Jolly LLB 3: Double the Jolly, Triple the Justice – A Courtroom Circus Worth the Verdict
In the hallowed (or should we say, hilariously hollowed-out) halls of Indian cinema, few franchises have dared to drag the gavel into the spotlight quite like Jolly LLB. Born from the chaotic genius of Subhash Kapoor's 2013 underdog tale, it evolved into Akshay Kumar's 2017 sequel, blending courtroom capers with social satire sharper than a lawyer's suit. Now, on September 19, 2025, Jolly LLB 3 crashes the party like an uninvited witness—bringing both Jollies together for a face-off that's equal parts farce and fire. Clocking in at a breezy (okay, occasionally bloated) 157 minutes, this Hindi courtroom comedy-drama reunites Akshay Kumar as the slick Jagdishwar 'Jolly' Mishra, Arshad Warsi as the street-smart Jagdish 'Jolly' Tyagi, and Saurabh Shukla as the exasperated Judge Tripathi. With Huma Qureshi, Amrita Rao, Gajraj Rao, and Seema Biswas rounding out the ensemble, it's a reunion that feels like a barroom brawl in black robes. Verdict? A solid entertainer that laughs in the face of flaws, but doesn't quite topple the bar set by its predecessors.The plot unfurls in the sun-baked sands of Bikaner, Rajasthan, where the mighty Haribhai Khetan (Gajraj Rao, oozing oily charisma) eyes a swath of farmland for his grand "Bikaner to Boston" mega-project—a gleaming symbol of unchecked capitalism that promises jobs but delivers displacement. When farmer Ramswaroop (a poignant cameo that hits like a gut punch) takes his life in protest, his widow Janki (Seema Biswas, channeling raw, wordless fury) files a case against the tycoon. Enter our dueling Jollies: Mishra, the Delhi high-flyer defending Khetan with corporate polish and moral gymnastics, and Tyagi, the Meerut hustler representing Janki with jugaad-fueled grit and a grudge against his posh rival. Judge Tripathi presides over the Delhi courtroom circus, where objections fly like confetti, and the line between law and larrikinism blurs into hilarity. Inspired by the 2011 Uttar Pradesh land acquisition protests, the story skewers the land mafia, farmer suicides, and the chasm between the powerful and the powerless—without ever letting the sermonizing sink the ship.Subhash Kapoor's direction is a tightrope walk between Andaz Apna Apna-esque absurdity and Rang De Basanti-style awakening. He wisely keeps the runtime lean—no forced item numbers or romantic detours here, unlike the bloat plaguing many 2025 releases.
The screenplay crackles in the courtroom set-pieces, where rapid-fire dialogues ("Objection, Your Honour—yeh toh bilkul bakwas hai!") elicit roars of laughter, while quieter village vignettes underscore the human cost of "development." Cinematographer Rangarajan Ramabadran contrasts the arid despair of Rajasthan's fields with the sterile sheen of Delhi's high-rises, amplifying the thematic divide. The score by Aman Pant, Anurag Saikia, and Vikram Montrose pulses with folk-infused tension—think dhol beats for dramatic reveals and sly sitar riffs for comic beats—though one unannounced song in the second half feels like a procedural hiccup, pulling you out of the immersion. Editing by Chandrashekhar Prajapati keeps the chaos coherent, clocking twists that land with satisfying thuds, even if the pre-interval setup drags like a hung jury.
But let's talk performances—the real jury that delivers the film's strongest case. Akshay Kumar slips back into Mishra's shoes with effortless mischief, blending his signature everyman charm with a sharper edge of ethical ambiguity. He's the Jolly who's gone upscale, quoting corporate legalese while nursing a conscience that peeks through like a crack in his facade. It's a crowd-pleaser, especially in banter-heavy showdowns, but some call it "overrated" next to the franchise's scrappier roots. Arshad Warsi, the OG Jolly, is pure gold as Tyagi—the underdog with a heart of gold and a mouth full of sass. His physical comedy, from pratfalls in the fields to impassioned pleas in court, reignites the magic of the 2013 original, proving why he was the perfect pick for this chaotic everyman. Together, their chemistry is combustible: think Hera Pheri meets Damini, with enough one-upmanship to keep the energy electric.
Saurabh Shukla, however, bangs the gavel on MVP status as Judge Tripathi. His exasperated sighs, deadpan quips ("Yeh kya tamasha hai?"), and subtle shifts from bemused to broken-hearted anchor the film's emotional core. It's a masterclass in restraint amid the frenzy, elevating every scene he's in—critics and audiences alike hail him as the "soul" of the series. Huma Qureshi and Amrita Rao pop in as the respective Mrs. Jollies, adding feisty support without stealing thunder, while Gajraj Rao's Khetan is a deliciously detestable villain—suave, scheming, and so real you'll want to boo him in the aisles. Seema Biswas steals hearts in sparse scenes, her silent screams echoing the unsung tragedies of rural India.
Even bit players like Annu Kapoor and Ram Kapoor shine in cameos that feel organic, not obligatory.Thematically, Jolly LLB 3 doubles down on the franchise's DNA: justice as a joke until it's not. It rips into land grabs, the farce of "eminent domain," and how billionaires bulldoze the little guy—all while wrapping it in laughs that disarm before the gut-punch lands. It's anti-establishment in a way that harks back to 1970s Bollywood firebrands, reminding us that cinema can provoke without preaching. In a year of glossy spectacles, this film's rustic authenticity—shot on real locations, with dialect-infused dialogues—feels like a breath of courtroom air.reactions: "Best thing to happen to Hindi cinema in 2025!" raves one user, while another quips, "After Jawan, this is Kisan!" Reddit threads echo the love, calling it a "total entertainer" with "witty emotional & socially relevant" vibes.
Flaws? The script occasionally strains to balance its two leads, tipping toward Akshay's star power at Arshad's expense, and some subplots (like a mid-film song) feel like holdovers from an earlier draft. It doesn't delve as deeply into systemic rot as it could—more surface scratches than scalpel cuts on corruption. Box office-wise, it opened to ₹12.5 crore on Day 1, the sixth-biggest for Akshay post-pandemic, buoyed by positive word-of-mouth over 75k advance tickets. Critics average 3-3.5 stars: India Today praises its "hearty big-screen watch," while Indian Express dubs it the "weakest" yet with a "strong anti-establishment streak."Ultimately, Jolly LLB 3 isn't reinventing the wheel—it's souping up the jalopy for one more joyride. It's a reminder that Bollywood's best moments come when it laughs at its own absurdities while pointing fingers at society's. For families craving laughs with a side of lessons, or Akshay-Arshad fans itching for a reunion, this is your summons. Head to theaters, grab the popcorn, and let the objections commence. Just don't expect a mistrial—it's guilty of being gloriously good fun.
Rating: 3.5/5.