Prakash Jha: I Am Disgusted With Actors Working In India

Indian Film Producer, Director and Screenwriter, Prakash Jha talked about foraying into films and OTT from documentaries and lots more at Goafest 2022. He minced no words and laid bare his thoughts on his journey and experiences in the entertainment industry.

His renowned works include ‘Mrityudand’, ‘Gangajal’, ‘Apharan’, ‘Rajneeti’, ‘Chakravyuh’, ‘Aarakshan’, ‘Satyagrah’, and the two seasons of ‘Aashram’.

In a conversation at the Goafest 2022, Prakash Jha at a session titled ‘From Films To OTT’, emphasised that filmmaking is a complete package for him. From sound recording and screenwriting to placing the lights, he takes a keen interest in everything that comes with filmmaking.

He spoke of how he realised very early on in his career that acting is the most important part, and he should be able to communicate with the actors in their language. So, he started attending acting workshops by the best teachers in the world. He took workshops across Vienna, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Los Angeles and New York.

He said, "I would quietly go and enrol myself as a student. And that’s how I understood an actor’s language. I have performed Shakespeare and other plays in classes, which gave me a lot of confidence."

But he also exposed Indian actors and their attitude towards work. He said, “I was disgusted with actors working here in India. They don’t know what acting is about. Till date, no actor has asked me questions about shoot days, shoot timings, locations, action sequences and more. And that’s the difference between Hollywood actors and Bollywood ones. The actors there attend workshops and keep on practising and improving their art.”

Prakash Jha also stated that he keeps practising too as he enjoys the process and feels it’s much needed to keep the craft intact and will soon be seen in a lead role as an actor.

Jha made his web series debut on OTT with ‘Aashram’. The series' 3rd season is slated to release soon.