21 years of 3 Deewarein: Deep dive into Nagesh Kukunoor's crime drama

Behind the bars of 3 Deewarein a 21-year retrospective delves into Nagesh Kukunoor's film and its enduring impact.

3 Deewarein completes 21 years of its release

21 years have passed since the release of the Nagesh Kukunoor-directed film 3 Deewarein. The 2003 crime film featured the filmmaker along with Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff; the remaining cast members are Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Grover, and Sujata Mehta. The film follows a documentary filmmaker as she follows three inmates on their journeys to redemption while capturing their reformation stories in jail. The filmmaker herself finds salvation in her own problematic marriage. Now is the right time to revisit the underrated gem, which is currently streaming on Prime Video and ShemarooMe (OTTplay Premium).

3 Deewarein's main characters

The death row is home to three men. The poet and lawyer Jaggu (Shroff) is currently serving time for the murder of his wife, whom he killed because she had an affair. Nagya (Kukunoor), a man filled with anger towards everyone and everything, also faces accusations of killing his fiancée. However, he insists it was an accident, saying she slid off the pavement during their dispute. They also take Ishaan (Shah), the carefree man, into custody for the murder he committed while robbing a store. Mohan (Grover), who is in charge of the prison, tries various approaches to help the inmates change their ways. Chandrika (Chawla), a documentary filmmaker visits the prison in order to film these three inmates. During this process, her broken marriage becomes a source of atonement for herself.

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The film screened in the Indian Panorama section at India's International Film Festival in 2003. The film also premiered at the Kolkata Film Festival. 3 Deewarein enjoyed a successful run at the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles, followed by its nomination for a top-five spot at the gala presentation at the Commonwealth Festival in Manchester.

Inspiration behind the film

Director and writer Nagesh Kukunoor discussed the inspiration for the film at its Kolkata Film Festival premiere. He stated that the emotions of an incarcerated individual fascinated him. A fleeting rush of adrenaline can destroy one and lock them up for life. In his film, the inmates share their experiences with the director, Juhi Chawla. Each narrative connects to the others at the end.

Before the film came out, Kukunoor was interviewed in which he discussed how a documentary about inmates at Yerwada Central Jail had inspired him. After viewing the video, he had conversations with two of the portrayed ex-convicts. Listening to their accounts piqued Kukunoor's curiosity in the idea that an ordinary person could be thrown into prison so rapidly. But he didn't begin penning the script until after three years had passed.

At first, Kukunoor titled the screenplay Three Walls and wrote it in English. However, the producer was of the opinion that the English title might turn off viewers who would have otherwise enjoyed the film.

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