Rustom: A Must Watch Movie for Law Students on ‘Nanavati Case’

The infamous 1959 Nanavati case had spawned a couple of early films, neither of which came close to the lurid excitement of the real- life incident which involved a handsome naval officer, his lovely-but-lonely wife, and her lover, and a sensational murder.

Each scene is explicatory, with characters talking about what they are seeing, what they are doing, and what they are about to do. Each character is given dialogues to deliver: we know it is a ‘period’ film because the sets, the costumes and the locations scream attention (several look computer-generated), and the characters are made to declaim, not speak. Though the movie lacks many facts of the real case, but still it is good attempt to portray the case.

Why See Rustom?

1. Based on Nanavati Case:-  The character is based on real-life sailor K M Nanavati, who in 1959, shot and killed his wife’s lover. The subsequent trial was one of India’s most high-­profile court cases. The film looks beyond the ­legal battles to explore the lives of those involved.
2. Leaves you thinking about Country Legal System:-This film will leave you thinking twice about the legal system, the action of mankind and the ability to do the right thing at the right time. It’s one of those films that people will argue about on their way out of the theatres, questioning each other on what they would do, given the same circumstances and what would they have done if they were on ‘that jury’.
3. The Case Leads to Abolition of Jury System: The Nanavati case was fascinating for a variety of reasons: it led to the abolishing of the jury system in India, created friction between two communities (the Parsis, to which group Nanavati belonged; and the Sindhis — Ahuja was one, as was his sister Mamie Ahuja, who was heavily involved in the court battles subsequent to Prem’s death), and the role the media (notably the tabloid Blitz run by Russi Karanjia) played in shaping public perception of the case and its principal parties.
4. Other Laws: Pleading Himself in Court of Law without Advocate, Evidence Law, Cross Examination of Witness, Jury System, Role of Media etc, These all teachings can be grasped from the Movie.

In an Interview Akshay Kumar, “Let’s just say it is a romance, a thriller and a drama,” he says. “I don’t want to give away too much.”

He does reveal that one of the most interesting aspects of the film is the role reversal of gender stereotypes as they relate to ­infidelity.

“In Bollywood we always see stories about the man making a mistake, and then seeking forgiveness from the woman,” he says. “What’s interesting about this movie is that here you will see the woman make that same mistake, and you will see her seeking forgiveness and making amends.

“For the first time on screen, it will be the man who will be in the position of deciding whether or not he should forgive and how things should move forward. I believe this aspect of the movie will make it interesting for a lot of people, especially women.”

The role marks the first time Kumar has played a naval ­officer, and much of the movie was filmed on real naval ships, an ­experience Kumar says he enjoyed. “I would not say that is was particularly difficult or challenging to play this character in any way,” he says. “It certainly was enjoyable. I got to shoot in locations where we would ­normally not get a chance to shoot.”

The script was written by ­Vipul K Rawal. A formal naval officer himself, he was able to give ­Kumar pointers to help make the performance as authentic as ­possible.

Director Tinu Suresh Desai is a relative newcomer, with only one other movie under his belt, the horror sequel 1920: London, which was released in May. ­Despite a relative lack of experience, Kumar says the director had a distinct creative visionthat was quickly embraced by his actors.

Starring opposite Kumar is ­Ileana D’Cruz, who made her Bolly­wood debut in the 2012 hit Barfi! opposite Ranbir Kapoor, and was last seen in 2014’sHappy Ending.

“She is a beautiful person and a very talented actress,” Kumar says. “[She is] very dedicated to her work. It was a pleasure working with her.”

“I am sure Rustom will do well, as have my previous films that have released on the same day as other big film[s] starring other big stars,” he says. “The story of Rustom is very unique and it has been well made, so I am confident that it will be received well by the public.”

Watch the Trailer Here: