Film Review: All rise for your Honour

Roughly half way into the film, the defense lawyer removes a pistol slung across his neck and shows it to the camera. “This is just for a sense of safety”, he says with a hint of a smile on his face, “I don’t know whether I will actually be able to save myself with it.” He puts the gun down on his desk and then resumes the conversation as if nothing untoward has taken place; just another day in the life of a lawyer..In a country where popular cinema often fails to capture the reality of the judicial system (the recent Shahid being a notable exception), Sumit Khanna’s All Rise for your Honour makes for an interesting change. Khanna’s portrayal of the judiciary, the litigants and the lawyers is both, unapologetic and disturbing, providing an honest look at the third branch of the State..Primarily shot on location in three districts of western Uttar Pradesh, the film weaves in Khanna’s conversations with lawyers, retired judges, academics and the general public. The documentary also manages to capture small bits and pieces of ongoing cases, right from a small businessman pursuing cheque-bouncing case to an under trial accused of murder. Through simple questions asked and answered, Khanna manages to convey the hopes and the disappointments that have become an intrinsic part of the adjudicatory process. One of the characters in the documentary is a man who has been legally declared dead, and is now fighting to protect his land..Despite its less than flattering portrayal of the judiciary, Khanna says that several judges have actually praised him for making the film. Some judges of the Delhi High Court even called for a special screening of the film; the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal has now included the film as part of its training. “Very often a judge will tell me that he is glad the film was made”, says Khanna, “they know that this is the truth but they are unable to say so publicly.”.The idea of making this documentary came to Khanna while directing Dreams of a 6 figure salary, that focused on higher education in India. Khanna was appalled at the state of legal education and began to explore what this meant for the judicial system in the country. In 2009, he began researching material, travelling through Uttar Pradesh for the next eight months. It was in the course of his travels that he began to realize how a sizable portion of the people were simply unaware of the realities. “Most of the middle class is removed from these experiences”, he notes, “We have created mere caricatures.”.He also attended conferences and spoke to both lawyers and judges. “Prashant Bhushan has a 2-day enclave in February every year,” says Khanna, “and I got to meet a number of legal experts through this.”.Khanna eventually pitched the idea to the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, who agreed to fund the project. Armed with a tiny crew, Khanna literally drove to the various locations, hoping and praying that he would manage to film all the scenes as per schedule. Getting the required permission was one of the trickier aspects, something Khanna overcame through doggedness in pursuing the authorities, exuding sufficient confidence and bluster, and more often than not, pure luck..This luck would not last throughout the making of the film though- judges who had promised to speak on camera suddenly backed out, some judges had been transferred, and applications for permission were often kept in abeyance. Khanna eventually ran out of funds, dipping into his own pocket to complete the movie..It’s hard not to feel for Khanna; he views the judicial system with an almost child-like innocence. Recollecting the scene where a lawyer pulls out a gun, Khanna says what disturbed him more was the fact that this was not a one-off event. “A lot of criminal lawyers walk around with guns,” he says, “sauntering in and out of courts.”.While filming the section on the under trial, Khanna himself speaks to lawyers and notaries to try and file an application allowing a prison visit for the under trial’s family members. He scurries from one lawyer to another, each providing a different bit of legal advice..For Khanna, making the documentary took an emotional and psychological toll as well. “At times I do get nightmares”, says Khanna, “I still feel a sense of complete helplessness, at not being able to achieve what I wanted to.”.More information on the film can be found here.