Prakash Jha at the news meet in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, June 28: He’s suave, unlike his films that expose the dirty underbelly of society.

Meet Prakash Jha, filmmaker, production company head, social worker and sometime-politician (he contested Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009 from native Champaran in Bihar and lost) who was in the state capital today to promote his latest film, the controversial Aarakshan.

Slated for an August 12 release, the film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar, is on the pros and cons of caste-based reservation in India. It is already kicking up a storm.

Many claim that the film is based on Mandal Commission’s report. But the maker himself said it wasn’t. “In fact, it takes off where the movement stops. Whether reservation is good or bad is an unending debate in our country. My attempt is to show the confusion created by reservation, especially in the education system,” Jha said, adding “reservation has given oxygen to commercialisation and goondaraj”. Jha’s Ranchi stopover was sandwiched between yesterday’s trip in Bihar and tomorrow’s flight to Delhi.

How did the idea of Aarakshan evolve? “Anything which is issue-based is a potential film subject. I zeroed in on the script four years ago,” Jha told The Telegraph.

Big B was the first to be on board, followed by Saif, Deepika and Prateik. “I always dreamt of working with Bachchan saab. He readily agreed to be part of this film after listening to the script,” he added.

There aren’t too many issues crowding the silver screen. “It’s because of increasing commercialisation and lack of marketing of issue-based films. But I believe a good script, irrespective of subject, will find a market,” said Jha.

He wants to bring real India on screen. “In Aakarshan, it is India versus India, thanks to reservation,” he said, adding the film was shot in just 35 days at a stretch in Bhopal. Does the film hold out a solution? “My job is to raise a question and help people think for themselves,” said Jha.

Up next? A film on Lokpal bill. “I am not against the bill. But the entire society, me included, is corrupt. For instance, many may have taken part in the candlelight march with Anna Hazareji but after coming home would have made phone calls to sources, ready to bribe to get their wards admitted to the best schools,” Jha signed off.