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The film’s story by the director himself along with Anuradha Tiwari and Manoj Tyagi is more or less compact, though a couple of liberties have been taken, like in case of the character named Ghalib Suratwala. How he escapes the ever vigilant authorities is a big question. The back stories of some characters – Nawab and Gani for example – could have been better. However, it must also be said that all the characters are well fleshed out – no single character gains precedence over others. Truly a social film!
The music by the Sabri brothers – Toshi and Sharib.and Shamir Tandon is pleasant. The songs have been shot well too. They appear at crucial junctures in the film and take the narrative forward. The place where the opening song Saiyan Ve takes place is called Fashion Bar – a smart reference to his previous eponymous works – Fashion and Chandni Bar.
The cinematography of Kalpesh Bhandarkar does not draw gasps but is rather true to the sombre theme of the film itself. The camera work is precise and lets one concentrate on the story itself – an important pre requisite for a film of this genre. The editing of Devendra Murdeshwar is once again, precise and a major strength of the film. The dialogues by Rakhuvir Sekhawat are strikingly regular – they make the jobs of the actors easier. It must be said that the simple and yet effective contribution made by the technicians of the film have really added to the film’s overall appeal.
The acting is perhaps the biggest strength of the film. The lead pair of Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse gives an impressive performance. Neil depicts a whole gamut of emotions in the film with élan. Mugdha gives an understated performance – a mark of a great actress in the making.
Manoj Bajpai as Nawaab is the voice of reason and righteousness in the film. This performance is easily one of the best of his career. He does a lot of acting with his body and his eyes – something that shows his years as a veteran proscenium performer. Rahul Singh as Abdul Ghani essays his tragic role with a lot of compassion and the audience actually feels for him when his character is forced to commit suicide due to circumstances. Arya Babbar as Kabir Mallik is good and believable.
Jail, ultimately teaches a couple of lessons. As the character of the captive underworld don says that the man is not bad his circumstances are and what Nawab says to Parag before he is transferred to the Kolhapur jail – Almighty always tests us as individuals but He is never wrong. This is Madhur Bhandarkar’s education in living to the audience. This is Jail. Please give it a view if you are going through a low phase in life – it may revive your belief in justice and righteousness.
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