November 10, 2020 5:16:18 pm
Prakash Jha director Aashram: Chapter 2 – The Dark Side will premiere on MX Player on November 11 (Photo: Prakash Jha Productions / Instagram).
Filmmaker Prakash Jha is looking forward to the release of Aashram Chapter 2: The Dark Side. The director shares that the second chapter will now “conclude all the stories that were created in the first part.” Starring Bobby Deol in the title role of Baba Nirala, Aashram is a crime drama that revolves around false god men.
Aashram was praised for its incredible cast, which included Chandan Roy Sanyal, Darshan Kumaar, Aaditi Pohankar, Tridha Choudhury, Tushar Pandey, Anupriya Goenka, Sachin Shroff, Rajeev Siddhartha, Adhyayan Suman, and Vikram Kochhar. In the MX Original Series, we will see Baba Nirala’s greed multiply for political power, money and lust.
In a candid conversation with indianexpress.com, Prakash Jha discussed launching the two-part show, audience expectations, and controversies surrounding his projects.
Here are excerpts from the conversation:
Why did you decide to release Aashram in two parts?
The kind of theme it was and the way I wanted to tell the story involved expanding and investing in each character’s story, be it Pammi, Babita, Satti, Ujagar, or Sadhu. Also, the political history and the web that Baba Nirala weaves around him, his own relationship with his right hand Bhopa, it was all so interesting that I didn’t want to leaf through it. Everything got too long for a single session. So we decided to take it to a point, leave it there and in a couple of months, bring the second part that will take you to the other side of suspense. Chapter one lasted almost seven hours. The second chapter will be five and a half hours.
Baba Nirala is getting more greedy and lustful in Chapter 2. What was the report you gave Bobby for this part?
Bobby had a healthy preparation. He is a brilliant actor and has a personality that is so credible, likeable and trustworthy. But when it shows its darkness, it is shocking. So I wanted to hire him. I am so lucky that he liked the role and did it so well.
Bobby’s character is like all those masked slime that looks divine and believable. But when you start to dig deep, you discover that they are hollow inside. Innocent people trust them and put everything in terms of faith and trust. They are easily exploited. It is a story that is happening around us, and we are willing to succumb to it.
Even Baba Nirala’s friendship and trust towards Bhopa is at stake. Tell us about the cast and role of Chandan.
Chandan is a brilliant actor. We needed someone who was tiny but full of power. Chandan was the right choice. I feel lucky to have such brilliant actors in Aashram. Only two or three of them can run a series. Even Adhyayan Suman, with a small role, shines.
Do you have any concerns about audience acceptance as the Aashram Chapter 2 story appears to be more ruthless and gritty?
The main thing is if my story is getting more interesting and going in the right direction. If they don’t accept it, they won’t see it at all. Who would have thought that 450 million people will watch the show? That is unheard of. But that happened with the first chapter.
Aashram is made to the scale of a movie. Why did you decide to launch it on the digital platform?
It is always the subject that decides the scale. Before this I did Pareeksha. You would have seen its scale. That’s what I needed and we couldn’t have more than that. If you see the slime ornaments, it’s huge. There is a crowd and great arrangements. So we will have to recreate that at the same level.
Bobby Deol and Chandan Roy Sanyal with Prakash Jha on the Aashram sets. (Photo: Prakash Jha Productions / Instagram)
Aashram also has strong female characters. Do you think it is important to balance the positioning of your characters in the story?
For me, history is the captain. If the story will demand the emotional investment of a woman, it will be a woman and vice versa. I do not claim to balance men and women. It all depends on the story.
With the type of topics you attend to, there is always the risk of backlash. Even Aashram 2 faces some opposition. How do you manage to maintain your vision at all times?
You cannot sit in the safety of your homes all the time. Similarly, I always try to look beyond my comfort zone. Only then can we create something. All my projects have faced some kind of controversy before launch due to the debatable topic. Even before Aarakshan’s release, it was banned in four states. Once it was released, the same people came to my office with flowers, appreciating the film. There was no debate after the release of the first chapter of Aashram. Now, as soon as the trailer for the second chapter arrived, some negativity started. Once it is released, everyone will see it happy. So this is all part of life and business. I always believe in telling good stories with proper understanding and responsibility. Whatever happens, we will handle it accordingly.
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