One of the most prolific filmmakers of Indian cinema, Prakash Jha celebrates his 67th birthday today. The director is known for his hard-hitting portrayal of real-life social issues in his films.
One
of
the
most
prolific
filmmakers
of
Indian
cinema,
Prakash
Jha
celebrates
his
67th
birthday
today.
The
director
is
known
for
his
hard-hitting
portrayal
of
real-life
social
issues
in
his
films.
Born
in
Barharwa,
Bettiah,
West
Champaran,
Bihar,
Jha
left
his
B.Sc
(Hons)
in
Physics
course
mid-day
to
pursue
a
career
in
painting
in
Mumbai.
While
he
was
preparing
for
J.J.
School
of
Arts,
he
happened
to
witness
the
shooting
of
the
film
Dharma
and
got
hooked
on
filmmaking.
He
soon
joined
the
prestigious
FTII
(
Film
and
Television
Institute
of
India)
in
Pune
to
pursue
a
course
in
editing.
Unfortunately,
due
to
student
agitation,
the
institution
had
to
be
shut
down
for
a
while
and
Jha
left
his
course
midway
and
landed
up
in
Mumbai
in
search
of
work.
He
made
his
first
documentary,
Under
the
Blue,
in
1975,
and
continued
to
do
so
for
the
next
eight
years.
Prakash
made
his
directorial
debut
with
Hip
Hip
Hurray
in
1984,
scripted
by
Gulzar
and
starring
Raj
Kiran
and
Deepti
Naval.
His
next
film
Damul
which
revolved
around
the
theme
of
bonded
labour
in
Bihar
landed
him
with
the
National
Film
Award
for
Best
Feature
Film
and
the
Filmfare
Critics
Award
for
Best
Movie
in
1985.
Over
the
years,
Jha
went
on
to
direct
films
like
Mrityudand,
Rahul,
Gangaajal,
Apaharan,
Rajneeti,
Aarakshan,
Chakravyuh,
Satyagraha,
Jai
Gangaajal
amongst
others.
He
also
produced
films
like
Aarakshan,
Chakravyuh,
Satyagraha,
Lipstick
under
My
Burkha,
Fraud
Saiyyan.
Speaking
about
his
films
springing
from
the
world
around
him,
the
director
once
quoted
in
an
Outlook
India
interview,
"I
have
chronicled
social
changes
through
my
films.
In
Mrityudand
I
talk
of
the
open
market
economy,
how
the
traditional
zamindari
is
gone,
the
contractor
coming
in.
My
effort
as
a
filmmaker
is
how
to
tell
it
to
an
audience
that
wants
to
be
entertained.
The
idea
is
to
reach
out,
make
money
yet
say
something.
Damul
and
Parineeti
were
purely
my
own
films.
I
started
negotiating
from
Mrityudand
onwards.
Otherwise
I'd
have
to
shut
shop
and
go
back
to
Bihar.
It's
something
I
am
learning,
and
it
continues
till
date.
It's
a
constant
struggle.
Sometimes
it
gets
better
balanced,
at
others
not."
Prakash
Jha
contested
and
lost
the
election
to
the
Lok
Sabha
from
his
native
Champaran
in
2004.
He
again
lost
the
election
to
the
Lok
Sabha
in
2009
as
Lok
Janashakti
Party
candidate
from
West
Champaran.
He
again
contested
in
the
2014
elections
as
a
JD(U)
candidate
from
Paschim
Champaran
but
ended
up
losing
the
elections.