Not many may be aware that writer-director-producer Prakash Jha and writer Anjum Rajab Ali had scripted Raajneeti way back in 2004. After the first draft of the script, the film project went into cold storage as Jha got actively involved in Bihar state politics and in social service. It was only in 2009 that Prakash Jha decided to revisit Raajneeti.
Recalled Anjum, “When Prakash told me in 2009 to get started again on Raajneeti, I asked him whether he was serious as I didn’t want to work on the script over again only to know afterwards that the project would not be taking off.” Prakash Jha told Anjum that he was serious – and that’s when Raajneeti was revived.
From 2004 to 2010 is a good six years but neither Jha nor Rajab Ali believes that the subject would look dated in any way. It is probably because politics continues to be a dirty game today as it was in 2004 or, for that matter, 20 years ago.
