User reviews

Just to make it clear JAI GANGAJAL has nothing to do with 2003's GANGAJAL, apart from the fact that both the films had the same director, both the movies deal with cops and both have something to do with police department against vigilante justice, in the former it was vigilante cops, here it is a whole neighborhood which resorts to vigilante justice.

Abha Mathur (Priyanka Chopra) arrives as the New SP of Bankipur, Bihar a kind of recommended position by a minister with whom her family has good relations. Once she takes charges, she realizes that the law and order situation is in a toss in the hamlet. Bhola Nath Singh (Prakash Jha) the circle inspector is on the payroll of the local MLA (Manav Kaul) and gives them ample protection from the law. The MLA's brother Babloo Pandey(Ninad Kamat) has a terror hold on the people and right at the moment they are trying hard to acquire land for a certain power plant. Babloo Pandey faces opposition from Sunita (Vega Tamotia) a teenager who refuses to part with her land even after Babloo KIills her father. She is soon kidnapped, raped and killed by Babloo. This brutal incident causes a change in Bholanath and he decides to become a honest cop and arrest the culprits, but he is too late, as the people have formed a vigilante group and decide to make the first strike, the first step taken by the 14 year-old Nagesh (Ayush Khedkar), Sunitha's brother. Though the whole thing sounds like a climax sequence, it is a sequence which happens right in the 10 mins of post interval. Now Abha has to control the law and order in Bankipur where the people and the politicians/goons are with an internal war with one another and the police are forced to become mere spectators.

The premise is awesome, but is completely drained out because of a weak screenplay, which goes wandering in the oft repeated scenes of honest police offer, corrupt police officer, politicians etc., in the first half, and even when the twist happens, the movie again seems like we are watching the same lady cop versus corrupt politician saga.

Priyanka Chopra is excellent as Abha Mathur, she carries the film well, especially in the interrogation sequences and the final showdown.

It is Prakash Jha as Bholenath who actually carries the film on his shoulders, as a corrupt cop turned vigilante supporter, the role has many shades. Rahul Bhat is wasted, nothing much to discuss about him.

It is Ninad Kamat, who steals the show as Babloo Pandey, he makes the role so loathsome that you in fact cheer for the fate which awaits him.

Vega Tamotia is good as the unrelenting girl showing defiance even after being aware of the fate which awaits her. She performs ably and holds her own against Prakash Jha and Priyanka Chopra. The rest of the cast do what is expected of them, nothing to write home about .

Salim-Suleman's music is OK, not so great, just flows along with the movie.

If only the screenplay had been tighter, we would had a classic, but this where Prakash Jha falters,

Disappointing fare, but not a bad movie.

Watch it if you are a PC fan, otherwise stay put till you get to watch it on TV.

Jai Gangajal is totally a PRAKASH JHA movie, literally. He at 64 makes the most promising debut by an actor in recent times. The movie is no match to its predecessor but Priyanka Chopra's honest performance as Abha Mathur does make up for all the loopholes in the story. Much like Gangaajal the movie makes an attempt to focus on the socially relevant topics like land grabbing, farmer suicides, rape etc. Manav Kaul is the villain of the season but you do miss the presence of Prakash Jha regulars like Mukesh Tiwari, Ayub Khan, Yashpal Sharma who really add a touch of realism to such political dramas. Overall a good watch that could have been a great sequel to a cult movie like Gangajal.

"Jai Gangajal" is a sequel Prakash Jha's much acclaimed "Gangajal" released in 2003. Lately, the film saw a lot of criticism despite a hype created through its promos. The film is not a wash-out, it does have its merits; but by the end, it's not more than a regular Bollywood flick with an overdose of action and improbabilities. A village entirely ravaged by the fear of the goons and a ferocious lady superintendent, trying to regulate law and order against the corrupt officials form the crux of the movie, which has been seen umpteenth of times in movies. Priyanka Chopra performs the role well and presents it with a glamour. But the face that attracts more in the movie is Prakash Jha, who debuts in this movie as a corrupt official. However, influence of Nana Patekar is seen in his performance. Besides a contrived plot, the film also drags at times and could have been trimmed a bit. There is also an over dramatization of sequences added to the screen. Hence, good performances and a good direction merely save it and make it a watchable movie.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

Film looks like a remake of Gangajal instead of a sequel. Although it's not a sequel technically, it absorbs a good amount of theme from the last version. Story is well scripted once again but not very gripping and exciting. I'd rather prefer to see Gangajal again. But it gains a good pace towards the end of first half and bleakly manages to create its own identity.

