He is known for weaving reality with fiction and portraying the dark side of life in his films. Now director Madhur Bhandarkar's "Jail" that releases Friday will put the spotlight on the grim goings-on inside an Indian prison.

Co-produced by Percept Picture Company and Bhandarkar Entertainment, "Jail" is the story of a common man who lands up in prison for unknown reasons. Starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse in the lead, it also has Manoj Bajpai in a pivotal role.

"Every face has a story. It was very interesting to see so many people in the jails I visited for the film... all hoping to some day get liberty and their freedom. I follow the real life and not the reel life. I always try to give hope to the people with my films and people are really looking forward to 'Jail', " Bhandarkar told.

"It was a very difficult film to make considering the details as to how a jail works...I interacted with a lot of inmates, authorities and observed the ambience, keeping the length of the film appropriate. It's a very compact film, " he added.

In the film, Parag Dixit (Neil) has a dream life with a great job and a great girlfriend in Maansi (Mugdha). But things take a turn when after a series of unfortunate events he suddenly lands up in jail - handcuffed and frequently beaten up by the cops.

He is stuck and in a place far far away from his dream life. The only comfort he finds is in Nawaab (Manoj), a convict and a warden who believes that Parag is innocent.

Soon Parag discovers the inner mechanism of prison life and reasons behind the wretched status inside jail -- and how hordes of broken hearts and shattered souls manage to find comfort amidst the four prison walls.

He has to make a choice - to either live a life that is controlled and exploited or fight against the system.

"It's one of my most difficult characters I've portrayed...Whatever has been portrayed in this film is extremely authentic and real. It's a different life, a different area and a completely different world there (inside a jail), " said Neil.

"No matter what is said about how they are looked after or their food and hygiene, you don't want to land up there. It's been an extreme learning process for me while doing the film because I have literally lived as Parag Dixit, an inmate, " he added.

One of the songs in the movie "Daata sun" has garnered mass acceptance. Sung by Lata Mangeshakar, it has already become the evening prayer of the capital's Tihar Jail.

Giving "Jail" competition at the box office would be the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer romantic comedy "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" that releases the same day.