Prakash Jha: ‘Matto ki Sackil’ represents half of the country’s population

One of the few products of the parallel cinema movement that remains relevant, Prakash Jha is once again in the news. In the mid-80s, when Hindi cinema was running away from the ground reality, he introduced us to the world of a bonded laborer from Bihar. Damul. Now he is playing the role of a Dalit daily wager in M ​​Ghani’s Mathura village. Matto’s Cycle (Mattoo’s Cycle).

When Ghani, a self-taught filmmaker, approached Jha, who starred in jai gangajal And bull’s eye, the veteran director thought he needed some help with the production. Jha says, “Somehow, he felt that I was a good fit for the role, and I couldn’t say no to such a challenging part.” The film was screened at the Busan International Film Festival, and Jha says the social media response shows that audiences are looking forward to seeing the stories from India’s villages.

Edited excerpts from an interview:

What made you agree to play Matto?

I liked the purity and honesty of Ghani’s story. Matto represents half of the country’s population which does not get reflected in Hindi cinema. we come together two bighas of land or a Damul Sometimes, but largely half of the country remains out of focus. They are the ones who build our homes, flyovers and highways, but we wake up to the existence of these millions and millions of people only when a pandemic strikes. Matteo’s life revolves around an old bicycle. If it works, he will get the job. They have accepted socio-political discrimination and unfulfilled promises as part of their daily lives.

How did you get the expression of a daily wage laborer who rides a rare bicycle?

I spent three months under the sun in Mathura, doing everything Ghani wanted me to do. Being from a rural background, I have an understanding of rural life. I talked and smoked for hours with daily wage workers bidi, Mine bidi were organic, they would say you are not giving up, (They are not strong enough). The training was so rigorous that the contractors wagered me twice the actual daily, and picked me up from Labor Square.

Is the furious ‘boycott Bollywood’ trend real and is it affecting business?

I do not think so. I think post corporatisation, Bollywood slowly stopped investing in writing original and compelling content that connects with the masses. The so-called stars are heavily dependent on ‘projects’ and remakes.

I do not think so Lal Singh Chaddha Victims because of calls for boycotts; It just wasn’t good enough. the audience came out saying ok hi (It’s almost fine). Another big name who instead of talking about content and craft, keeps highlighting his punctuality and ability to finish shooting in 30 days. This is how businessmen talk; Not creative people.

But targeting actors and filmmakers doesn’t seem healthy…

Absolutely, but there has always been some opposition by groups close to power centres. Who knows this better than me? i like many movies Gangajal, Politics And Reservation Faced mob censorship. We had to face a few defeats in the beginning, but eventually they got hit.

How do you view box office success The Kashmir Files, Did active propaganda by those in power have any role in its success?

I do not think so. There should be something in the film that will draw the audience to the theatres. If the government had a role to play in making a film a box office success, Emperor PrithvirajOne that was led by a huge star and hired by one of the top production houses in the country would have been successful too.

Is the current political climate not conducive to political films going against the government of the time?

I don’t agree. like a movie Article 15 Which openly talked about systemic caste discrimination, was done during the present regime. It is up to the producers to show courage.

You were targeted by right-wing groups in Madhya Pradesh Hermitage,

The media reported an attack by a group that had vested interests, but not what followed. The government took action and I shot for 40 more days in the state. I didn’t ask the government to campaign Hermitage, I expected them to maintain law and order, and they did.

Has the proliferation of streaming platforms helped improve content?

We thought OTT would change things. But apart from a few exceptions, we see that the same corporate culture that likes to play safe has seeped into it.

What’s next for you?

I am making a series based on the life of PV Narasimha Rao, adapted from Vinay Senapati’s book half lion, The period of economic reforms and privatization has been a major topic of interest to me; The man did not get his due.