#FinalVerdict
To be fair, director Prakash Jha's Pareeksha is a well-intentioned film that has its heart in the right place. But the film has a combination of an outdated script and shrill TV-soap treatment that you'd seen in the 80s.
Prakash Jha's cinema has always illustrated harsh realism in a transfixing and riveting manner. Pareeksha has a lot to say, but the predicament is, what translates on the screen is not razor-sharp. But, of course, there are few defining moments in the movie.
A Prakash Jha film is talked about for more reasons than one. It provides food for thought and sets you thinking. But Pareeksha merely touches the tip of the iceberg. The writer creates a non-believable situation. Moreover, the screenplay is repetitive. Pareeksha moves along at snail's pace. It tackles an interesting topic but doesn't make much of an impact. It's a shame because some things in the film do work. The biggest drawback is that the climax tries too hard to throw a hard punch, but fails miserably.
Although Pareeksha has noble intentions, it could have been a gripping fare had director Prakash Jha tackled the subject more realistically. Barring a few sequences, it lacks the power to keep you glued. On the brighter side, the acting is distinguished. Pareeksha gets very real at times, but gets ludicrous as well. Adil Hussain gives a completely new dimension to this character. The role is tailor-made for him. Priyanka Bose has an equally challenging part and she handles her scenes with complete understanding. Sanjay Suri is a complete natural, as always. Pareeksha offers Shubham Jha several difficult sequences, which the child actor carries off with flourish.
To sum up, Pareeksha runs out of steam midway. Its noble intentions notwithstanding, the film is a real slog. This could well turn out to be one of the year's most forgettable films.
