Prakash Jha: In films or in politics, jisko bhi desh jeetna hoga usko pehle U.P. jeetna hoga

A director and now actor Prakash Jha has always come to Lucknow to promote his films in the past, whether it was 'Aarakshan' or 'Raajneeti'. So when the Bihari filmmaker along with actors Manav Kaul and Rahul Bhat, the actors of his next release, came to Lucknow on Friday, no one was surprised. Unlike most film promotions, however, this one was far from rushed. Apart from meeting school kids, the team of 'Jai Gangaajal,' a cop drama, went from the 1090 Women Powerline office in the morning to an interaction with more UP policemen at the Modern Police Control Room.
'THIS is our area'
Ask Jha about his penchant for promoting his films in Lucknow, and he replies, 'Jayein toh jayein kahan? Pehle, ek toh hum Bihari hain.So either we run to Kolkata or to Lucknow ' Nakhlau ' ki bhaiyya, kat lo, Nakhlau chalo. It's our area. There's so much culture, people are educated, they understand what I want to say and I can communicate easily with them. So whether, it's Kanpur, Lucknow or even the whole of UP, they are important to me. UP is a very sensitive market for me especially because every film of mine has done very well here. Aur jab film release hoti hai toh baki directors aur actors Mumbai ke cinema halls mein jaate hain, but I always come to UP. Whether it was 'Gangajal' or 'Aarakshan,' I came and watched the film in UP ' in Meerut or Dehradun (when it was part of UP), to see people's reaction to it. Matlab, you can't miss UP.'
Tribunal clears 'Jai Gangaajal' with two minor cuts
He goes on, 'People say that people in UP and Bihar are backward, lazy and anarchic. But where else in the world will you find a society which gives you something new every day! Iss desh mein koi jan andolan Bihar ya UP ke baghair ho sakta hai kya? Sarkare bhi inhi do pradeshon ki banti hain. Matlab jisko bhi desh jeetna hoga, usko pehle UP jeetna hoga. Yeh toh seedhi si baat hai. I am a filmmaker and I know that if I want my film to succeed toh pehle mujhe UP jeetna hoga, warna nahi jeet paunga.'
Jha is also planning to come to UP in the future to shoot the sequel to 'Raajneeti 2'. 'It's on the cards, not right now, but I will be shooting a big chunk of the film here in UP,' he says, adding, 'In fact, I will be shooting in Lucknow and in Banaras too. But kab karunga, yeh nahi keh sakta, usme thoda waqt lagega.'
Why are there no films on constables, asks woman constable at 1090
At the 1090 Women Power Line headquarter in Gomti Nagar, Jha waxed eloquent on the service rendered to the country by the police. But the idea of a women's helpline impressed him most. 'I had never imagined an entire police department dedicated solely for the safety of women,' he said after interacting with IG Navniet Sekera and CO Babita Singh.
During an interaction with the women working at the helpline, constable Priyanka Singh took Jha off guard when she asked, 'Sir, Hindi filmon mein kewal IPS officer ya police adhikari ko hi main roles mein dikhaya jaata hai. Hum constables ko koi achhe kirdaar mein nahi dikhata. Aap kuchh karenge iske baare mein?' However, the usually effusive Jha, could only come back with, 'Now that you have mentioned it, I will certainly think about it, because the force behind the police is you all."
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