Life behind bars

Cast Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mugdha Godse and Manoj Bajpa
Director Madhur Bhandarkar
Rating G

Realistic and parallel cinema in Bollywood got a fresh lease of life with a string of thought-provoking films from Madhur Bhandarkar. He went on to strike a balance between commercialism and realism and as a result tasted huge success. Jail, which seeks to provide a glimpse of life behind bars, is his latest hard-hitting yet sensitive venture.

Parag Dixit (Mukesh) had a good life with a perfect job and a gorgeous girl Mansi (Godse), but fate had something harsh in store for him. He is locked up by cops and beaten up. Behind bars is a world with its own set of rules. Parag's only hope comes in the form of Nawab (Bajpai), the prison warden, who believes that Parag is innocent. Parag slowly comes to terms with reality and tries to find his way out of jail while Nawab's friendship continues to offer him hope.

As his character had to portray extreme varied emotions Mukesh opted for method-acting, literally living the character. "I cut off from my normal life to get into the mind of Parag," says Mukesh. That involved not shaving and bathing so he could appear realistic. Bhandarkar is extremely satisfied with Mukesh's performance and says "Mark my words... after the release of Jail, Neil's performance will be highly appreciated."

Will Godse make it?

Godse, a Bhandarkar discovery, made her mark with Fashion and has recently been part of the successful All The Best. In Jail, she plays Mansi and gets yet another opportunity to show her acting skills. "I play a typical middle-class girl and show how imprisonment can affect the lives of not only the victim but also the close and dear ones." She was all praise for her co-star saying, "Neil has simply lived the character of Parag. Though he is still a newcomer, he comes across as a seasoned actor."

Forty characters

To capture the right ambience among the inmates, Bhandarkar created 40 characters, each with a significant contribution. "Among them Manoj Bajpai will be seen in a very good role after a long time. There is also Arya Babbar, who may well be playing the most important role of his career," he says, adding that the film has a message for the youth. "I think once the youth watch the film, they will realise that freedom shouldn't be taken for granted."

Film File

■ Jail is Madhur Bhandarkar's second film under his own banner Bhandarkar Entertainment
■ It's Bajpai first time to act in a Bhandarkar film
■ Mukesh had to use tan makeup products to look convincing as a prisoner in the film
■ The set of a jail that was erected for the film's shooting was designed based on the jails of Pune and Thane in Maharashtra