Jai Gangaajal

"Jai Gangaajal is likely to be a letdown for those who expect it to be a worthy follow-up to Gangaajal. But if you go in without too many expectations, you might find parts of its fairly palatable."

"Jai Gangaajal doesn't offer anything you haven't seen before, especially in the director's own previous films. It's also interminably long at nearly 2 hours and 40 minutes. Priyanka Chopra and Prakash Jha's performances keep you engaged and invested despite the familiar narrative, but by the end you're overcome by the unmistakable feeling of exhaustion."

"Priyanka Chopra's too-sophisticated unmade-up-make-up is very distracting, even in her few convincing moments. And the film goes on for far too long, even when we know how all of it will end."

"Despite all its flaws, however, "Jai Gangaajal," as we leave the hall, turns out to be an engaging one-time watch, and, when we empathize so much with the good characters, we realize that the film does make inroads into our heart. Lack of brevity and the flaws might deter the film from getting its due, and that could have been avoided."

"Jai Gangaajal packs a punch with its panorama (a Badaun-like landscape where girls are hung from trees), dilemma and performances - particularly the one by 'Madam Sir', who wields a lathi you will love."

"Prakash Jha, who makes his full-fledged acting debut with "Jai Gangaajal" has managed to woo the audience with his performance in the movie.However, it is Priyanka who's performance deserves an uproarious applause. The film gives a strong message of women empowerment. Priyanka's bold avatar is overwhelmingly impressive. Definitely a must-watch!"

"The film is a comment on honest officials vs. ruffian politics in mofussil India, but then we've seen this so many times before. What sets the film apart is Jha's sure-footed storytelling (though he sticks to his tried-and-tested formula) and Priyanka Chopra's dazzling performance. This one straddles the two worlds of being a reasonably accomplished film as well as a crowd-pleaser."

"One must admit here that Jha surprises with his ease in front of the camera and decent acting abilities, but quite often the camera focuses a little too indulgently on him. Jha yet again successfully revisits the world he's so familiar with, the rampant hooliganism, the fascinating and colourful lingo that we are all familiar with, largely thanks to Jha's earlier films. At two hours forty minutes, the film is a bit too long and tends to get predictable at many parts."

"Jha aces with the story, screenplay and acting. Sachin Krishn's cinematography is top class. Salim – Sulaiman's music is decent though the background score gets a little loud at places. If cop flicks are up your alley, then 'Jai Gangaajal' is not a bad watch, and if you are a Priyanka Chopra and Prakash Jha fan, then it's definitely a treat for you. Go for it."

"Prakash is dealing with too many issues at the same time and that leads to the film losing its steam. Also, during the film one expects to see more of Priyanka and her cop role. However it takes you to a personal self discovery route of Prakash's character which felt far stretched."

"The film is not a complete waste of time, there are instances where you want to get up whistle and cheer for Priyanka. Watch it for the performances; there are quite a few commendable ones here."

"On the whole, with the absence of new releases in last two weeks, there seems to be no competition for JAI GANGAAJAL. Added to that a great brand value, all of which will ensure the movie to sail through at the box-office."

"If someone from the film deserves to be applauded, besides Priyanka, it is Manav Kaul. He is fantastic and together, they manage to make the film watchable. But Jai Gangaajal doesn't merit being applauded. It lacks holistic understanding and is something you would watch on TV on Republic Day."

"'Jai Gangaajal' fails to live up to the expectations and remains miles behind its prequel. Looking like a rehashed version of the similar kind of films, it can only be watched for Priyanka Chopra's 'dabangg' cop avatar."

"'Jai Gangaaja' triumphs, but sadly, only at places – at other times you are inevitably reminded of 'Gangaajal', only wishing if the movie had the same flesh and rawness as the one before. That said, watch 'Jai Gangaajal' merely for its performance by Jha and Chopra and some of the other supporting cast. As far as the story is concerned – it's the same old wine in new bottle."

"Jai Gangaajal is just another attempt at making a blockbuster, but it lacks the depth of Gangaajal and Apharan. Still, there's enough for the audience to keep whistling and clapping. Priyanka Chopra is the new 'Dabangg'."

"At the end of the day, Priyanka Chopra's Abha Mathur does offer a role model to many, but the reality too is too clear: A happy ending is but make-believe in the hinterlands of the country. Watch Jai Gangaajal for Priyanka Chopra."

"The fortunate thing about Jai Gangaajal is that its politics is a bit more generic and easier to decode than Jha's previous efforts. But the unfortunate part is that it's just another 158-minute long Prakash Jha movie."

"Jai Gangaajal falters plot-wise, tries to balance it out with performances yet fails to create the right impact."

"After having watched Mrityudand, Gangaajal, Raajneeti, it is easy to say that this is one of Jha's weaker projects. Perhaps, if he could have focused more on the screenplay than on making it a launchpad for himself, this could have been a better film. Watch it only for Priyanka Chopra, but then you might end up feeling sorry for her! After Quantico, Oscars and Baywatch reboot, she deserved much much better!"

"Once Jai GangaaJal loses sight of all else to become only about his half-baked atonement it drags and dodders from the weight of its stocky dialogues, tediously cosmetic revolt and a leading man of very limited screen presence hogging all the limelight."

"While PC plays a strong character, we can't say that the film has either - strength or character. It's contrived, a little too long for our liking and dragged out. Watch this only if you are a PC fan."

"Jai Gangaajal is crammed with issues such as corporate greed, debt-ridden farms, lawless cities and frustrated civilians, but there's no particular direction to all that chaos. If you are a Chopra fan and would love to see her kick bad guys into submission, then give this film a shot. Otherwise, skip it."

"If you liked the original Ganga Jal, then maybe you should stay at home and watch the DVD. The story is the same as the original but diluted. And even though Priyanka Chopra tries her best to kick some baddie butts, she's reduced to sitting by the hero's bedside, eyes wide, saying, 'How did you manage to keep these files so secret, for so long?!'"

"Jai Gangaajal lacks the kind of raw emotion or grittiness that his earlier works like Mrityudand and Damul possessed. Rajneeti was a casting coup wasted, Aarakshan dragged, Satyagraha was simplistic and so on! For some time now, we have failed to see this champion of political drama making a layered film that we know he is actually capable of. Overall, Jai Gangaajal is totally skippable."