DEVANSH PATEL looks at Jail, the latest film from Madhur Bhandarkar,and finds it leads him on a journey of hope

WHATdoes one expect from a Madhur Bhandarkar film? A slice of life? Well, this one's a bit different, and knowing Madhur's knack of making films and plucking subjects from real life, Jail is by far the director's most careful nurturing.

Parag Dixit (Neil Nitin Mukesh) is a successful businessman who has just been promoted to a managerial level for his commitment and dedication and for bringing in a good profit for his company.

Living with his trusted mate, sharing a rented apartment, Parag gets betrayed one day and is sentenced to jail for a crime he didn't commit - dealing drugs.

But before he ended up in prison, Parag lived a happy and a fulfilling life with his girlfriend Manasi (Mugdha Godse). Manasi gets to know that Parag is imprisoned and, with Parag's mother, sets out to meet her lawyer to free Parag from the torturous life he is spending inside.

Within the crowded prison, Parag tries to adapt to life behind bars only to find that it is painstaking even to breathe fresh air in there. Jail introduces him to his new companions - the convicts who have their own story to tell to Parag.

By the time he is accustomed to prison life, Parag has become a loner who doesn't talk too much, does his own thing and often gets frustrated by his fate.

Then he meets Nawaab (Manoj Bajpai) a murderer who is serving a life sentence but who also works as a member of staff inside the jail. Nawaab is the only one who can see innocence in the eyes of Parag.

But there is bad company too. Parag meets Kabir Mallik (Arya Babbar), who works for one of the prison gang lords controlling the prisoners and the police from inside the closed walls. He is impressed with Parag's surprise moves and unusual behaviour.

Although Manasi is still paying the solicitor handsome fees, several retrials fail to prove Parag innocent. And each time he returns to jail, it is Nawaab who teaches him life's many tough lessons by having a word or two with the helpless soul. What happens when things start getting out of control for Parag is what the rest of the film engrossingly reveals.

Jail is Madhur Bhandarkar's most unexpected work. While the film pays close attention to such requisite matters as sexuality, brutality and the human capacity to survive, it has something quite different on its mind.

It is consumed by circumstance and life's little ironies, which occur even in prison. The turning point for Parag and his cronies is a bit of conversation snatched during their day-to-day chores inside the prison: You can hate the justice system for convicting innocent victims but you can't blame it.

Such elements of the narrative keep the movie from descending into abject resignation. Jail is about the dominance of real justice. The film somehow overcomes our own private prisons and is a testament to the human spirit.

The action moves at a snail's pace, but the saying 'slow and steady wins the race' stands true for the film and its protagonist. If the film is perhaps a little slow in its middle passages, maybe that is part of the idea, too, to give us a sense of the leaden passage of time, before the glory of the final redemption.

It is easy to say Jail is about hope, but it is also about faith and love. In an age and culture saturated with sex, it allows for a close relationship unburdened by lust.

The prisoners are so engrossing, their plight so pitiable and enjoyable, that they do not detract from the picture's impact (just as it takes repeat viewings to notice how implausible the ending is).

Jail is a powerful drama that reminds us that hope is a precious and buoyant emotion that can give our lives substance and meaning even behind bars.

The movie focuses on how Parag refuses to give up even in the horrendous circumstances of the prison and its inmates. It uses the hard, disheartening world of prison to show that even in such an environment, life can bloom.

The cinematography is outstanding, although there wasn't much to capture except the strong facial expressions of the prisoners. Unlike Madhur's earlier film Fashion, Jail has no scope for music, but a strong background score does the trick.

The performances need a special mention in a film like this. First up is Neil Nitin Mukesh. He is getting better with each passing film.

Madhur has used his silence as the central character's biggest strength. His eyes do a lot of the talking. After Johnny Gaddar and New York, I believe Jail is Neil's best performance.

He is ably supported by Manoj Bajpai who is back from the brink. Bajpai makes Nawaab a man of few words.

He is stupendous and, in the one climactic scene in which he smiles, is a winner all the way. Because Bajpai doesn't volunteer himself or overplay his feelings, he becomes more fascinating. It is often better to wonder what a character is thinking than to know.

The beautiful Mugdha Godse has less scope to impress in a mainly male cast, but Arya Babbar is a pleasant surprise with his understated portrayal of Kabir Mallik. He is tactful and not showy.

The majority of the other prisoners are realistically portrayed to the extent that you quickly feel you are a member of the community behind bars.

Many movies offer us vicarious experiences and quick, superficial emotions. Jail slows down and looks carefully at a difficult subject.

It uses the narrator's (Manoj Bajpai) calm, observant voice to include us in the story of men who have formed a community behind bars.

Jail doesn't boast huge stars or a big budget, but it is a film made with a big hope, and I hope it does well. Any Madhur Bhandarkar film is worth a watch. Jail is no different.

* Verdict: 7 out of 10