Reservation Road

Prakash Jha films are rarely complete without a side plot of controversy,and his upcoming film,Aarakshan,seems to live up to this rule. The run-up to the film’s August 12 release has been marked by protests by certain minority groups,who are objecting to the subject of the film — a socio-political drama based on the controversial issue of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions . It is hardly surprising that Jha turned up for the film promotion in Delhi on Thursday,wearing a plain white cotton shirt,blue jeans and a long face topped with a frown.

“Curiosity generated for any movie is good,but this is too much now. How can one judge a movie even before it is released?” he thundered. Accompanying him,actors Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai,looked just as exasperated. “The movie has a certificate from the censor board. We have a censor approval,what else should we do,” said Bachchan,who plays a devoted college principal named Prabhakar Anand in the film. His character is that of an erudite gentleman,who believes that all his students have the right to equal opportunity in life. “Are we now supposed to get the approval of every single Indian before releasing the film?” continued Jha,adding that he had been assailed by phone calls all evening. “This is the work of certain splinter groups from different states. How can I address their concerns without knowing what are they objecting to in the movie?” he asked.