MUMBAI: Prakash Jha, known for his multi-starrers tackling grave and social issues has set a new benchmark with his upcoming political thriller Satyagraha, by roping in 24 assistant directors on the sets. In his previous take on politics, Raajneeti he helmed a team of 18 hands working as Assistant directors.
Like his previous multi starrers, Satyagraha too has an extensive cast including stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpai and Kareena Kapoor. The movie has been shot in Bengal with various outdoor locations, which apparently is why he needs not just one or two assistant directors but an entire team to aid him for not just filming but also for ensuring crowd control and the sprawling crowd of people captured in the shots.
As per sources revealing to the Times of India, "This is the biggest team Prakash has had so far. Many of the team members are juniors, who are also part of the filmmaking process. As far as the Bhopal schedule is concerned, a lot of preparation has gone into it."
Satyagraha is reportedly inspired by the current Indian political scenario and depicts the uprising of the the middle class against the corrupt system.
There have also been rumors that Amitabh‘s character is a portrayal of the social activist Anna Hazare following Gandhian principles while Devgn‘s role is similar to the activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal, keeping aside all speculations, Jha has maintained that Satyagraha is a political thriller revolving around the father and son relationship and dealing with twisted democratic issues.
Saytyagraha is co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Prakash Jha and Siddharth Roy Kapur. The movie is still under production and is slated to hit the theatres on 23 August 2013.