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The chronicler of society

Ace film director Prakash Jha never fails to touch a chord with his audience

IMPRESSIVE RACONTEUR Prakash Jha

Perhaps the finest thing about this man is, the `other' is more central to him than his `self.'

You could be a nobody; you could have a dull topic in mind to talk to him; but he would surely give a shot at adding worth to it.

Making you feel so important in the process.

However in award-winning filmmaker Prakash Jha, this trait nearly touches that of humility.And perhaps this is the reason why his films also touch a chord in many. Be it Hip Hip Hurray, a film made at a time when craze for sport was but a side dish to a sing-song romance in Bollywood, or more importantly, his Bihar-on-the marquee - Damul, Mrityudand, Gangaajal and the just-released Apaharan - Jha has always tried not to be a run-of-the-mill filmmaker.

He failed, at times quite miserably, but succeeded too, to perch himself on a podium that balances so brilliantly the interests of creativity and box office. Agrees Jha, flashing that typical charming smile of his, "I always look at myself as a chronicler of society and films are the best ways that I can express."

Continuing on the track, his next film is yet another from the genre, Rajniti.

With such a name, it is not so difficult to guess the basic storyline but is also easy to gauge its possible strength knowing that Jha will be behind the camera.

"I plan to release it in 2007 though I have been thinking about it for the last two years," he says.

When it comes to talking about the theatrics of the actors who figured in his films, particularly in Apaharan, Jha gets quite categorical: "Ajay Devgan has a tremendous range. Only a very little of it has been used. I have worked with Nana Patekar for the first time but it was a pure pleasure."

SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY

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