Filmmaker Prakash Jha: A Propaganda Film Will Work If The Story Works

The Accidental Prime Minister and Uri – The Surgical Strike, which have begun Bollywood’s 2019 calendar, have been branded ‘propaganda films’ by a cross-section of people. Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who has dabbled in politics himself, says propaganda films can work only if the story strikes a chord with the audience.

The pre-election release of both the films triggered a debate on political propaganda via showbiz.

Jha, who has made films like Gangaajal, Apaharan, Raajneeti, Aarakshan and Satyagraha, which have delved upon socio-political issues, told IANS in an interview here: “You can have a propaganda film. It will work if the story is working and if the story is working, then it is a valid film… why not?”

Still, there has been a dearth of political films in Bollywood.

He says he has “no idea” why.

“But I feel there is politics in everything… There’s politics in a husband-wife relationship, at homes, in the society, school, institutions and offices… There is politics everywhere.”

And in politics, the 66-year-old finds a lot of ‘comedy’.

About his own films, he said: “My films primarily deal with issues which deal with our day-to-day affairs and they have social and political connotation. But I don’t really make political films… that is my subject, that is my story. There is a lot of comedy in politics.”

Jha was here to promote his next production Fraud Saiyyan, a comedy starring Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla.

Is he changing gears?

“Before Rajneeti, Aarakshan and Apaharan, I made Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne(show). And if you see those darker films, there is a lot of comedy in them… Life cannot be without laughter. Sometimes it is helpless laughter or enjoyable laughter. But there is laughter.”