On Monday afternoon, the members of the media were in for a fiery introduction to a bolder and gutsier Kajol, at the trailer launch of her OTT debut. The Free Press Journal team was also present at the do.
Kajol wowed everyone in blazing red and walked to the stage in possession of her show’s character Noyonika Sen Gupta and addressed the media with a grim expression, stating that she is about to face the ‘toughest trial of her life’.
Kajol and Ajay Devgn
Written and fronted by showrunner Suparn S Verma, who is one of the most sought-after writers in the long-format space, the two-minute long trailer showcases Noyonika, who resumes her law career, following her husband Rajeev Sen Gupta’s arrest, when he gets embroiled in a sleaze and corruption scandal. When the husband, a decorated judge himself, (played by Jisshu Sengupta) is unable to seek a lawyer to represent his case, Noyonika has to step in. The show eventually traces the tilting scale between morals and ethics.
The trailer launch also saw co-actors Jisshu, Sheeba Chaddha, Kubbra Sait, Gaurav Pandey and Aseem Hattangady, in attendance. The surprise highlight of the event was Ajay Devgn’s brief appearance at the do, in his right as the show’s co-producer. He was joined by Deepak Dhar, CEO of Banijay and Gaurav Banerjee, Head of Content of Disney+Hotstar.
When Kajol was quizzed about how does she feel to be marking her OTT debut, she states, “I have watched the original show (The Good Wife) and I have loved it at that point of time, but that was where the discussion with Deepak came through. The character was amazing, the concept was fabulous.”
The show premieres on Disney+Hotstar on July 14
She adds, “Although, I had my concerns on how it would be adapted in Hindi. That’s where Suparn came in with the narration of the script and that did it for me. For me, it is about the script. I’ll say this for myself, the script is never really about one character, but all characters. So, everybody’s character in this series is so well rounded and written. So, my script is my king. Every woman will be able to identify with Noyonika.”
Ajay was jokingly asked about if there ever is a conflict at home. To which the actor sportingly responded, “We are actors, so we know what work ethics are. Actor troubles are only at home. Otherwise, this show has a fabulous cast, fabulous actors, so it was lovely.”
Director Suparn then speaks about what the audiences can look forward to from the series. “The Trial is not merely a legal drama. We had to sit down and deliberate a title that differs from the original because the show is about the trials in life, in a marriage and of a person’s individual journey. What works for us is we don’t have a jury system in our country. So, we adapt an international show, but the arcs of its characters and the settings are based in an Indian set-up,” he shares.
The Trial: Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhokha also features Alyy Khan and Aamir Ali who weren’t present at the trailer launch event. The show streams on Disney+Hotstar from July 14, 2023 onwards.
