Jai Gangaajal Movie Review: A Case of Prakash Jha Spoiling Priyanka Chopra’s Party

Few things are more tragic than a creator becoming the destroyer-in-chief of his own cherished creation. Prakash Jha does exactly that with Jai Gangaajal – the not-so-required and oh-so-underwhelming sequel to his 2003 cop drama Gangaajal, a film that was both gripping and realistic despite its underlying theme of vigilante justice.

Being the ‘template man’ of Bollywood that he is (along with a certain Madhur Bhandarkar), Prakash Jha goes through the same police-corrupt politicians-pareshan junta rountine in Jai Gangaajal. The only difference here is a female protagonist is kicking some ass (back to Mrityudand days?). While Priyanka Chopra as SP Abha Mathur does her job effortlessly, managing both emotional and action scenes with absolute panache, it is the film’s support cast that bogs her down considerably. There is not a single character who does not come across as a caricature, they all try too hard to play to the galleries. Remember how the troika of Mukesh Tiwari as Bachcha Yadav, Mohan Joshi as Sadhu Yadav and Yashpal Sharma as Sunder Yadav bowled us over in Gangaajal? These characters were not just named realistically (that bit continues even in the sequel) but were also given a huge fillip by some powerhouse acting by the respective actors. Nothing of that sort happens in Jai Gangaajal. The support cast, including the main antagonist Manav Kaul, is extremely thanda. Even Prakash Jha’s own acting debut as a corrupt cop (who eventually has a change of heart) fails to salvage any pride.


To be fair to Prakash Jha, he does a decent job as an actor, what if he maintains the same stoic & constipated expression on his face throughout the film. But, he is clearly sincere, enthusiastic and in some scenes, he actually does impress you. But, the problem begins to creep in when you realize that Jha cannot resist the temptation of being in front of the camera and eats up a lot of screen time unnecessarily. So, he is everywhere (quite literally) even before our supposed protagonist Abha Mathur can enter the scene. He is fighting the goons or getting beaten by them, planning, plotting, thinking, staring at you, trying to cry. He is everywhere. There are times when you wish to tell him to go back to the behind of the camera. The place where he has done some good job to begin with in his career. Sigh.

Jai Gangaajal tries hard to be ‘real’ but does not go much beyond its fake-looking sets and extremely predictable premise. What works though is perhaps the film’s dialogues and Jha’s continued hold over Hindi heartland/Bihari diction and accent. So, Jha has his signature address for Priyanka Chopra, ‘Madam Sir’, he also offers ‘Elaichi’ (cardamom) to everyone and says Aap galti se misguide ho gaye hain. All these little snippets show that Jha still has a clasp over the life and times of Hindi heartland but he is simply not willing to move over the clichés.

Jha’s share of blames does not end here. He is also credited for the film’s story and screenplay which has glaring loopholes and some deeply disturbing elements. In the name of ‘justice’, Jai Gangaajal goes overboard in somewhat patronizing mob lynching and vigilante justice. There’s no serious counter-narrative offered to the dreadful acts of the mob, including that of a young boy, and the film tends to ‘forget’ all of that in the interest of a suitable, whistle-worthy climax. Although, Gangajal itself had a subplot based on the real-life Bhagalpur blinding incidents but there the film’s protagonist (Ajay Devgn) strongly and convincingly stands his ground and denounces those behind it. Nothing of that sort happens in Jai Gangaajal and Priyanka Chopra looks hapless and tired trying to drive home some saner, sober points.


At the end of its marathon 2 hours 39 minutes runtime, you feel that Jai Gangaajal could have easily been a fun ‘lady-cop-going-after-the-bad-guys’ kind of film with Priyanka Chopra pulling off her act quite convincingly. But, it is undone by a cliché-ridden script, patchy screenplay (the kind which is so stretched and disjointed that you have to literally recall ‘who this character was’) and some problematic social messaging.

This is a clear case of PJ (Prakash Jha) spoiling PC’s party. You wish the director goes back to the drawing board, throws that ‘template’ out of the window, curbs his zeal to be an actor and looks at his own impressive repository – Damul, Mrityudand, Gangaajal, Apaharan, Rajneeti and the much-forgotten but my favorite Dil Kya Kare. Turn back the clock and get your mojo back, Jha sahib!

Rating: *1/2 (Poor)

'Mary Kom' is Neat, Sincere and Inspiring

Attempting to make a biopic on a sportsperson is tricky enough, add to it the fact that the subject in question still happens to be active and very much in the news; then you are virtually playing with fire. Howsoever ignorant the Indian public may be about the Northeast, most of them would have at least gone through the real Mary Kom's Wikipedia page since a movie on her life was announced. It is in this context and the fact that you already know which way the boxing match in the climax would go, 'Mary Kom' stands out and deserves praise. Debutante director Omung Kumar and story & screenplay writer Saiwyn Quadras smartly go up, close and personal into the champion boxer's life and beautifully weave the narrative around her life's challenges and predicaments.

The film interestingly and cleverly does not follow Mary Kom's career's most recent events (the boxer's bronze medal winning effort in the last Olympics Games). Starting from Mary's younger days in Manipur where she battles insurgency, poverty, her father's resistance and society's prejudices, the film eventually closes after tracing the boxer's unbelievable comeback to the top (wining the 2008 Women's Boxing World Championship Gold in China) after getting married and delivering twins, and while battling the sports administration's apathy.

