Jail (2009)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Good concept, poorly executed.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I am a fan of Madhur Bhandarkar's brand of realistic films but somehow never managed to see Jail until today - on TV.Jail is a sordid story that needs to be repeatedly told to remind us of the larger picture of thousands of undertrials (and even convicts in some cases) languishing in prison for years on end. Many of these people could even be innocent. A case in point is the news this week of the man who was kept behind bars for 23 years and now completely acquitted. Shocking and horrifying are not adequate descriptions.The sets, costumes etc are realistic though undoubtedly sanitised. Cinematography is superb as is the acting. Neil Nitin Mukesh does a brilliant job as an innocent who is barely managing to cope with his incarceration. Manoj Bajpai and everyone else are also excellent in their roles.Though in this case there is a happy ending in that Neil is acquitted, the larger picture is that people are languishing in Indian prisons for years on end, facing untold horrors apart from the loss of liberty, who should not be there in the first place.I do not know why Jail did not do well at the box office. Some critics say it is due to Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani releasing at the same time. Jail surely deserved a better run. Do watch the DVD or when it runs on TV.

Some may call him pretentious, exploiting, sensationalist and heavily biased but that doesn't change that Bhandarkar dares to tackle themes that others would hesitate to think twice about. That said, 'Jail', sadly, offers nothing new. It's pretty much the familiar story of how a wrongfully accused man spends his years in prison. Bhandarkar could have pushed the boundary by portraying the horrors that take place within the three walls but he has opted for a safer formula this time. Moreover the background score makes the atmosphere melodramatic rather than adding anything positive. Neil Mukesh shows improvement as an actor. With a well-written role and maybe good direction, he might be a competent actor but there are a few sequences where his acting is formulaic. Manoj Bajpai is underused but he manages to outshine anyone who shares his screenspace. Arya Babbar is first rate. This actor shows great potential. Mughda Godse makes the best of her small role. The music is foot-tapping (but much of the songs aren't even needed). 'Jail' is average at best.

It may not be a hit in BO but it is one of those few films which stays in your heart forever. Neil Nitin Mukesh is amazing in this movie. The movie rests on the strong shoulders of Neil Nitin. He has excelled in his performance.Parag Manohar Dixit (Neil Nitin Mukesh) is a successful executive, living with a roommate who is a bit of a weirdo — his mobile phone always seems to have a poor network whenever the guy is in town, and he constantly uses Parag's phone. Parag's air-hostess girlfriend, Manasi (Mugdha Godse), warns him against the weirdness, but Parag laughs it off, saying that such things (he even uses Parag's underwear and towel occasionally) are normal with bachelors.But it's not so simple: one evening, Parag picks up his roommate from a pub and the cops get after them. His friend opens fire on the cops and is critically wounded by the police, and drugs worth over a crore are found in the vehicle.The world goes upside down for Parag: he is remanded in police custody; a greedy lawyer sucks money from his mother (Navni Parihar) and girlfriend like a leech drawing blood; and once incarcerated, he gets to stay in conditions and an environment that he never had imagined before. His roommate lapses into coma and soon dies — and with him, seemingly, Parag's acquittal on a serious drugs charge seems a remote possibility, especially as many bail applications are rejected.The long battle begins and soon, Parag is broken, shattered, a programmed automaton who suddenly gets into frenzies and vicious temper bouts. The inmates in jail all have one common thread: hope, irrespective or whether rich or poor, innocent or guilty, law-abiding or lawless and sentenced or awaiting trial. And Parag will never be the same again, but life-term convict Nawab (Manoj Bajpayee) would want him to be the same man when he goes out a free man and not get embittered or even lured by in-jail mafia that operate along with corrupt cops, represented by Karim (Aarya Babbar) and his clique.Some people say that the scenes in jail and the atmosphere created by Madhur Bhandarkar is very claustrophobic but that's how it should be ! There was no scope of music in this kind of movie but the songs are very intelligently woven in the film, My fav are Data sun le & Milke youn laga. As a whole it is a must watch film !

Yesterday when I went to see this movie , I didn't expect a lot ; but what I got was a spectacular vision of the true life inside the jail. Very satisfied and much mire than my expectations. The performances by all the actors were good ; a very strong performance by Neil Nitin Mukesh. Moreover a very strong and powerful script. Jail delves into the darker side of reality , the reality what lies within the walls of a prison. Even today there are many people who have still not yet been found guilty are facing the grim reality of the life inside the prison wall; which Jail brings to light. Excellent,Transcendent and Highly Distinguished cinema. One of the top 10 movies of 2009.