# Court – State vs a Nobody

Court – State vs a Nobody is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language legal drama film written and directed by Ram Jagadeesh in his directorial debut. The film stars Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Harsh Roshan, Sridevi, and Sivaji alongside, P. Sai Kumar, Harsha Vardhan, Rohini, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Surabhi Prabhavathi, and Rajasekhar Aningi.
The film was released on 14 March 2025 to positive reviews from critics and was successful at the box office grossing ₹33.55 crore worldwide in the opening weekend.

## Plot

Surya Teja,(Priyadarshi) a junior lawyer works at a Law firm owned by Mohan Rao(Sai Kumar). He aspires to one day be given and win an individual case so that he can be more than what his father was able to do, which was notarize documents.
ChandraShekar(Harsh Roshan), is a 19 year old boy who does odd jobs to support himself and his family. His family constitutes of his father who works as a watchman in a plot of land and his mother and sister.Chandrashekar falls in love with a 17 year old girl, Jabilli(Sridevi) who comes from a well to do family. Her uncle, Mangapathi is seen as the head of the family, as Jabilli's father has passed away. Mangapathi (Sivaji) uses his lawyer(Harshavardhan) and the bribes the police to create false cases against people if he believes they have done something to tarnish his familie's image or honor.
When Mangapathi finds out Jabili is in love with Chandrashekar he gets Chandrashekar arrested and charged with the POCSO act, a law designed to quickly and effectively protect minors from rapists and pedophiles.
How Surya Teja happens to stumble upon this case and fights for justice for Chandrashekar forms the crux of the story.

## Cast

* Priyadarshi Pulikonda as Surya Teja, Defense Lawyer
* Harsh Roshan as Chandrasekhar alias Chandu
* Sridevi as Jabilli
* Sivaji as Mangapathi
* P. Sai Kumar as Mohan Rao, Senior Lawyer to Surya Teja
* Harsha Vardhan as Damodhar alias Damu, Prosecuted Lawyer
* Rohini as Jabilli's Mother
* Subhalekha Sudhakar as Jabilli's Grandfather
* Surabhi Prabhavathi as Chandu's Mother
* Rajasekhar Aningi as Chandu's Father
* Gopinath as Koti
* Srihari as Jabilli's Father (Photo presence)

## Production

Ram Jagadeesh approached Priyadarshi Pulikonda with a romance story, which Priyadarshi was not interested in. Then Ram Jagadeesh told Priyadarshi about a friend of his who was wrongly accused of a crime. Priyadarshi asked Ram to research similar cases. Subsequently, Ram read about case files related to the POCSO Act. He drew inspiration from the case files he read and developed a fictional story. The screenplay was written by Ram Jagadeesh with Karthikeya Sreenivass and Vamsidhar Sirigiri. The film was produced by Prashanti Tipirneni, while Deepthi Ganta co-produced it. In August 2024, Nani announced that he would present the film Court – State vs a Nobody, unveiling a title motion poster. Principal photography began in September 2024.

## Soundtrack

The film has a soundtrack composed by Vijai Bulganin. The soundtrack comprises only one song, released on 14 February 2025.

## Release

Court – State vs a Nobody was released theatrically on 14 March 2025. The film received positive reviews from the critics.

### Home media

The digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix.

## Reception
### Critical reception

Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India rated the film three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Debutant director Ram Jagadeesh punches well above his weight, delivering a film that is both deeply moving and socially relevant. Court: State vs A Nobody is not just a courtroom drama—it is a slice-of-life portrayal of human emotions, societal biases, and the pursuit of justice." Avad Mohammad of OTTplay gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "a gripping courtroom drama with outstanding performances, a strong message, and powerful emotions. Though the film starts slow, once it reaches the conflict point, there is hardly a dull moment." A critic from The Hans India gave the film three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Court: State Vs A Nobody is an engaging legal drama with standout performances from Priyadarshi, Shivaji, and Harsh Roshan. Though the first half is slow, the courtroom sequences in the latter half make it worth a watch." Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave the film three out of five stars and wrote, "Strong performances and emotional beats do the heavy lifting in this familiar legal drama."
Satya Pulagam of ABP Desam rated the film three out of five stars. Jalapathy Gudelli of Telugucinema.com gave the film three out of five stars and wrote, "a fairly engaging courtroom drama that sparks reflection on societal and judicial issues. Despite a sluggish first half and some narrative conveniences, strong performances—particularly from Priyadarshi and Shivaji—and a well-executed second half make it a worthwhile watch." Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Presented by Telugu star Nani, this courtroom drama steadily captures the audience's attention before entering the court to make an emotional case, but falls short when it comes to making the case compelling and smart." Sashidhar Adivi of Times Now gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "Overall, Court–State vs. A Nobody is a decent courtroom drama in Telugu cinema and will appeal to its target audience. The emotional depth, narrative style, and social message make it a one-time watch despite shortcomings."
B. H. Harsh of Cinema Express wrote, "Debutant filmmaker Ram Jagadeesh shows a lot of promise in his debut, handling a familiar concept with impressive control and freshness". Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote, "Court is not groundbreaking. But it is an absorbing drama where the most applause-worthy moments stem from thoughtful writing and sharp dialogues." Balakrishna Ganeshan of The News Minute wrote, "Although director Ram Jagadeesh’s Court: State Vs A Nobody aspires to be a gripping legal drama, it leans heavily onto melodrama rather than procedural precision, ultimately weakening its impact." Swaroop Kodur of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote, "Some of the elements in Ram Jagadeesh’s debut film feel slightly off-base, but the film comes together because of strong performances and staging."

### Box office

Court – State vs a Nobody grossed ₹8 crore on the opening day and ₹23 crore worldwide in the opening weekend.