Here is a-tail-wagging-the-dog situation: a soldier murders an officer in India’s newly created armed forces after gaining independence from the British. The culprit is Ramachandran, a highly praised soldier due to his distinguished service and noble character. The verdict appears to be indisputable as not only are there witnesses to the crime, but the accused himself pleads guilty. But Bikash Roy, an outstanding lawyer, begins a battle of wits with both the prosecutor and the witnesses so as to come closer to uncovering questionable truths behind this ostensibly unquestionable murder case. As the film runs, the case reaches beyond the soldier’s personal history, and approaches the dark side that inevitably rears its head when India’s endemic malady?its caste system?becomes associated with the authoritarian and violent military hierarchy. The film is twofold: first, it is a legal drama depicting the intense psychological warfare and intriguing course of events of a trial; second, it is an introspective melodrama pivoting on what inform shuman dignity, not class but one’s spirit and action. (Jay SOHN)