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)

Fitoor Movie Review: Of Katrina’s Red Hair and Dickensian Red Herring

Fitoor roughly translates to ‘obsession’ in English. And, it’s a pity that a film called Fitoor suffers from bouts of directorial indifference throughout its runtime. Director Abhishek Kapoor, who had very good last two outings in form of Kai Po Che and Rock On!!, puts up pretty looking caricatures and canvasses in Fitoor but forgets to infuse soul into them. So, amidst the snow-laden, paradise-like Kashmir and Katrina Kaif’s gorgeousness and red hair, there’s something which is clearly amiss. Throughout. Right from the opening credits till the lights are turned back on in the theater.

Based on Charles Dickens’ iconic novel Great Expectations, Fitoor is the story of a poor but artistically gifted Kashmiri boy, Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur) who falls in love with the beautiful and rich Firdaus (Katrina Kaif), daughter of a lonely, Kashmiri elite Begum Hazrat (Tabu). Stark mismatch in their societal standings does not stop Noor from pursuing Firdaus relentlessly, from Kashmir to Delhi to London, and his obsession is also initially fueled and somewhat supported by Begum herself. Things become complicated when Begum’s own troubled past comes in the way of Noor’s love for Firdaus and soon heartbreaks, betrayal and dejection follow suit.

Fitoor’s biggest lacuna is its failure to justify Kashmir as its backdrop. Well, there is nothing wrong in putting Kashmir in a narrative sans all its heavy political baggage but only if you manage to keep your hands off that ‘baggage’. Fitoor does not do so. There are bomb blasts and terror episodes in the film with none other than Ajay Devgn doing a cameo as a militant, but these sequences simply do not add up to the fairy tale treatment that the film otherwise reserves for itself. The fleeting commentary and remarks on terror, Kashmir’s issues, Azaadi et al seem juvenile and non-serious. It would have been much more prudent if Abhishek Kapoor would have exploited Kashmir’s stunning natural beauty and left the geopolitical commentary to the likes of Haider.

The Kashmir faux pas apart, Fitoor also seems to have missed a few tricks when it comes to adapting a classic while having some meat of your own in the screenplay. The most critical cog in the wheel of Great Expectations is the mystery around the secret sponsor of the boy’s meteoric rise through the social ranks. Fitoor falls flat in this aspect as you are never unaware of who is really behind Noor’s quick claim to fame in the art world. The little twist towards the end, which tries to catch the audiences unaware, seems unbelievable and leaves behind more questions than answers. Abhishek Kapoor, who has also co-written the film with Supratik Sen, will have to take the lion’s share of the blame for presenting an adaption that looks disjointed, undercooked and incomplete at places. In fact, the first half of the film has its moments but it goes completely downhill post intermission when the complexity of the original story starts to takes its toll on the film’s patchy screenplay.

But, there are a few things that go right for Fitoor. Tabu almost single-handedly carries the burden of acting and comes up with a believable version of Miss Havisham. Adorned with designer dresses and jewelry, Tabu is mostly in top form, especially when the dark circles around her eyes and the grey side of her character make an appearance. She looks suitably dreamy and comes out triumphant in the league of actors who are mostly inadequate in the portrayal of their characters. Giving Tabu company in some top-notch acting is the little boy playing young Noor (Mohammed Abrar). Abrar with his distinct Kashmiri features, perfect accent and effortless acting is a treat to the eyes and you completely root for him as and when he gets besotted by the young and pretty Firdaus (Tunisha Sharma). The young actress also does a good job of being a heady blend of arrogance and innocence.

But, same kind words cannot be said for the older Noor and Firdaus. Aditya Roy Kapur’s limitations as an actor is on full display here and you wish the director would have allowed him to play a drunkard version of the Dickensian poor boy so that we could have at least witnessed his Aashiqui brand of acting. Aditya wastes what was easily his best shot at some serious, nuanced acting and does little except for moving around half-naked and looking perpetually stiff. Katrina Kaif, on the other hand, does a good job of looking gorgeous and playing an occasional seductress, but fails to emote well when the scenes badly demand it. The lady needs to learn the art of crying. Simple.

