Posts tagged prakash jha aarakshan

Why cant we talk about reservations openly in films?-Prakash Jha

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1 year ago
by Fenil Seta in
Reuters (MUMBAI MIRROR.COM; July 22, 2011) Prakash Jha talks about his upcoming film Aarakshan (Pic: BCCL)

The film, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, draws inspiration from real-life incidents to build a story around education and caste-based reservation in India.

Mumbai: Director Prakash Jha’s last film put the spotlight on the dark underbelly of regional politics in India. His new film “Aarakshan” explores the murky world of its education system.

“Education is considered the biggest asset one can have in India,” Jha told Reuters. “My film deals with a lot of issues concerning this industry.”

Jha, who is known for his brand of political cinema, says his treatment of the film’s subject isn’t going to be ambiguous.

“We all know we live in a caste-based society, we know there are caste-based reservations, so why should we be cagey about it? Why can’t we talk about it openly in our films?” he asks.

Saif Ali Khan plays a Dalit in the film, while Prateik Babbar plays a high-caste Brahmin, both of whom are affected by the government’s decision to introduce quotas in education.

Jha said incidents like the Mandal Commission protests and the 1990 self-immolation of Delhi college student Rajeev Goswami were some of the aspects incorporated in “Aarakshan”.

“Almost every politician in our country owns colleges and universities. As a character in my film says ‘what can be a better business than education,” Jha said.

“There is not a day that goes by More >

Jha avoids Nadiadwala’s ‘larger than life’ treatment for Aarakshan

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

By Joginder Tuteja, June 16, 2011 – 14:14 IST

Promos of Aarakshan are out and one can see that this Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone affair is (thankfully) quintessentially volatile, as expected from Prakash Jha, especially after Raajneeti. Another reason that one heaves a sigh of relief is the fact that just one almost expected flying cars, sand dunes, hummers and lavish item numbers, courtesy the man at the helm of production – Firoz Nadiadwala – there is none of that in Aarakshan with Jha maintaining the kind of touch that his films are best identified for.

“It is a known fact that when Firoz Nadiadwala makes a film, there is a distinct stamp of his own regardless of the genre”, says an industry observer, “He loves ‘masala’, larger than life presentation, grandeur and an overtly lavish look to each and every frame of his films. Due to this quite, a few directors had to change their working style with few even ruing so-called interference.”

There are quite a few instances to substantiate the claim. Kartoos with Sanjay Dutt hardly ever looked like a Mahesh Bhatt film. Sanjay Gupta is hardly proud of Ram Shastra, Vikram Bhatt had to keep his dramatic sensibilities aside for Awara Paagal Deewana and Deewane Huye Paagal. Madhur Bhandarkar doesn’t even consider Aan – Men At Work as his own film.

“This is not all as it is a known fact that Priyadarshan was totally unhappy with item numbers included in Hera Pheri and Ahmed Khan did just what More >

Prakash Jha nearly gets steamrollered while shooting

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

By Subhash K. Jha, June 4, 2011 – 12:10 IST

Not many know this but Prakash Jha is the most accident-prone director. And that’s because he likes to take risks as much as he loves taking risky shots. On several occasions he has been very close to catastrophic accidents on his own sets because of his penchant for stretching his neck out.

Last week while doing patch-work shooting for Aarakshan, Prakash nearly got run over by a steam roller. Apparently, he was shooting a steam-roller from ground-level lying down prostrate on the ground holding the camera, when the mobile steamroller almost ran over his head.

Says an eyewitness, “We don’t know what happened. But Prakash kept shooting the steamroller from the ground as it approached him. And the steamroller missed his face by inches. We were all shaken. But Prakashji seemed okay with the near-miss.”

Says Prakash, “This wasn’t the first time when I’ve been almost killed. Very often during shoots I lean too much out in a crane shot, or call ‘cut’ too close to disaster. Chalta hai. What is life without risks?”

BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM

Deepika goes de-glam for Jha’s Aarakshan

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

By Joginder Tuteja, May 31, 2011 – 12:43 IST

There is something about Prakash Jha movies that allow the most glamorous of leading ladies to go plain and simple for camera. Whether it is Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif or now Deepika Padukone, none of these actresses have had any inhibition whatsoever to leave their set image behind and turn into someone who is far more real and rooted.

“Half a decade back it was Bipasha Basu who was fine being seen in a salwar-kameez or a saree for most part of Apaharan (2005). This was the time when she was mostly seen in glam avtar and was burning the screen with films like No Entry and Barsaat“, comments an industry observer.

“Last year it was Katrina Kaif who decided to let go off her Barbie image and played a mature character in Raajneeti. She was also seen in a saree while bearing a similar kind of persona as Sonia Gandhi”, he continues, “In fact it was her look in the film that was primarily responsible for all the rumours and speculations about the film being based on Gandhi ‘parivaar’.”

The entire argument around the leading lady carrying a simple look has been reignited all over again with Jha’s Aarakshan up for release. The film features Deepika Padukone as the leading lady and expected she too would be going for a non-glam look.

“Deepika was just seen flaunting her mini-skirt in Dum Maaro Dum. Guess she did that to show her versatility, now that audience would be seeing her in a fully clothed avtar for Aarakshan“, More >

I was a prince for only a year-Saif Ali Khan

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

…says Saif Ali Khan, defending his role as a dalit in Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 16, 2011)

Prakash Jha’s upcoming film Aarakshan is facing politics of a different kind. The film, which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpayee and Prateik, is a hard-hitting drama influenced by one of the most controversial policies of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions.

Recently, civic authorities in Bhopal bulldozed the sets of Aarakshan because it was erected on disputed land. After this rather unpleasant incident, the film was attacked by dalit groups in Kanpur, who were miffed with Saif being a part of the cast.

Considering the actor’s real life royal background, his reel life dalit avatar has been construed as an insult to the community.

Equally, if not more upset, Saif, spoke to Mumbai Mirror last evening to dispel the reasoning behind the protests and prove how insignificant they really are. He said, “There are at least four reasons, if not more, why this protest is absolutely unjustified.

In fact, the dalits should be happy that attention is being given to their cause. Secondly, the film industry is beyond caste and creed. Since 1971, the government dissolved recognition for royal families. So, I was a prince for only a year, man. I am not a prince now.”

He added, “It is as wrong for the dalits to protest and discriminate against me, as it would be More >

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