Criminal Justice S4 Review: Pankaj Tripathi Works His Natural Charm But Surveen Chawla Wins This Trial

News18

29-05-2025

However, his swanky new job is jeopardised when he decides to represent a well-known client in a case involving Dr Raj Nagpal, who hails from the upper echelons of Mumbai's high-rise community. Madhav is told to drop the case, otherwise his 'aam aadmi wala chehra celebrity lagne lagega". It's hard not to interpret this as a cheeky reference to the many 'aam aadmis' that Pankaj Tripathi has played on screen.
Meanwhile, Dr Raj Nagpal (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) has been arrested under suspicion that he has murdered his mistress, nurse Roshni Saluja (Asha Negi). Roshni also looked after his daughter, Ira, who has Asperger syndrome. Roshni was found dead in Raj's arms a day after Ira's birthday. Naturally, all eyes are on Raj.
In a twisted turn of events, Raj's estranged wife, Anju (Surveen Chawla), also finds herself embroiled in the high-profile murder trial. As the defence and the prosecution peel this glass onion layer by layer over eight episodes, one is compelled to inch closer to the edge of their seat.
Of course, one might feel confident to predict the outcome of the series near its end. As the heart of the show, it is believed that Madhav Mishra will ultimately win the case. He does. But even at his best, Madhav is bested. The story ends with a welcome twist, highlighting clues that were evident all along but could easily be missed by unsuspecting viewers- a general marker for good murder mysteries.
Criminal Justice Season 4 has three obvious assets: Pankaj Tripathi, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Surveen Chawla. Director Rohan Sippy has used all three quite well. Pankaj Tripathi brings a natural charm to his character, making it impossible not to root for Madhav Mishra. The actor's witty one-liners, delivered in his characteristic parlance, add humour to the grim tale. Since Madhav Mishra is not a new character, it would be unfair to expect anything else. However, Pankaj Tripathi seems to be exhausting his quota of 'aam aadmi" characters. It would be interesting (and needed) to watch him change his tune.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub plays Dr Raj with ease. His eyes lend a sense of believability to Raj, whether the prosecution grills him or the defence tries to save him. The actor's scene with his on-screen daughter when she visits him in jail is particularly noteworthy and heartbreaking- it's subtle yet intense. Surveen Chawla shines as the mysterious Anju. The thriller genre is slowly becoming a second skin for the actress, and it's time that her acting chops are acknowledged more loudly. Whether Anju has to present an air of detached sophistication or experiences an unnerving breakdown, Surveen portrays all the emotions of her character with great conviction.
Although the show has an able cast, writers Harman Wadala, Sandeep Jain and Sameer Mishra have done a good job in keeping one hooked to the show with the plot. It would have been better if the audience had more insight into Asha Negi's character. But the logically sound story with enough plot twists makes Criminal Justice an interesting watch. However, there is one detail that becomes too hard to ignore.