Guilty Minds Web Series Review: Shriya Pilgaonkar's Desi Legal Drama Has Balanced Tones Of Reality And Emotion

Available On: Amazon Prime Video
Duration: 10 Episodes / 40 Minutes
Language: Hindi

Plot: Guilty Minds follows two sides of the legal world, one family that is the paragon of virtue and the other a leading law firm dealing with all shades of grey. The Amazon Prime original is a realistic version of legal drama with episodic adventures across the nation.

Review: Legal dramas are usually turned into thrillers for the purpose of having a singular plot, but Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra's Guilty Minds actually follows through as a courtroom drama with realistic tones. It might remind fans of other shows in the genre like The Practice, Suits, Law And Order.

While the show kicks off haphazardly, trying to pinpoint the leading characters and storyline for the show, it centres well enough for the audience to pick up on the plot by the third episode. The show beings with A Mumbai movie actress accusing a celebrated filmmaker of rape, while another episode focuses on violent video game addiction which leads a 19-year-old college boy to commit a murder.

Amid the realistic and interesting cases are the opposing side of the law. While Kashaf Quaze (Shriya Pilgaonkar) and Vandana Kathpalia aka Vandu (Sugandha Garg) take cases for the underdogs, Deepak Rana (Varun Mitra) takes cases for the clients (AKA money) for a family-run law firm by L N Khanna (Kulbhushan Kharbanda).

The chemistry between Shriya Pilgaonkar and Varun Mitra is enough to keep the audience engaged in the courtroom scenes. While they do seem a bit rushed, the writers Manav Bhushan, Deeksha Gujral along with directors have managed to keep the emotions and takes high for each case to keep the audience engaged. Instead of high emotional dialogues, there is a blend of facts, mystery and great cross-examination among the lawyers and witnesses that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Apart from the small episodic cases that wind up in 50 minutes, the plot also traces big pictures plot about the lawyer community, and how they are used by the business class while the working class does its best to survive. We also have lawyers of three generations from the Quaze family and the Khanna family fighting for their spot in the world and among themselves.

As for acting, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Varun Mitra and Sugandha Garg are not the only most recognisable faces in the show but the bound to steal the show with their performances. Shriya plays the emotional lawyer but she never lets it be taken advantage of, and Sugandha's character is often right by her side to push the plot forward.

Varun takes on most of the weight as the representative of the lawyers working for money. He doesn't miss a beat and shows his sympathetic side just as much as his professional side. Without the performances, the story may not have worked and vice-versa.

Overall, Guity Minds is a well-acted and written show which proved a subtle drama about the realities of the world can be successful on an Indian OTT platform too.