The film's biggest strength lies in the way it depicts Mary Kom's unusual relationship with three important men in her life- her husband, coach and father, and how it shapes the boxer's life on and off the boxing ring. Darshan Kumar as Onler Kom, Mary's out-of-the-world husband beautifully underplays his part and ends up making you smile and dote over him (and of course, the 'real' Onler). The actor as the ever-supportive husband, friend and motivator who gives up his own career, baby sits the twins and digests all the barbs of the world for being a man who 'lets his wife go out and get beaten', looks very believable and effective. Shiv Thapa as Mary's maverick coach is affable and outstanding.

Aided by a wonderful support cast, Priyanka Chopra gets into the role of Mary Kom with her heart and soul, and boy it shows! The actress is almost flawless in her dialogue delivery and diction, powerful and fierce when she is punching her opponents, and vulnerable and excitable when she is confronted with emotions. This is easily one of Priyanka's finest performances that is oozing with sincerity and dedication. The gorgeous actress has gone de-glam, bulked up and trained really hard to play her part and it has come out magnificently on the screen. Thankfully, the director does not fall prey to the temptation of trying to make Priyanka 'look' like Mary Kom. This is an out and out commercial film that never tries to come across as something which it isn't or cannot be (characters maintain a consistently believable accent while they speak in Hindi, no one goes overboard in trying to look and sound like a Manipuri).

But, everything is not ten on ten in the film. The film's soundtrack, although played in the background, is a big downer and distracts you many a times from the narrative. Also, the first half of the film gets a tad slow towards the interval and you suspect that the makers look a little lost while trying to bridge the pre-marriage and post-marriage events of Mary's life. The climax of the film also looks a little over-dramatized, especially when most of the film moves you without trying to be too dramatic.

All said and done, Mary Kom definitely has more pluses than pitfalls and it surely qualifies as a fine biopic that never lacks purpose and honesty. Watch it for Priyanka Chopra's stellar performance, balanced storytelling and to get inspired from one of India's greatest sportswoman's unbelievably remarkable journey to the top.

Rating: *** 1/2 (Three and Half - Very Good)

'Teri Meri Kahaani' is Simply Boring

'Teri Meri Kahaani' grabbed my attention because of two main reasons. First, the film was directorial venture of Kunal Kohli, a man who I think has not got enough praise for two wonderful films that he has made- Hum Tum and Fanaa. His other two films- Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic and Mujhse Dosti Karoge (Such terrible names!) were box-office disasters, but were reasonably 'watchable'. Secondly, I was impressed with the film's title and the tagline (Thrice upon a love story). 'Teri Meri Kahaani', for me, is a wonderfully simple and effective name for a film. A name that can intrigue both the metro junta and the people from the heartland. And I am stressing so much on the film's name because nowadays there is a marked decline in the 'quality' of film names. If films like 'London Paris New York' and 'Cocktail' could have been named better, 'Dangerous Ishq' is perhaps the most horrible mainstream Hindi film title I have ever heard of.  However, film names are an entirely different topic of debate. For now, let us focus on Kunal Kohli's 'Teri Meri Kahaani'.
 
The film is a love story (but of course) set in three different eras, 1910, 1960 and present day 2012. The idea of the film, I hear, is copied from some immensely popular Taiwanese film called 'Three Times'. But this notion, whether true or not, is of little concern because 'Teri Meri Kahaani' in its own self is a heavily flawed and uninspiring film. It is tough to believe that this film comes from the director of Hum Tum and Fanaa, and Shahid Kapoor seriously needs to introspect about his choice of films and the direction in which his Bollywood career is heading!

The biggest lacuna of Teri Meri Kahaani is its very ordinary plot and screenplay. There is nothing worthy in the story to mention about, and quite surprisingly, even the expected chemistry and camaraderie between Shahid and Priyanka is missing! Out of the three story tracks, only the one set in the 1960, Bombay, leaves some kind of impact. Sadly, the present day love track looks tired and predictable while the one set in the pre-independent India looks over the top!

Unlike Love Aaj Kal, which beautifully explored definition and significance of love in two different generations, Teri Meri Kahaani does not even intend to dig deep. There are far too may songs, too many Shahids and Priyankas, virtually doing the same silly stuff in all the three romantic tracks. Even though the film is only 2 hours long, it feels like a lifetime. It is one of those films that perfectly fits the cliched bill of 'boring'. After the climax, you wonder what the filmmaker tried to convey? Did he try to sell us the idea of reincarnation and love breaking the barrier of 'saat janams'? If yes, then where was the 'connection' between the three tracks? If no, then what was binding force of these different tracks? Or, were these three stories totally independent of each other? Too many questions. But still, you dont bother much. The proceedings are so boring!

Shahid Kapoor portrays his usual self. He is simply functional. Nothing outstanding. Priyanka Chopra is also her usual self. She is simply functional. Nothing outstanding. The script lets the actors down. Had Kunal Kohli invested even half the effort, which he puts in erecting those 'fake looking' sets and milieu of 1910 and 1960, into strengthening the script, this Kahaani might have been different. As a director, Kohli fails to drive any point home. Music by sajid-Wajid is not good to ears. Somehow. There are 5 songs in the film, but only Mukhtasar is hummable. Cinematography, which is such an important element in a film that travels in different time spaces, is below the mark- flat and uninspiring. There is nothing that the camera does to help the viewer travel to 1910, Lahore or 1960, Bombay.

There is sheer lack of novelty, verve and charm in the film. Twenty minutes into the film and you are bored. You wait for the intermission, hoping it would bring something 'new'. Expectations trashed. Twenty minutes post interval, and you start praying for a quick 'climax', again hoping that the end would definitely throw in some surprise. Expectations trashed. Again.

This one is avoidable. Most Definitely. And Shahid Kapoor, please put your hands up. And be counted. Please.

Rating- *1/2 (Poor)