It has been underplayed by all the actors and that is the best part of the movie. Prakash Jha was amazing from the start and maintained a perfect body language throughout. Priyanka Chopra was certainly above average and delivered a decent performance. Manav Kaul as the prime villain is also a good watch.

This movie remains a Prakash Jha show where he does everything from writing, acting and directing. This brings down the direction levels a little bit but still the goodness of the movie lies in the repeat of a wonderful direction.

There's a good support of an enthralling background score.

Overall, a Prakash Jha show, where he manages an above average performance in all acting, writing and direction.

Writer-Director Prakash Jha explores The Actor in him, in his very own 'Jai Gangaajal'. A sequel of the stellar 2003 crime film Gangaajal, 'Jai Gangaajal', for all that it stands for, is effective & overlong, leaving a film that's thoroughly watchable, but never memorable. Jha denominates the narrative, but a stronger Screenplay would've enhanced the impact!

'Jai Gangaajal' Synopsis: A newly appointed Senior Inspector (Priyanka Chopra), finds herself against very powerful goons and having people from her own department against her.

'Jai Gangaajal' has an absorbing, disturbing first-hour, where our protagonist fights it out with evil within politics & her very own department. Some sequences are excellently executed, including one where the protagonist brutally teaches a lecherous man a lesson. The narrative remains crisp up-to intermission, but slips & stretches itself for a bit too long. The fight between the good & bad, including Jha's transformation from a corrupt cop to a complete hero, could've done with a sharper pace & better Writing. 'Jai Gangaajal' overstays its welcome for a good 20-minutes, which honestly, doesn't work on its advantage. A stronger second-hour, with some trimming, was much needed!

Jha's Screenplay is top-notch in the grim first-hour, but loses steam later-on. Jha's Direction, however, is arresting. He has handled some of the most dramatic sequences, with flourish. Cinematography is good. Editing lacks razor-sharpness & some trimming was needed. Action-Sequences are raw & rustic. Background Score merits a special mention.

Performance-Wise: Priyanka Chopra is convincing as the honest & tough cop, enacting the central part emotively. But its Jha himself, who steals 'Jai Gangaajal'. He's simply superb as the corrupt cop, who later turns into a hero. It would be interesting to see him doing more roles here on. Manav Kaul is fantastic as the evil politician. Here's an actor who deserves more! Ninad Kamat, as Kaul's rapist & land-robbing brother, is despicable to the core. He's first-rate! Murli Sharma, also cast in a negative role, is in great form. Rahul Bhat has a small role, but he enacts his part remarkably. Others lend adequate support.

On the whole, 'Jai Gangaajal' has its moments & Jha emerges as an actor!

I would degrade almost to the half of its original version as the director did a big mistake by trying to replace so so priyanka with the ferocious ajay devgan. The acting presented by ajay devgan coupled with prakash jha's direction made gangajal a peace to watch many time's but that was wasted in jai gangajal. Although the concept and story was so good audience might stay with it till the end but will be left unsatisfied after half hearted acting and an attempt to introduce jha himself. Even if jha acted in the lead role twisting the story in a different line it could have looked better. But none the less good intro to the director's acting. Now only time will prove whether the actor or the director win's in long run.

Leaving with a hope to get another gangajaal sooner than such a delay while carrying more punch and quality role distribution.

Watched Jai Gangajal today expecting it to be yet more explicitly brutal than Shool or, Gangajal - the raw & earthy rural India's continued resignation towards their fate of poverty and suffering while the rich and powerful have their way. It was all that, but quite a bit more - chiefly because of Prakash Jha, the actor. He has played an elegantly understated role and it is on his shoulders that this film's entire psyche rests. Priyanka Chopra as the chief female protagonist is commendable and more than adequate for this role following her Mary Kom & Quantico appearances and brings that action heroine persona alive wherever needed. But it's Prakash Jha who, as a mild mannered, experienced but corrupt policeman gradually moulting into a cop on a mission - the change catalyzed by sequential cinematic events and a deeply buried and awakening humanity, who totally steals the show. A trifle long, but fast paced by bollywood standards and with a well synchronized restrained soundtrack - this is definitely a must watch movie.