Anay Goswamy’s pitch perfect cinematography is another rare high point of Fitoor. The beauty of Srinagar and the Kashmir valley at large is beautifully captured but it’s not just in the outdoors that the camera manages to weave its magic. The interior shots in Begum’s lavish bungalow and the elaborate art galleries are all very tastefully tense and imaginative. Hitesh Sonik’s background score and Amit Trivedi’s tunes (Pashmina in particular) are quite uplifting in themselves but are eventually dragged down by lackluster proceedings on the screen.

Overall, Fitoor falls well short of Great Expectations. Literally and figuratively. It is let down by a below par screenplay, a lead pair that does not really sparkle and the classic ‘curse of the second half’. You might well chicken out of watching an unworthy tribute to a Dickens’ classic.

Rating: ** (Average)

Bol Bachchan is Consistently Watchable

Ok, I have this feeling that Bol Bachchan was conceptualized and made for Abhishek Bachchan. You may argue that there is nothing strange in a film being made with a certain actor in mind. But, here the concerned actor happens to be Abhishek Bachchan, whose career has nosedived in the last few years. He hardly has had any credible film under his belt off late, and he is struggling badly when it comes to box office numbers with even newcomers like Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor putting up much better performances, both critically and commercially. And also, Bol Bachchan is not a film that will enhance Junior AB's credentials as an actor, that dream project kind of thing that every hero/heroine dreams about. So, what do I mean when I say Bol Bachchan was made for Abhishek Bachchan? Ok, to put it in straight words, Bol Bachchan was filmed to gift a 'hit' to Abhishek Bachchan! And guess what, after watching the film you realize that Abhishek, finally, will actually have a hit to his credit. Thanks to Rohit Shetty and his brand of Cinema!

Bol Bachchan revolves around a predictable 'comedy of errors' plot. This formula of mistaken identity in Bollywood is as old as AK Hangal. And our very own Mr. Shetty has milked this formula like no one else, minting in hundreds of crores of rupees through Golmaals and All the Best (My favorite Rohit Shetty Film). What is different with Bol Bachchan then? Here, Rohit Shetty pays a tribute to the original Golmaal, the cult classic from Hrishida, in his own signature style but does not attempt to become over smart. He keeps it simple, interpreting the original in today's times, without tampering with the 'soul' of Golmaal.

The story, as you may already know and guess, is quite predictable. Abhishek Bachchan plays Amol Palekar's part while Ajay Devgn (why this missing 'a' in Devgn?) reprises Deven Varma's role. Both of them are sufficiently funny, specially Ajay who delivers some horrendously humorous 'English' one-liners like 'Hard work is the keyhole to saxophone' and 'Boy in armpit, hyper-noise pollution in city'. He is Rohit Shetty's go-to man and he does not disappoint one bit. And yes, there is ample dose of car flying sequences and Ajay beating the hell out of goons, while the camera wanders across his muscular body. 

Abhishek Bachchan, for whom this film was made, is brilliant at places and ordinary sometimes. He revisits his Dostana days through the character of Abbas Ali and comes out with flying colors. He looks sincere throughout film and seems keen on making the most of this wonderful 'hit' formula in hand. However, it is Krushna, the marvelous stand-up comedian of 'Comedy Circus' fame, who disappoints out of the entire principle cast. He looks uneasy in front of the camera and your wait for a moment of comic brilliance from his side never ends. Archana Puran Singh, Krushna's judge at Comedy Circus, plays her 'double role' with required humor and perfection. And the two leading ladies, Asin and Prachi Desai, are perfect eye candies, roaming around the picturesque Rajasthan village in their beautiful traditional Indian dresses. 

As for the director Rohit Shetty, kudos to him for creating a niche brand for himself in this industry. We need him in the fray, as much as an Anurag Kashyap or Imtiaz Ali. I think he knows his target audience as well as any other filmmaker, and is proud of his own limitations and strengths. 

All in all, Bol Bachchan is certainly not an ideal comic flick. But it is very much tolerable and in fact quite humorous at places. Film's more than 2 and half hours of length is a problem, so is Himesh Reshammiya's uninspiring music and Asin-Ajay's half-baked love track. But the major objectives of this film, like all of Rohit Shetty's films, such as madness and buffoonery  are duly achieved.

Your chest will certainly not become a blouse after watching Bol Bachchan, but you will get your intermittent dose of laughter and fun. This one is a typical popcorn and Pepsi stuff from Rohit Shetty factory!

Rating- *** (Good)