Prakash Jha Birthday: The film journey of the mastermind of stories related to society

Prakash Jha is one of the few directors of Indian cinema who has brought the ground reality of society to the big screen very well. Famous for making films on political, social, and criminal subjects, Jha is not only a skilled director but also a great producer, writer, and actor. On the occasion of his birthday (Prakash Jha Birthday), we take a look at his life, career, and achievements.

Early life and education

Prakash Jha was born on 27 February 1952 in Bettiah in the West Champaran district of Bihar. His family was traditionally involved in farming, but Jha was always interested in studies and art. He completed his early education from Bettiah, after which he came to Delhi. His initial interest was in science, so he started studying physics at Ramjas College of Delhi University.

However, after some time, he started losing interest in science and moved to Mumbai, where he took admission in J.J. School of Arts. But fate had something else in store for him. One day he visited Mumbai's Film City Studio and this is where he developed an interest in filmmaking. After this, he took admission in Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and learned the nuances of cinema.

Beginning of film journey

Prakash Jha's career (Prakash Jha Debut Film) started with documentary films. He made a documentary called Under the Blue in 1976. After this he made Faces After the Storm , which was based on the 1984 Sikh riots. This documentary received a lot of appreciation and from here a strong foundation of Jha's directorial career was laid. His first feature film was Hip Hip Hurray (1984), which was based on the life of a school and its students. But he got real recognition from Damul (1985), which focused on the problem of bonded laborers of Bihar. This film also received a National Award and established Prakash Jha as a serious and sensitive filmmaker.

Prakash Jha's major films and social issues

The biggest specialty of Prakash Jha's films is that he never hesitates to bring out the real issues. His films not only entertain but also show a mirror to the society.

1. Mrityudand (1997)

The story of Madhu (Madhuri Dixit), Keshav (Om Puri) and Abhay (Ayub Khan) depicts the struggle for women's rights and against patriarchy in a small village. This film brought Jha closer to commercial cinema.

2. Gangaajal (2003)

This Ajay Devgan starrer film exposed the dark faces of Bihar's police system and politics. The film prominently depicted the practice of "acid throwing", which had become infamous in some districts of Bihar at that time.

3. Kidnapping (2005)

This film was based on the kidnapping industry and political nexus. The powerful acting of Ajay Devgan and Nana Patekar took the film to a different level.

4. Politics (2010)

Inspired by Sonia Gandhi and Mahabharata, this film exposed the realities of Indian politics. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Manoj Bajpayee, Arjun Rampal, and Katrina Kaif, this film was a huge box office success.

5. Satyagraha (2013)

This film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal was inspired by Anna Hazare's movement. The fight against corruption was shown in the film.

6. Jai Gangaajal (2016)

Priyanka Chopra starrer this film shows the situation of women police officers. This film was also made on the lines of Gangaajal.

Web Series and OTT Debut

Prakash Jha (Prakash Jha Ott Series) has also made his mark on the OTT platform. His web series Ashram (2020) on MX Player created a stir. The character of Baba Nirala played by Bobby Deol was well liked by the audience. This series exposes a fake religious guru and his hypocrisy. After the success of Ashram , its second and third season also came and now preparations are underway for the fourth season. 

Tried his hand in politics too

Like films, Prakash Jha has also been interested in politics. He also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bettiah in Bihar in 2014, although he could not win.

private life 

Prakash Jha was married to famous actress Deepti Naval (Prakash Jha wife). Deepti Naval has been a popular actress of the 80s and 90s, who has worked in many art films and films based on social issues. However, Prakash Jha and Deepti Naval's marriage did not last long and later both got divorced (Prakash Jha Divorce). They have a daughter Disha Jha (Prakash Jha Daughter) from their marriage, who is associated with film production. However, even after the divorce, Prakash Jha and Deepti Naval maintained a good friendly relationship. Deepti Naval has said many times in interviews that they still respect each other and have a cordial relationship. Prakash Jha did not remarry and he remained fully engaged in his film career and social work.

Last Project

'Rafuchakkar' is a web series produced by Prakash Jha. It is a thrilling crime-thriller series, which shows topics like money laundering and fraud. Actors Manvi Gagroo and Gaurav Sharma were seen in the lead roles in this series. The series was released on JioCinema and received a good response from the audience. However, Prakash Jha did not direct it, but produced it. Prakash Jha is usually known for films and web series based on political and social issues, and 'Rafuchakkar' was also in the news as an interesting crime drama. Recently, Part 2 of his series Ashram 3 has been released.

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