cutting wit, none of which the film consistently provides. The Verdict: Jolly LLB 3 enters court with confidence but forgets to bring the case file. While Arshad Warsi still embodies the scrappy lawyer you’d trust with your lastrupee and AkshayKumar embodies thecommonlawyer. Saurabh Shukla remains the nation's beloved unconventional judge, the film itself stands guilty of contempt: contempt of satire, contempt of its own legacy, and worst of all, contempt of the audience’s time. Case dismissed. Courtcosts tobepaidincarrots andcabbages. As always, the message resonates. In our rush toward glass towers and grand spectacles, we cannot forget ourAnnadata,the honest hands that work the soil. This thought lingers, even after the criticism and laughter fade.