The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Candidate Watch

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Monday, Apr 26, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Candidate Watch

Prakash jha, Independent candidate, Bettiah Lok sabha consitituency.

"It is just like directing a movie," says Prakash Jha, about his new role. The 51-year-old film director is contesting as an Independent from the poverty-ridden Bettiah Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.

Returning "home" after 32 years in Bollywood, the man who has made such critically acclaimed movies as Damul and Mrityudand, is drawing from his film making experience while canvassing support. "It is all about management," he says, handling his campaign workers with the same ease as he would those on his film sets.

Moving on the dust-beaten tracks of the villages, waving to the people from an open jeep, Mr. Jha has undoubtedly left his mark on the locals. He says he had no plans to jump into the poll fray until people in the constituency called on him last month. He agreed, held meetings with his friends and first approached both the Bharatiya Janata party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal with a request to put up "professional" candidates.

When neither of the two parties agreed to his request, Mr. Jha took upon himself the responsibility of giving visual effect to his idea on the political spectrum of West Champaran district. Up against political stalwarts and those facing murder charges, he decided to play both actor and director. Till date, he has sweated it out for 22 days under the blistering sun canvassing support for himself. Yet it has been easier than producing a film, he says.

"I've made rugged films in a rugged way. Moreover, I worked for 62 days continuously while making Gangajal, the controversial movie about the infamous Bhagalpur blindings. It is rubbish that my kind of movies are produced in air-conditioned studios. The conditions, he claims, are much worse than what he has encountered so far on the broken roads of this constituency, made intolerable by the summer dust storms.

Mr. Jha has not sought the help from any film star for campaigning "on purpose." "I don't want any diversion. Political parties have roped the stars in to attract crowds. The crowds I get on my own and my objective is to establish a direct contact with the people."

His trilogy of films — Damul, Mrityudand and Gangajal — was his method of social interaction with the people of Bihar. Now, he is out to politically interact with them to usher in professionalism in politics and ensure transformation of the land where the Father of the Nation had set foot almost a century ago.

An ardent follower of Ritwik Ghatak, his teacher at the Poona Film Institute, Mr. Jha is very clear in his mind that he is not contesting to win the elections. He has a plan about what to do after the elections. He would devote his time to public life and film-making would become secondary. However, his fans can rest assured that he will not stop making films altogether and has six major projects lined up.

There is some concern though for the apparent reason that he is battling against the present set of politicians and alleged criminals in the fray. He has been receiving threats which he ignores, of course. He denies he has entered the political fray to gain experience for a film on politics.

K. Balchand

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