Prakash Jha is famous for his contribution to hard-hitting political drama released in 2001 "Gangajal" starring Ajay Devgan which left no stone unturned in divulging the corruption and hypocrisy that is very much predominant in our society. Will the sequel, "Jai Gangaajal", releasing after 15 years pay the tribute to the hugely popular "Gangajal". Let us check it out.

"Jai Gangaajal" tells the story of first female SP Abha Mathur (played by Priyanka Chopra) who is appointed to Bankipur district in Bihar where she combats against the Local MLA of Bankipur (played by Manav Kaul) and gangs of Lakhisarai district.

Prakash Jha is famous for his contribution to hard-hitting political dramas like "Mrityudand" , "Gangajal" , "Rajneeti" and "Satyagraha" which left no stone unturned in divulging the corruption and hypocrisy that is very much predominant in our society. "Jai Gangaajal" starts off with a bang with initial reels showcasing the introductory fight scene where Priyanka Chopra bashes the goons. The few scenes in the first half are engaging but the actual drama unfolds when the corrupt cop B.N.Singh (played by Prakash Jha himself) has change of heart. The movie follows series of events which is engrossing like the confrontation scene between Priyanka Chopra and Manav Kaul, the scene where Manav Kaul beats Prakash Jha and the climax scene. However, the screenplay falters later and you began to loose interest in this elongated tale.

Direction wise Prakash Jha chooses his favorite genre of "political drama" but loses the balances tripping down the rabbit hole. Fans who adored Jha's "Gangajal" will be disappointed as the sequel is not as remarkable as the first part. Editing should need a serious attention. Music is disappointing. Performances by the star cast compensates for this . Priyanka Chopra is outstanding. Watch for her in the climax scene. Prakash Jha lends in a good support. Manav Kaul is good as wicked politician.

Overall , "Jai Gangaajal" is a sincere attempt to portray the stinking truth of Indian politics. Good 3/5.

– Ketan Gupta

After knowing that PC has been involved in some sleek Hollywood projects of late , it was expected to see her in a smart movie in Bollywood as well.It was with that expectation, I went to watch this movie.But 10 minutes into the movie, I could make out that it is nothing but a glorified Bhojpuri cinema without any panache, story line or substance.After watching trashes like Chakravyuha, Satyagraha,Arakshan or Rajneeti, hope was never high on Prakash Jha though. This movie is more of a Bhojpuri street drama with loud dialogs, poor acting skills and very less common sense.I heard that Mr Jha is himself a politician of some sort.However the way scenes are depicted after the notification of Election, you rather can not stop chuckling at the immaturity and lack of knowledge of the Director.Being a civil servant myself, I was seriously irritated at the level of insensitivity of Mr.Jha. There is practically nothing to take home from a movie like this.Ms Chopra looks stunning in a scenes or two.Otherwise she is very average to say the least.The content of the movie is clichéd.In every frame there was a visible effort to recreate the magic of Gangajal, in which the director fails miserably.The movie drags unnecessarily without any substantial plot development.Character development is comical.Use of camera, a very essential ingredient for a movie like this is pathetic. Overall, do not waste your precious time or money for a scrap like this.You can rather watch the DVD of the original Gangajal rather.

New movie Reviews and lots more Hot news .... LIKE THIS PAGE : English Hindi TAMIL TELUGU Facebook : Movie Review by Yunus Irshad https://www.facebook.com/YunusIrshadsMovieReview

Jai Gangaajal (U/A) Hindi ----------- my Rating: ★★★ SAME OLD POLITICAL DRAMA STRENGTHS:- * First half was awesome with crisp editing.... * Prakash Jha's performance from start till end.... * Camera-work and Direction WEAKNESSES:- * Second half was extreme draggy * Boring songs and background score... FINAL VERDICT: * Overall.. it is a one time watch movie with some good performances of priyanka and prakash jha... Priyanka comes in very less portions even tough she the lead... It is same about old village political drama. One thing is guarantee in Prakash jha movie, he covers 200 people in one shot. too much crowded. Just watch it for once. A newly appointed Senior Inspector finds herself against very powerful goons and having people from her own department against her. Director: Prakash Jha Writer: Prakash Jha Stars: Ankush Bali, Rahul Bhat, Indraneel Bhattacharya | See full cast & crew »

