There's nothing like a real-time hero to spark off creativity in Bollywood, and surely, there aren't many currently who rule the people's mindset quite like the diminutive Anna Hazare and his campaign against corruption.
Not surprisingly then, tinseltown has been quick to cash in on the wave by announcing films inspired by Anna. Joining the ranks of filmmakers wanting to capture Anna on celluloid is "Khap" director and Lucknowite Ajai Sinha. Talking to LT while on a recent visit here, Ajai says, "The topic is apt for filmmakers to make a film." And while letting out the title, "Anna Humare", he's predictably reluctant to discuss any more details.
But the hesitance disappears once we ask him about his reasons to make a film on Anna. According to Ajai, they come from a very personal experience. Visibly upset at the way his latest film, "Khap", which remained a subject of controversy right from its inception till its release on July 29, was summarily removed from cinema halls in different parts of UP and Haryana, Ajai shoots out, "Our laws are so weak in every field, that we need an Anna everyday and everywhere. Ek andolan se kaam nahi chalega!"
Not surprisingly, Ajai blames vested interests for the losses his film has suffered. He rues, "The people from the khap panchayats, with the help of politicos, threatened the cinema hall owners to not put up "Khap". I know everything, but I have no proof to either approach the police or the court. Even the cinema halls owners didn't support me as they were quite scared. And in all this confusion, I have incurred huge loss of around `8 crores, which I can't recover from anywhere now."
Surely, considering that his film had met with resistance, with the khap panchayats even seeking a ban on it, didn't he anticipate trouble, we wonder. "I did anticipate that kuch na kuch toh hoga, when I started making a movie on a subject like honour killing. But then I thought, 'chalo koi nahi I will resort to legal measures if something goes wrong'. But the way my movie has been forcibly removed from cinema halls, I am shocked! People in Haryana wanted to see the film; the masses were quite eager to have a film screened on a topic like honour killing but just because of the few people who didn't want such a topic to be shown in their state, they were deprived of the screening."
At the same time, Ajai says he believes in looking forward. Talking about his upcoming ventures, Ajai says that besides the film on Anna, another project that is keeping him busy is his upcoming serial on Lucknow. "I am quite excited about this serial. I will show the contrast between Lucknow 40 years back, and the Lucknow of today. It will be an interesting theme for the small screen," smiles Sinha, and bids goodbye.
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