Prakash Jha has not only put the city of Bhopal on the Bollywood map, he's also making sure that other units with a vital story to tell are heading to the quaint culturally-plush city of Nawabs and natural beauty.
When recently Jha heard that writer Rumi Jaffery was directing a political satire in which Akshaye Khanna plays the Common Man from R.K. Laxman's cartoon strips fighting corruption on working-class level, Jha immediately suggested to Jaffery that the film be shot in Bhopal where the topography and culture are conducive to shooting a satire on a common man's struggle.
Not only that, Jha also lent Jaffery his entire shooting infrastructure and equipment that he now has in Bhopal permanently. Writer-director Rumi Jaffery acknowledges Prakash Jha's contribution.
Says Rumi, "I am from Bhopal. Coming here to shoot my political satire Gali Gali Mein Shor Hai is like a home-coming for me and Prakashji made it possible. He lent me his crew and equipment and offered every possible assistance. I feel I am shooting in Mumbai rather than Bhopal. We needed a particular ambience for Akshaye's character. He works in a government office and travels by scooter."
Jaffery who has written some of the most successful comedies in the last one decade was inspired by the corruption in the country. "And look at the coincidence. I started writing the film two years ago. Now Anna Hazare has brought the question of corruption into the forefront of our lives."
Though the main parts are played by Akshaye Khanna, Shriya Saran, Satish Kaushik and Vijay Raaz, Jaffery has chosen a lot of local theatre actors from Bhopal, again recommended and provided by Prakash Jha.
Says Jaffery, "Bhopal is a wonderful location for shooting, not just for its picturesque almost poetic locations but also because the people are extremely gentle and courteous. Though I'm shooting in some of the most crowded areas of Bhopal, the local people are not the least interfering or intrusive."
The first film to be shot in Bhopal was B.R. Chopra's Naya Daur, followed decades later by Ismail Merchant's In Custody and Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool. Prakash Jha shot Raajneeti and Aarakshan in Bhopal. He will shoot Satyagraha with Amitabh Bachchan in Bhopal from January 2012.
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