Jai Gangaajal

"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

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.

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.

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.

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