Happy Birthday Prakash Jha: 5 Most Memorable Movies of the Veteran Filmmaker

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRAKASH JHA: Renowned filmmaker and screenwriter Prakash Jha turns 71, this February 27. Known for his hard-hitting, socio-political films, Jha studied at the Film and Television Institute of India or FTII, at Pune. He won his first National Film Award for his documentary, Faces After Storm (1984). Hip Hip Hurray (1984) was Jha’s first full-length feature film as a director. He has helmed over 25 films till date. On his birthday, we look at five of his most memorable films.

1. Damul (1985)
   Written and directed byPrakashJha, the National Award-winning film Damul (Bonded Until Death) portrays the oppression of the poor Harijans by upper class landlords through bonded slavery called “panha” in Bihar. The film is based on the short story Kaalsootra by writer Shaiwal. Damul stars Manohar Singh, Sreela Mazumdar, Annu Kapoor and Deepti Naval, among others.
2. Mrityudand (1997)
   Mrityudand (Death Sentence) deals with corrupt villagers manipulating other villagers into parting with their land and property. The film depicts the destruction of the family of a man with two sons by influential villagers. Madhuri Dixit, Shabana Azmi, Ayub Khan, Om Puri, Mohan Joshi and Mohan Agashe star in the film.
3. Gangaajal (2003)
   Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar (Ajay Devgn) discovers the rampant corruption and crime in Tezpur, Bihar, due to the influence of a local politician (Mohan Joshi) and his son (Yashpal Sharma). The film also depicts crimes committed by Policemen. Gangaajal secured a National Film Award for its depiction of social issues.
4. Apaharan (2005)
   The film depicts how the kidnapping industry in Bihar functions and examines the conflicting ideologies of Raghuvansh Shastri (Mohan Aghashe), a righteous man of ideals and his amoral and opportunist son, Ajay (Ajay Devgn), who spirals into a world of crime to escape from the consequences of his past actions. Apaharan won a National Film Award for best Screenplay.
5. Raajneeti (2010)
   Raajneeti (Politics) depicts the treacherous world of politics, inherent rivalry among political parties, betrayals, crimes and lust for power. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, Naseeruddin Shah, Arjun Rampal, and Manoj Bajpayee, among others.