This story is from October 25, 2014

I use actors as my tools: Prakash Jha

Manmohan Singh / TNN / Updated: Oct 25, 2014, 15:41 IST

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Despite having won 10 national awards and a string of internationally acclaimed movies like Gangajal, Rajneeti and Satyagrah to his credit, filmmaker PrakashJha still comes across as a restless soul, eager to create something new, still undiscovered. Struggle motivates him to set the benchmark a notch higher.
In Ranchi, on a professional engagement, the director took soem time out of his busy schedule for a tete-a-tete with Ranchi Times.Excerpts:
What’s keeping you busy these days? Chintan – Manan... I’m preparing to start work on my new production, announcement of which is scheduled for later this month in Mumbai.
There was a buzz about you making a movie on the love-hate relationship between police and common people. It this the same project you're working on?I don’t know from where this rumour started. I guess, it was during a film festival organised in Washington where I talked about Gangajal and how society has changed since then. People asked me if I was interested in making a sequel to Gangajal and I said why not? That’s it! I will make a movie if I have a script but scripting takes time.

READ: Next movie on police-society relationship, not on Modi: Prakash Jha
So you’re open to making sequels?
Why not? I have never discarded any idea. The only problem is script and the day I’ll feel confident that I have a script which is worth turning into a movie, I’ll do that as well.
There are directors like Mahesh Bhatt, who delve into their own lives to make movies. And then, there are others who look inspiration from the society.Be it the situation in Gangajal or Aarakshan or Satyagrah, all of us has passed through such situations in our lifetime. Life is a constant struggle and despite whatever I have done I my life, I’m still struggling - to make good movies, write better scripts, trying to be a good citizen of India.

The way you have made mainstream actors like Kareena in Satyagrah, Arjun Rampal in Chakravyuh or Ranbir and Katrina in Rajneeti is commendable. Do you include them in your research you do for the script?There is no point in including everyone in everything. People are different, with different tastes and sensibilities. I tell them what is necessary and then let it be. As a director, my only focus is how to use them effectively. They are my tools through which I chisel a movie.
This was the third time that you contested general elections. Are you willing to give it a fourth shot?I’m done with politics. The only reason I contested was that I feel frustrated with the state of affairs in our country and I wanted to tell them that see, this is now work should be done. However, it never materialize and now, I have no inclination to waste my time. I’m better of making movies and that’s what I plan to do at the moment.
Have you been to Ranchi before?I have an old connection with Jharkhand. My first movie, Damoh was shot in Jharkhand only. I like the small town nature of the city but post the formation of Jharkhand, the city has changed a lot, offering a different flavour every time I visit.
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