Prakash Jha went to Mumbai with Rs 300

Like many Hindi film stars, ace film-maker Prakash Jha went to Mumbai in the 70s to try his luck in the film industry with a paltry Rs 300 in his packet.
But Jha decided to go to Mumbai only after failing twice to find a job in Parliament.
"I had nourished a wish to get a job in Parliament because I thought I could work my best (in any capacity) for Parliament. I applied twice, but did not get.Then I went to Mumbai with only Rs 300 in my pocket," says noted Bollywood director Prakash Jha.
Three decades later and the wish to enter Parliament still burning bright, the producer-director-screen writer contested from his native West Champaran in 2004 and 2009 general elections, but failed to beat the Nitish Kumar wave both times.
Interacting with scribes, the maker of such fine films as 'Gangaajal' and 'Apaharan' said he had no penchant to be in active politics now.
"I have never been in active politics. You have never seen me in any political forum, nor endorsing any political party's ideology. I contested Lok Sabha elections because I had a wish to work for Parliament," says Jha who shot into fame with 'Damul' in 1984.
The same year he caught the imagination of film-goers when he got the National Film Award for a documentary 'Faces After the Storm'.
Since then he made several notable movies like Mrityudand (1997), Gangajaal (2003) and Rajneeti (1997), and is waiting for the response for his new film "Aarakshan" scheduled to release on August 12.