almost did not use black humour, unlike his previous films of the same genre. Shekhar singled out Devgn, whom he thought "expectedly shines through a by-now-trademarked understated show". Writing for Outlook magazine, Namrata Joshi, who rated the film three stars, said the detailing of the characters is the best part of the film, writing; "The vignettes of police life, the intricacies of established corruption are well portrayed. It only helps that Jha has talented actors for support." In B4U, Parag Chandrabala Maniar noted Jha's effort to do "a sincere job" in the film, although he made the climax "a little implausible". Dinesh Raheja wrote; "Jha adroitly recreates the appropriate ambience for the policeman who tries to work with integrity in a corrupt system. A pall of gloom and tension looms large over the frames, best illustrated in the scene where a reformed officer ensnares a fugitive. The pre-interval scene of the police brutality—the blinding of the convicts—is gut wrenching but effective." Khalid Mohamed called Devgn's performance "flawless, as incendiary as fire and as cool as ice" but commented Singh was only used as "decoration" in the film. NDTV's Rajen Gurabudu lauded Devgn for perfecting his role. Accolades Sequel In 2012, the Hindustan Times reported Devgn would star in a sequel to the film that was titled Gangaajal 2. Two years later, more reports were published stating Devgn would be replaced by an actress; he believed he would not be suitable for the sequel. Priyanka Chopra was cast for the lead and the film was retitled Jai Gangaajal. The sequel opened in theatres on 4 March 2016; it received mixed reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office. Notes References External links 2003 films 2000s Hindi-language films Films directed by Prakash Jha Films set in Bihar Indian crime drama films Indian action drama films Indian crime action films Best Film on Other Social Issues National Film Award winners Fictional portrayals of the Bihar Police 2000s crime action films 2003 crime drama films 2003 action drama films Films about corruption in India Films about organised crime in India