Jai Gangaajal

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

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!

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.

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.

"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