As the aroma of freshly popped corn wafts around the passages of the cineplex, producer-director Prakash Jha, carrying a cell phone in one hand and tucking the left palm in the pocket of the denim that he sported, walks into foyer and greets us with a humble namaskar.
Known to be a filmmaker who comes up with hardhitting storylines, Jha's keen directorial acumen is reflected in the kind of films he has been making over the years. From Damul, Mrityudandand Gangaajalto Apaharan, Rajneeti and now Aarakshan, Jha has addressed issues that depict the various facets of the Indian society. "Even though most of my films are based in Bihar, they reflect what is happening in India. The situations that various strata of people face and the issues concerning them are the same wherever you go — be it Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. Aarakshan's theme touches every Indian," says Jha.
With a desire to only stick to making serious cinema, Jha also made it quite clear that he will continue with movies, having shelved the dream of serving the society by joining politics. "I was looking for a job (in the house of Parliament) and set a time frame. Things did not work because I don't believe in party ideology. So I am back in movies and will stick to films at this moment," says Jha whose next film addresses the implications of the reservation system in education in the country.
Jha feels it's time how education has been commercialized today is shown. "It is most relevant in today's context," says Jha who was in Ahmedabad to promote his film.
Filmmakers in India have realized the potential of marketing strategies so far as film promotion is concerned, feels Jha. "Exploring all the avenues of promoting is equally important for a film maker as a film is a product and it also is a brand. And a brand or a product needs to be perfectly placed in order to get that leverage," he says.
Quiz him on whether it is the brand equity of the director that helps build a film's brand and the director, after a thoughtful pause says, "It is a cumulative result. The film has its own brand value and the directors' brand value just adds to it." Jha adds, "To me Rajneeti and Aarakshan are two different brands with different star cast, subject and appeal."
According to Jha, the acting workshops that he conducts lets the film's crew warm up to the subject concerned. "I had to make my actors aware of the issues on reservation while making the movie. I had to sit along with Amitabh Bachchanji and explain the intricacies involved and about the policy. Of late, some even had apprehensions about casting Saif Ali Khan as a Dalit in the movie. But I knew that he would play the role with conviction," says Jha.
Quiz him on the deglam portrayal of glamorous leading ladies of B-Town in his movies sans the shimmer and the gloss, and he answers, "I feel they are more glamorous in their deglam avatars."
One thing that Jha feels that changed the dynamics in Bollywood is the corporatization. The entry of production houses, according to him, has enabled streamlining of projects. "Production houses making films is a good move as films are now getting completed in time. Actors too are doing one film at a time. And there is transparency too as taxation is rationalized," he says.
Does the filmmaker intend to address the issue of corruption in any of his future projects considering the brouhaha over the Lokpal Bill? "What Anna Hazare has done is laudable. But one can be sure of the seriousness of the issue if they are able to sustain the momentum. I personally do not endorse the mode in which Baba Ramdev is trying to make a point. His mission is noble, but the method does not appeal to me," says Jha.
Known to be a filmmaker who comes up with hardhitting storylines, Jha's keen directorial acumen is reflected in the kind of films he has been making over the years. From Damul, Mrityudandand Gangaajalto Apaharan, Rajneeti and now Aarakshan, Jha has addressed issues that depict the various facets of the Indian society. "Even though most of my films are based in Bihar, they reflect what is happening in India. The situations that various strata of people face and the issues concerning them are the same wherever you go — be it Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. Aarakshan's theme touches every Indian," says Jha.
With a desire to only stick to making serious cinema, Jha also made it quite clear that he will continue with movies, having shelved the dream of serving the society by joining politics. "I was looking for a job (in the house of Parliament) and set a time frame. Things did not work because I don't believe in party ideology. So I am back in movies and will stick to films at this moment," says Jha whose next film addresses the implications of the reservation system in education in the country.
Jha feels it's time how education has been commercialized today is shown. "It is most relevant in today's context," says Jha who was in Ahmedabad to promote his film.
Filmmakers in India have realized the potential of marketing strategies so far as film promotion is concerned, feels Jha. "Exploring all the avenues of promoting is equally important for a film maker as a film is a product and it also is a brand. And a brand or a product needs to be perfectly placed in order to get that leverage," he says.
Quiz him on whether it is the brand equity of the director that helps build a film's brand and the director, after a thoughtful pause says, "It is a cumulative result. The film has its own brand value and the directors' brand value just adds to it." Jha adds, "To me Rajneeti and Aarakshan are two different brands with different star cast, subject and appeal."
According to Jha, the acting workshops that he conducts lets the film's crew warm up to the subject concerned. "I had to make my actors aware of the issues on reservation while making the movie. I had to sit along with Amitabh Bachchanji and explain the intricacies involved and about the policy. Of late, some even had apprehensions about casting Saif Ali Khan as a Dalit in the movie. But I knew that he would play the role with conviction," says Jha.
Quiz him on the deglam portrayal of glamorous leading ladies of B-Town in his movies sans the shimmer and the gloss, and he answers, "I feel they are more glamorous in their deglam avatars."
One thing that Jha feels that changed the dynamics in Bollywood is the corporatization. The entry of production houses, according to him, has enabled streamlining of projects. "Production houses making films is a good move as films are now getting completed in time. Actors too are doing one film at a time. And there is transparency too as taxation is rationalized," he says.
Does the filmmaker intend to address the issue of corruption in any of his future projects considering the brouhaha over the Lokpal Bill? "What Anna Hazare has done is laudable. But one can be sure of the seriousness of the issue if they are able to sustain the momentum. I personally do not endorse the mode in which Baba Ramdev is trying to make a point. His mission is noble, but the method does not appeal to me," says Jha.
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