The Trial Season 2 Review: Kajol is back as the fiery and intelligent Noyonika Sengupta in the second season of The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha, the Hindi remake of the American series, The Good Wife. By the time this second season has arrived, Disney+ Hotstar has become JioHotstar, and we have also had a Tamil remake of the same series starring Priyamani. The Hindi remake itself sees a change in the show runner, with Umesh Bist replacing last season's Suparn Varma. ‘The Trial 2’ Release Date: Kajol-Starrer Film To Be Released on JioHotstar on September 19.

While the industry's paucity of original ideas remains an annoyance, forcing us to depend on American shows for remake fodder, The Trial continues its run with Kajol in top form.

'The Trial' Season 2 Review - The Plot

Set three months after the previous season's finale, Noyonika and her philandering husband, Rajiv (Jisshu Sengupta), are putting on a united front for the world and their children, pretending their marriage is thriving. Noyonika, however, clearly gives less of a damn, a feeling not helped by the fact that he failed to inform her of his political ambitions and used her for the launch.

Watch the Trailer of 'The Trial' Season 2:

In an attempt to get back into her good books, Rajiv is no longer pressurising her to help his political campaign as he locks horns with the powerful Nandini (Sonali Kulkarni). Meanwhile, Noyonika's colleague and former paramour, Vishal (Alyy Khan), has found new love but cannot seem to get over his heartbreak. And as their law firm takes on more twisted cases, it also faces the threat of a split after a merger brings in a new partner, Param (Karanvir Sharma).

'The Trial' Season 2 Review - Storylines on Shaky Ground

The strength of The Trial still lies in its courtroom drama and performances, but the cracks feel wider this season. The marital drama between Noyonika and Rajiv feels predictable. Rajiv tries desperately to win his wife over, but despite their public appearances, she remains unmoved. The problem is that Jisshu’s casting ensures that even when Rajiv insists he’s a changed man, we can smell a rat a mile off.

A Still From The Trial S2

Rajiv's political rivalry with Nandini has more jazz in comparison, but their machinations often feel like the show is merely ticking boxes from current headlines without truly fleshing them out. We get debates on LGBTQ+ rights, the insider-outsider dynamic, and IT cell conflicts, but they mostly lead to scenes where characters deliver a speech, and that's the end of it.

The merger adds some welcome tension at Noyonika's workplace. Her boss, Malini (Sheeba Chaddha), suspects Param is trying to oust her with Vishal's help and begins planning her own counter-moves. This corporate drama worked far better for me because the actors killed it in selling their apprehensions and tensions. There’s a fantastic scene where Malini and Vishal independently come up with the same sneaky, manipulative tactic, a telling sign of how in sync they are. The Trial Review: An In-Form Kajol Leads This Bumpy Remake of The Good Wife.

A Still From The Trial S2

However, the show often fails to develop relationships and still expects us to care. At one point, Noyonika calls her legal investigator, Sana (Kubbra Sait), her best friend, but we've never seen them as anything more than work buddies. The emotional conclusion of Vishal's romantic subplot is forgotten by the very next scene when he once again lays his eyes on Noyonika. Param also becomes a very surface-level antagonist - apart from his obsession with profits, we don't really understand his endgame with the people he is partnering with.

A Still From The Trial S2

The courtroom cases are still engaging, but they lack the riveting quality of the previous season. From a sexual misconduct case to an attempted murder trial involving two influencers, the cases do serve up variety, but their outcomes are often predictable. It's not hard to guess how the mystery will unfold, and more often than not, they veer into sermonising. This gives the show a very episodic feel - a strange paradox for a continuing drama - even when a case spills over into the next episode.

'The Trial' Season 2 Review - Commanding Performances

As for the performances, Kajol has settled into the role beautifully. She is a fiery, charming force on screen and looks gorgeous throughout.

A Still From The Trial S2

The supporting cast, including Jisshu Sengupta, Alyy Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Kubbra Sait, Gaurav Pandey and Sonali Kulkarni, are all dependable, with Alyy Khan and Sheeba Chaddha standing out as the highlights. Also nice to Asrani back on screen, with the veteran actor playing a shrewd defence lawyer for an unscrupulous builder.

'The Trial' Season 2 Review - Final Thoughts

The Trial Season 2 is a classic case of diminishing returns. It remains a slick, watchable legal drama powered by a commanding central performance from Kajol and a stellar supporting cast who elevate the material. However, with predictable storylines and less compelling cases than its predecessor, the series feels like it’s going through the motions rather than arguing a convincing case for its own renewal. The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha is streaming on JioHotstar.

Rating:2.0

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2025 09:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).