My films are about society, the system, and politics,” said Prakash Jha as he spoke at the ongoing New Delhi World Book Fair, which is themed on Republic@75. The filmmaker, known for films like Gangaajal (2003), Aarakshan (2011), Raajneeti (2010), and Jai Gangaajal (2016), stated that while all his films involve politics, he will never make a film on just one politician. “Jo satta mein hota hai, main uske saamne khada hota hoon, uske saath nahi. All my films have politics, but I’ll never make a film about a politician,” he added.
‘SCIENCE, ARTS… I FOUND EVERYTHING IN FILMS’
Talking about why he chose to be a filmmaker, Jha said, “I found everything in films—it has science, arts, psychology, country, and society. What you want to say, what you want to imagine, what you want to create—films have all that. Jo future mein hai, jo kisi ne nahi dekha—films ke through aap sab keh sakte hain. I always had that clarity.”
‘I CONTESTED IN ELECTIONS BECAUSE I WANTED THE JOB OF A PARLIAMENTARIAN’
The filmmaker contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014 but could not win. Talking about why he chose to contest, he said, “Active politics was never my aim. I contested in elections because I wanted the job of a Parliamentarian. I wanted this job because year after year, especially in North India, maine dekha hai—kuch Parliamentarian hote hain, unko apne wajood ka ehsas hi nahi hota. Election jeet zaroor jaate hain, lekin people’s representative ban kar kya kar sakte hain, yeh bahut saare Parliamentarians ko nahi pata.”
He added, “Hamare Parliament ke adhikansh (maximum) log kahin ek haazri (attendance) mein sikud jaate hain. Lekin jo asal kaam hota hai, woh kar nahi paate. Toh mujhe laga, usi wajah se yeh naukri mil jaye.”
Maine dekha hai – kuch Parliamentarian hote hain, unko apne wajood ka ehsas hi nahi hota. Election jeet zaroor jaate hain, lekin people’s representative ban kar kya kar sakte hain, yeh bahut saare Parliamentarians ko nahi pata.
“If there was an exam to become a Parliamentarian, I would have appeared for it.”
He mentioned that he had set a time frame for himself. “Maine socha tha ki main 10 saal tak koshish karunga. But you can’t have the job of a Parliamentarian unless you win the elections. If there was a UPSC exam to become a politician, I would have definitely appeared for it and worked really hard.”
Hinting that his next project will focus on voters’ choice of politicians, he added, “But why does a voter choose a politician? There are certain parameters for that. My next film’s story is most likely about that parameter.”