Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra Movie Review - Ranvir Shorey's courtroom drama is thought-provoking with compelling performances

• Movie Name:Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra
• Critics Rating: 3 / 5
• Release Date: July 19, 2024
• Director: MK Shivaaksh
• Genre: Drama

Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra Movie Review - There has been a lot of controversy over the release of 'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra'. The film has finally seen the day of light. The movie talks about one of the most horrific riots in Indian history, which surprised everyone. In the year 2002, 59 people were burnt to death by setting fire to two coaches of the Sabarmati train at Godhra railway station in Gujarat. The train was travelling from Ayodhya, and most of the people aboard it were Kar Sevaks. This film is based on this incident and does not let you form an opinion about its biases or sides. 'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra' simply presents the pre-riot and post-riot scenarios, talks about the 'they vs us' mindset and does not lead the audience to hate anyone but an unfortunate generic mentality that does not see everyone as one!

Story

The film begins with the incident when the bodies of people are being taken to the hospital. You see several parts of Gujarat state burning and there are some scenes which may make you feel uncomfortable. The horrific scenes then lead to an engaging courtroom drama. In the story, a lawyer named Mahmood Qureshi (played by Ranvir Shorey) represents the Muslim side of the Godhra issue in court, whereas Ravindra Pandya (played by Manoj Joshi), represents the Hindu side. The media influences are also projected in the film. The goal of the case is to determine if the Godhra incident was an accident or a conspiracy. The film majorly deals with perspectives brought forward by the Nanavati-Mehta Commission. 

Where Qureshi, an attorney, attempts to demonstrate the Godhra train fire case as a mishap, Pandya calls this entire incident a failure of the system. A college student named Abhimanyu (played by MK Shivaaksh) is also depicted in the film, and he begins researching Godhra for his project. His question as to why this incident claimed the lives of only minorities was a standout. The argument in the courtroom and this occurrence are shown in the plot as the movie advances.

Direction 

MK Shivaaksh has done a direction of 'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra' in a way that the film does not feel boring but despite all his efforts, the screenplay is sloppy by the end. The film progresses in court, and talks about the past in flashbacks as Abhimanyu tries to know the truth of Godhra. Along with impactful dialogues, the plot of this film is strong. The public can have problems in watching some of the clips, since they are extremely gruesome and depict the burning of both, living and dead. This part of the film also seems a bit over-dragged. The director seems to have made a good effort to present the facts surrounding the Godhra burning train case. Both inside and outside of the legal context, carefully thought-out dialogues are used. A very controversial subject has been worked upon in a very sensitive manner but can seem lacklustre in places. 

The soundtrack is just as good as its plot. The locations are justified by the wonderful soundtrack that V. Rakx and Yug Bhusal created. Kailash Kher's voice in the song 'Ho Mangalam' adds to the film's brilliance.

Acting

'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra' required strong performances from its actors as it's a hard watch and style fully directing this dramatic courtroom Shivaaksh presents Manoj Joshi and Ranvir Shorey as the real cinema stars. Ranvir and Manoj's acting is excellent throughout as the scenes shown in the courtroom seem very real. Hitu Kanodia and Denisha Ghumra have also left no stone unturned to prove their acting prowess. Akshita Namdev is impactful in the role of Tulsi Devi.

Verdict

'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra' is an emotional watch. The film will be loved by those who are interested in real life-based films. The courtroom drama lovers will also be impressed with MK Shivaaksh's film. Being a bit outrageous at instances, the film seems just a fine attempt to tell the Godhra story. The strong performance of Ranvir Shorey can also make you feel for the actor as he ended up accepting a Bigg Boss offer after a lack of opportunities. All things considered,  'Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra' is a hard one-time watch that deserves 3 stars.