One of the best courtroom mysteries that we got in recent times is Nail Polish. Loosely based on a shockingly true story, Nail Polish revolves around the mysterious killing of 38 migrant children and the accusation that follows it. Written and directed by Bugs Bhargava Krishna, the film stars Manav Kaul, Arjun Rampal, Anand Tiwari, and Rajit Kapur in the lead roles. The most complex role in the film undoubtedly belonged to Manav Kaul and here are six reasons why his character had us glued to our seats.
The Jail Incident
When Veer Singh (Manav Kaul) is arrested for the accusation of killing multiple children, he is taken aback. The accusation comes as a shock to him and he keeps getting disturbed and yet stays calm throughout the process. However, during his time in prison, he is given a hard time by the goon-leader inside. Veer Singh keeps bearing all the hardships, until one day he is denied food and is told that he would have to talk to the leader to get food. He goes to the leader, stands calmly, and then in frustration, stabs his eye out with a fork. This was the first scene where Veer Singh had us gasping.
The Amnesia
When Veer Singh gets beaten up in the prison and is getting treated, his mind suffers from amnesia due to the trauma. When the nurse of the hospital proceeds to examine him, he turns and has a completely different expression on his face – which later is explained when he says that he can’t remember who he is. Also, his mind has stopped functioning normally, so much so that when the nurse gives him a rose, he can’t recognize what it is, and eats it!
The Transformation
During his treatment, when one day the nurse visits Veer Singh in his ward, she sees something that scares not only her but also us. Veer Singh is sitting on the floor, caressing and straightening his long hair, which is non-existent! This is the moment when Veer starts transforming into Charu.
Nail Polish
The movie’s title explains itself when during his transformation into Charu, Veer cleans and shapes his nails like that of a woman. On top of it, he proceeds to apply nail polish on them, completely believing himself to be Charu, not Veer. Nail Polish, the title, describes the second identity of Veer.
Charu’s Distress
When Veer, in the form of Charu, sees his own face, his second identity he cannot fathom why her face looks that way. In that moment of rage, Charu (Veer) breaks the mirror. Another fit of rage occurs in the court when she keeps hearing Veer Singh’s name, and when everyone refers to her with it, she starts banging her head on the table.
The Climax
One last time when the movie boggles with our head is during the climax of the film. Veer Singh, throughout the proceeding when his mind had not snapped, had a habit of fidgeting with the paperweight on the court’s bench. In the climax, where our minds are still wondering if Veer has really transformed into Charu, he picks up the paperweight, sending us all into a frenzy and making us wonder if he’s guilty or innocent.
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