'We were all deeply relieved'

Sabrina Lall's apprehensions were put to rest after she saw No One Killed Jessica

Sabrina Lall's apprehensions were put to rest after she saw No One Killed Jessica

Sabrina, the sister of slain model Jessica Lall recently saw the film Who Killed Jessica based on her sister's murder. She has loved it. Speaking after a special screening held in Delhi, she said, "It was eerie and moving.


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We were all deeply relieved by how true sto life the film has turned out."


Sabrina Lall and Vidya Balan

The fear was that the film would sensationalise the subject, "When we agreed to let them make the movie, my family and I had been warned about the 'Bollywood types'.
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We were told, 'You don't know what you are getting into. Why have you given the NOC? Now they'll just do anything they like.' But watching the film I feel vindicated. It will make Jessica kind of immortal."

Precise detail

Admiring the director for his diligent recreation of the harrowing time after Jessica's murder in 1999 when Sabrina and her family knocked on doors for justice Sabrina sighs, "Rajkumar Gupta has replicated almost every detail of the events of the proceedings after Jessica's death.

Even the dialogues and conversations in the film are what I've gone through. All of us, my cousins etc, were like, 'My god, how did the director know all this?'

The director had got the script approved by Jessica's sis. Says Sabrina appreciatively, "Rajkumar had sat with me for almost a week. We discussed everything about the case."

Constant reminder

She continues, "I've moved on, moved away from even the house where Jessica and I lived. I haven't held on to any of her possessions except the photographs. Ironically, the film will now be there to remind us of her all the time."

She admits it's a good feeling to see her sister get justice in such unexpected ways. "After the tragedy, when we were all devastated by the sheer randomness of it, my mother had said, 'There has to be a reason for it.'
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Now I feel Jessica didn't die for nothing. Her death made people question the whole legal system where an influential and rich politician's son could walk free after a murder.

He (Manu Sharma) thought he had gotten away with it. There was this whole awakening of the country's conscience after Jessica.
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We suffered. But I feel it wasn't in vain. And now there's the film. It does Jessica justice in an unexpected way."

We're not similar

Though Sabrina is thrilled by the uncanny likeness of the actress (Myra Karn) who plays Jessica she doesn't think Vidya resembles her (Sabrina) in any detail.

"Vidya is brilliant but I don't think she was trying to replicate my personality in any way. No, we are not similar at all. But the girl plays Jessica is so much like her.

Her vivacity and joie de vivre are so much like my sister's. In fact there's a sequence of a candle-light vigil where Myra's picture looks so much like Jessica in that picture we've seen of her in all the newspapers."

Speaking of justice denied, we cannot but bring up the Arushi case.

And Sabrina says, "That poor girl! How can they just close her case like this? I hope she finds justice, just like Jessica did."

In the evening, there was Jessica's birthday gathering. "We are getting together, my cousins and relatives. We will just try to remember her without grief," concludes Sabrina.

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