Gangaajal (2003): For Your Eyes Only!

From 1988 to 2003, Tezaab gained so much notoriety that it metaphor-ed its way into a pious euphemism: Gangaajal. For whom? For your eyes only.

Source: Reelgood


Doing Singham better than and before Singham, Ajay Devgn stars in the film as the typical Bollywood upright (and chainsmoking, because of stress) cop. Along is Gracy Singh between the loop of Lagaan and Munna Bhai MBBS. They are supported by Mukesh Tiwary (or Vasooli bhai), Akhilendra "ee to s**l* hona hi tha" Mishra and Yashpal Sharma as the typecast ruffian and the main baddy in the film: Sunder Yadav.

The badlands of UP-Bihar (as corny and cliché as the alliteration may sound), have been around for quite a while to weave intriguing police stories. And Prakash Jha, though batting from home ground, bedecks the film with all micro-tropes possible. A paan eating police officer? Check. Sweet purabia lingo? Check. Aggressive/abusive purabia lingo? Check. A lackadaisical and servile police force? Check. Mysterious violence? Check. 

Based on the infamous 1980 Bhagalpur blindings, Gangaajal makes for an uncomfortable watch once the acid starts steaming in. "Aankh dikhata hai m*d*rj**t!" screams Bacha Yadav (Tiwary) as he hurriedly grabs acid from his jeep and pours it into the daring eyes of a criminal. Gruesome. But then they are criminals, right? Human rights officials disagree. 

Where does Gangaajal place the police then? Are they our heroes? Are they villains? Neither. They are vigilantes. And neither does vigilantism fare well in a cop's uniform nor does it get along well with the fourth estate (see A Wednesday (2008) and its reviews). In terms of its portrayal of the police and the public, Gangaajal hits home, albeit in a melodrama excess. The violence too sometimes becomes an eyesore.

En fin, watch Gangaajal for its dramatic realism and its interesting portrayal of the police force. The film drags sometimes with an unnecessary item song and some moments of background building (more so in the second half, the first half seems crisp), but then the mystery of the Gangaajal would keep you engaged for the two hours it demands.

Originally logged on Letterboxd.

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