The best part about 'Jai Gangaajal', director Prakash Jha's latest foray into the country's badlands, is a surprise acting turn by Jha himself: as a corrupt-cop-with-a-latent-conscience, Jha looks as if he has been doing this all his life, so comfortable is he in front of the camera.

Too bad you can't say the same for the leading lady. As the take-charge-policewoman-in-a-tough-posting, Priyanka Chopra comes off as dressed-for-the-part and stilted. You can see she's trying hard, especially in some of the 'action' sequences in which she has to kick and punch and thrash, but she's far too smooth for this part.Everything else in this sequel of 'Gangaajal', which replaces the khaki-clad Ajay Devgn with Priyanka Chopra, and pouring acid in the eye with a hanging from the nearest tree/post/fan, falls strictly in the seen-before-category. Bankipur, a village over- run by greedy politicians, 'bikey-huey-cops', and self-serving locals, could be any Jha 'gaon' from his previous films.

The detailing is just a little different—an effeminate 'chamcha' (Sharma), a young girl refusing to give up her patch of land (Tamotia), a podgy baddie in colourful shirts (Kamath; nice to see him in a substantial role)—but overall, this is Jha's much-traversed universe, in which the lawless rule and the law is an ass, till the hero (or in this instance, the heroine) shows up to clean up the mess.

The only problem with the movie was casting and I believe all will agree with me who has seen the movie. Priyanka is not at all the right choice. She is good in an interview but acting in a movie any movie is not at all her cup of tea maybe some specific roles but she is not at all a versatile actress she is not even an actress.

Some films should never be made into a series like the amazing Gangaajal.

Same storyline on which Prakash Jha is always focused at. This movie echoes society and the corrupt governing policy for personal gain, same as his other previous movies. As a sequel it's a so-so representation, Priyanka Chopra as Abha Mathur is spot on. And yet again Prakash Jha on silver screen, this time as a full time character lacks certain expression and acting, could have been more better. But he was able to pull it off this time as inspector B N Singh. On the whole the storyline is nothing unexpected, it has it's own thrills, twist and turns. This time Priyanka did a appreciable job,but Prakash Jha failed to create a wonder.

Unlike other bollywood movies that deviates you from the story and takes you to a fairy world, this movie shows reality and bunch of women empowerment. This is one of the underrated movie that should have been a blockbuster and is a tight slap to nepotism!

Why, why, why one would cast Priyanka Chopra for such a strong character and two jokers in the negative roles. Prakash Jha himself tried really hard to revive the movie, but it was too much for him alone.

Prakash Jha's movie shows the corruption that is so rampant in India. It weaves together crucial contemporary threads - land mafias, corrupt netas, broker-cops, broken farmers - with Jha's enduring concern about vigilante justice When is the youth of India going to raise their voice against the organised crime and sleazy filth of corrupt police. Priyanka, did a fabulous portrayal of a police officer (IPS) who does not bend or bow down to the goons . This is a polished, restrained Priyanka, who barely smiles but conveys the ethics and empathy of the lawFor good measure, the plot has a PhD degree holder (Rahul Bhat in a special appearance) who has chucked up a high paying job in the US to throw his lot behind the poor landowners whose future is under grave threat from big industry.

Well done.

Okay well quite a few surprises out here. Good ones though. Even though the film cannot be compared with Gangajal, it somehow appears as a very female version of the former.

Okay now for the surprises, Priyanka succeeds in becoming the female version of Ajay's character. She is very believable and really good. Its good to see a female solo in films stand out really well.

The second surprise is Jha himself! We have all known him as this very determined director.....well now presenting actor Jha! He really stands out as the corrupt cop who gradually recovers into a good one.

Overall, see this film for its fine performances and really well made characterizations.

Not perfect! But not bad either!