What Are The Iconic Movies By Prakash Jha? |
Posted: January 18, 2018 |
While many Bollywood filmmakers have often been accused of focusing only on the affluent Indian diaspora, Prakash Jha is one filmmaker who has always found stories closer home to have more cinematic potential. His films are almost based in the corners of the Hindi Heartland of India and have a very desi lingo and vibe. The recipient of a number of prestigious awards, he is a veteran director who has been at it for over 30 years now and has given the moviegoers some of their most fulfilling cinematic experiences. Let's look back at some of the director's best movies. Damul (1985) Damul was a very important film in that it shone a light and raised very important questions on the issues of casteism, poverty and exploitation that continue to plague the country. The film focused on the feudal practice of bonded labour in rural Bihar. Prakash Jha beautifully interwove the dirty caste politics of rural India with the helplessness of the oppressed villagers who were basically slaves bonded to the upper caste instead of labour. Based on a short story Kaalsootra written by Gaya-based writer Shaiwal, Damul won the National Award for the Best Film. Mrityudand (1997) This film again was based in Bihar and was a social commentary that touched upon the social evils of class politics and gender inequality in rural India. The film had an ensemble cast of Madhuri Dixit, Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Mohan Agashe and Ayub Khan and all the stellar performances came together to make the film a classic one. Prakash Jha penned some very punchy dialogues for the film and made the women of the film come out as the real heroes. Gangaajal (2003) This one is a crime drama set in the notorious district of Tejpur in Bihar. Prakash Jha showed a lawless land where mafia dons reigned freely with most of the police force being on their payroll and thus turning a blind eye to their crimes. The film is the story of a righteous inspector Amit (a superb performance by Ajay Devgan) who tries to clean the system against all the odds. The film gave the viewers a sense of justice and retribution and became a huge commercial success. Apaharan (2005) Hailing from the West Champaner district of Bihar himself, Prakash Jha understands the complex logistics of Bihar better than most filmmakers, and in this film, he took a good, hard look at the kidnapping industry in Bihar. The film had stellar performances from Ajay Devgan, Mohan Agashe and Nana Patekar. The movie has some brilliant dialogues with very clever and crisp use of idioms and metaphors. Apaharan was a classic Prakash Jha film rooted in the heartland of India with a realistic look and feel.
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