What does one expect from a Madhur Bhandarkar film? Controversial subjects, an over dose of reality, a touch of glamor, maybe an item number...Jail sort of has all these, though what shines through is REALITY coupled with dollops of depressing moments to clench your heart.
The film, as the trailers tell us, is about Parag Manohar Dixit (Neil Nitin Mukesh), a victim of misunderstandings that lead him to jail. Madhur tries to show us the turmoil that Parag goes through in the prison, considering that he is an innocent man.
Apart from Parag's struggle, there are the other inmates in jail, some innocent and some others guilty, and the movie shows us the bonding between unlikely characters and of course the emotional upheavals that they all have to deal with.
It is poignant, to the point of being depressing. A first time entry into the jail warrants a humiliating full-body check. The food is beyond disgusting. Sanitation is something no one has ever heard of. The protagonist is helped by a kind-hearted man in jail. Lawyers are worse than leeches. Righteousness wins in the end.
This isn't new. There have been several films in the past that have hihlighted the bad conditions that prisoners in Indian jails live in.
What's new is this. The film has broken the stereotype image that we have of courtroom scenes. Not once was the audience subjected to long sentimental speeches. Everything was to the point and quick. People have had enough Sunny Deols yelling "tareekh pe tareekh" by now.
We are shown how during the monsoons the jails are fuller. How come the crime rate increases with rains? The logic is simple and heart-wrenching.
People who live on the streets have no place to go during the rainy season. They have just 2 options: Get involved in some petty crime and spend a few months in jail, where at least you have a roof above your head and two meals a day. Or, get soaked in the treacherous Mumbai rain and die of pneumonia.
Needless to say, lots of them pick the first option.
There is a nexus of sorts that operates in the jail. A goon, by the name of Baba Bhai, helps prisoners escape, with the condition that they do his bidding (murders, extortions etc) once they are out. Hapless souls desperate to get out take his help and get sucked into the underworld. One wonders whether they were better off imprisoned or free.
It is very clear that the film belongs to Neil from the first scene to the rolling credits. I can't imagine anyone else playing the part; he looked helpless when he had to, scared at the right moments, enraged at other times, and even bordered on losing his mind. Bhandarkar gets 10 brownie points for this choice.
Neil's innocence and fearful eyes remind you of a kid (a goat's young one) about to be slaughtered. His silent pleas of help move your heart, making you want to stroke his brown fuzzy hair and comfort him. Of course his smart shirts make you want to drool, for even when he is in a pitiable state, your brain registers the fact that he is undeniably handsome.
Mugdha has an inconsequential role as the loyal girlfriend, Mansi. Arya Babbar as Baba Bhai's henchman has done a decent job.
Manoj Bajpai plays Nawab, a prisoner who does the jailer's bidding, and is in for murder. He believes Neil is innocent, and does all in his power to shield him Baba Bhai's recruitment process. A small role, but still commendable.
Then there are other characters, like a poet, a cricket bookie and an astrologer. Of course Madhur's penchant for gay characters continues, so we have a glimpse of them too. There is a also a Vin Diesel- like chap who is involved in a hit-and-run case. A rich and spoilt guy, he gets out on bail.
The film shows us the power of money. It makes the world go around, whether in helping a guilty man get out, or providing comforts to gangsters in the prison.
All in all, a good effort from Bhandarkar, but somehow not in the same league as Fashion or Page 3.
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