Politicians apprehensive over `Aarakshan`: Jha

Mumbai: Producer-director Prakash Jha, who is releasing `Aarakshan`, a film on reservation, says that political leaders are apprehensive over the film as they feel that "something wrong may happen".

He also said that no politician has approached him yet to hold a special screening of the movie. Directed by Jha, `Aarakshan` is a socio-political drama based on caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The Censor Board has already given a green signal to the film. Last week, the Maharashtra Government had said it would request the makers of `Aarakshan` to show the movie to groups and legislators, who have raised objections on the theme before its release. Home Minister R R Patil had told in the Assembly last week that though it was the right of the Censor Board to clear the film, it was everyone`s responsibility to ensure there was no social tension. However, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, senior Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale are against the release of the movie. When asked whether he would screen his film for politicians as they have raised objections, Jha said in a lighter vein, "I think they don`t want to pay for the movie." "They (politicians) have concerns. When you make movies that concern the society, the leaders of certain sections of the society will have to voice their concerns. They probably don`t know what the movie is about. They are just apprehensive that something wrong may happen," Jha said, while addressing a group of students at an institute here last evening. "They haven`t contacted me for the screening yet and the moment they do it I will tell them there is nothing wrong. We all know that I don`t want to provoke people," he said. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Manoj Bajpaypee, Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar, releases on August 12. Even two lawyers from Panvel have filed a petition in Bombay High Court challenging the release of the film on grounds that the trailers and ads suggest that the film sends an anti-reservation message and would. The Court had yesterday expressed a wish to view the movie before passing any order in the case, it would come up for hearing today. PTI