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Friday, April 26, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD JAIL
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: ***1/2
Madhur Bhandarkar has done it again. From "Jail", one expected a
gritty, hard-hitting and thought-provoking drama. Bhandarkar delivers all this
and lots more.
Before one starts drawing any comparisons, let`s make one thing clear -
"Jail" isn`t "The Shawshank Redemption". The only similarity
is that they both tell the story of prison inmates. Other than that neither the
storyline nor the treatment bear any resemblance.
Bhandarkar recreates the world of prison inmates as he tells the story of Parag
Dixit (Neil), who has been falsely implicated in a drug case. The film comes to
the point right away with Parag`s corporate career coming to a roadblock as he
finds himself surrounded by inmates.
In trademark Bhandarkar treatment, numerous characters are fleshed out - the
butcher (Manoj Bajpayee) with a mysterious past, a lower middle class man (Rahul
Singh) who has committed a murder in a fit of anger, a gangster (Aarya Babbar)
and a youngster whose car has mowed down half a dozen people. But the film`s
core is still Parag.
It is Parag`s tale that succeeds in keeping the audience watching. The
claustrophobic atmosphere in the jail barrack suffocates audiences as Bhandarkar
never allows the film to go off tangent. Yes, the frequent journey from jail to
court and then back without any results do turn depressing after a while. But
this is where the realism sets in.
Instead of taking the routine Bollywood route about third degree torture, police
brutality, homosexuality and inmate bullying, Bhandarkar maintains an unbiased
point of view. Yes, the film shocks but more due to the emotional turmoil that
Parag goes through rather than on-screen visuals.
Especially notable are the scenes where Neil goes nude for a strip check.
Through sheer body language and mannerisms, Neil gives an excellent account of
himself. He depicts varied emotions from being subdued to sudden bouts of
aggression to helplessness and then the final redemption. With "Jail",
he surpasses his efforts in "Johnny Gaddaar" and "New York".
Manoj Bajpai has a shorter screen time but shines nevertheless. Mugdha is
natural as Neil`s girlfriend. Aarya Babbar, who till now was struggling in
Bollywood, comes up with his best performance so far. He is perfect. So is Rahul
Singh, who plays the role of Ghani.
"Jail" raises important questions about India`s prison system. Rather
than taking sides, Bhandarkar states bare facts and questions whether an
individual really deserves to live in misery until proven guilty?
Parag Dixit is living a dream life with a great job and his loving girlfriend Maansi! However things take an ugly turn when after a series of unfortunate events he suddenly wakes up in jail; handcuffed and randomly beaten up by the cops.Parag is perplexed and in a place far from his utopian life. He tries hard to face away from the ugly truth and wish it’s all a bad dream, but soon succumbs to the prison anarchy. The only salvation he finds is in Nawaab, a convict and a warden who believes that Parag is innocent.Soon, Parag discovers the inner mechanism and the science responsible for the wretched status inside the prison and hordes of broken hearts and shattered souls which managed to find comfort amidst the four prison walls.He is left with a choice, to either live a life that is controlled and exploited or fight against the system!
