New Delhi police were summoned to the Tamarind Court Cafe on the night of April 29, 1999, where a well-known Delhi socialite was hosting a party for over 300 guests. Model Jessica Lal, 34, had been hired to work as a celebrity bartender for the night. When the liquor ran out around midnight, the bar closed but the party continued. Jessica and another bartender, Vikram, were cleaning up in the bar area when Manish Bhardwaj and two friends, approached them at around 2 am demanding drinks. When Manish was refused, even after he offered 1000 rupees, he took out a gun and fired once at the ceiling and once into Jessica’s head.
Jessica was rushed to the hospital but died the next day. Not one of the 300 guests stopped Manish and his friends from escaping. The police found Manish’s car and the gun one week later and were able to trace it back to him. It seemed like an open and shut case, but, Manish’s father was a cabinet minister and a powerful politician. Manish turned himself into the police but claimed he was framed. Witnesses are bribed or threatened.
“No One Killed Jessica” is the story of Jessica’s family’s struggle to bring her murderer to justice and of a court system where influence can be bought by the wealthy and the connected. Director Rajkumar Gupta tells the story through the eyes of Sabrina (Vidya Balan), Jessica’s much-loved sister. With quiet strength and determination, she holds life together for her mother and father as she relentlessly pursues justice. After years of delays in court, Manish is set free for lack of evidence. Sabrina is left crushed by the system and without hope. Enter Meera, ambitious and foul-mouthed (Rani Mukherjee). Meera, an investigative tv news reporter, determines that the media and the public will bring Manish Bhardwaj to justice. Will lies triumph over truth?
There were several other interesting characters in this 2011 film, such as: the police inspector (Rajesh Sharma), who accepts a bribe to treat Manish decently while in jail, but secretly feeds evidence to Meera; and, Vikram, the second bartender and only eye witness to the shooting, who is threatened into silence and shame. This case was instrumental in awakening the public outrage to injustices dealt with by Delhi’s ordinary citizens.
