Film-maker Prakash Jha feels that India is in dire need of a modern Gandhi considering the rising level of corruption in society. In Satyagraha, Jha portrays a movement of the middle-class to re-negotiate democracy. It’s a story about a man who has firm belief in Gandhi’s non-violent principles.
“My film Satyagraha is not inspired from Mahatma Gandhi or Anna Hazare. Gandhi was a great human being, a great leader, a great inspiration for the entire country and India badly needs a modern Gandhi today,” Jha said in an interview, reported Zee News.
“Today the common man is not angry because of corruption in the country, he is angry because he is a victim of [that] corruption. Things like death due to negligence or a common man fighting the system to get his pension are very common in our country. I have tried to highlight these issues in my film,” he said.
Jha contested political elections twice but failed. “I wanted to bring about a change in the country. An MP gets a lot of power and access so I thought if I became one, I would be able to bring about a genuine change in society. But it seems people did not accept me,” he added.
Satyagraha, which released on August 30, earned INR44 billion in its first four days. “It shows people are ready to accept all kinds of films provided they are good. With the kind of numbers we have made, it proves the audience has liked the film,” he said.
“I have never claimed that I am trying to make great cinema. I have always taken cinema as a medium to express my opinions and take it to the audience,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.
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