"There is no surefire formula for success," says filmmaker Prakash Jha on the sets of his latest film, Gangaa Jal, in Satara, Maharashtra. "We never know what will work with the audience and what will not." 
His last two films, Rahul and Dil Kya Kare, flopped but that has not stopped Jha from moving on to his next venture. Gangaa Jal is a start-to-finish project and he expects the film to be ready soon.
Jha, who was born in Bihar's Champaran district, has based Gangaa Jal on familiar territory. Ajay Devgan plays an IPS officer from Ambala, Punjab, who is posted in (the made up town of) Tejpur in Bihar.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf caught up with Jha for a quick interview:
Tell us about Gangaa Jal.
This is a film I have dreamt of for a long time. I actually got the idea when I was shooting for Damul and met some friends who are top police officers in Uttar Pradesh. Gangaa Jal is based on what the police feel about society and vice versa.
The film is set in Tejpur, a small town in Bihar. Ajay Devgan is its superintendent of police. He loves poetry, has a simple wife (Gracy Singh) and dreams of working honestly. Unfortunately, the system does not work that way. His dilemma begins when he starts implementing system's rules, which involves the whole town of Tejpur.
In short, the film is about the evolution of the police and policing in a society. It tries to answer the question as to why we need the police in a system and how this system came into effect.
Why are you shooting the film in Wai, Satara?
That's because the logistics are working here. It is close to Mumbai (a six-hour drive). The local people are very good. They are acting as extras in the film and are doing a tremendous job. Besides, I have a start-to-finish schedule.
Gangaa Jal sounds like Shool (starring Manoj Bajpai). But that film was not a box-office success.
It is very difficult to say which film will be a hit and which will not. You must have conviction in your film. It has to touch the audience's heart, but no one knows what will touch their heart. My film is about rational society. The characters are part of it. It is not like Shool.
Quite a few filmmakers, like Madhur Bhandarkar (Aan) and Raj Kumar Santoshi (Khaki), are making films on the police...
It is just a coincidence these films are being made now. There is no link between my film and other films.
Do you think the box-office will be able to take three films on the police at a time?
There is no hit or flop formula at the box-office. There will always be people who try different films. I am one of them. The general Bollywood films are not doing well, so people are doing different kinds of films. But you cannot say this film will work and that film will not because one does not know what the audience will like.
Tell us about Gangaa Jal's music.
There is hardly any music in the film. There is only one nautanki number.
Why did you cast Ajay Devgan?
He is a good actor, very sincere and honest. I have worked with him earlier in Dil Kya Kare and we have a good rapport. Gracy is a good actress too.
After Damul, why did you switch to commercial cinema?
I cannot sit at home and produce films all the time. If that were possible, I would have done it forever.
Is it difficult to get funds for a film like Damul?
It is not a question of just getting funds. The returns must be there too.
Is Gangaa Jal about the Bhagalpur blindings?
No, the Bhagalpur blindings are not the main subject of the film. There is only a small incident in the film about the Bhagalpur blindings.
What do you think of Bihar society, since you belong to the state and your film is based there?
Bihar is a vibrant and intellectual society. All the major mass movements in India started in Bihar. The people are very alert there, but the society has no direction. That is why people feel trapped there. The complex but interesting caste system also exists in Bihar.
You claim fake encounters occur. Why have people become indifferent to such murders?
This vacuum exists in our society, but I cannot pass judgement on that. People have become insensitive to everything. The improvement in technology and work and market pressure have cornered human beings. People do not think about issues at large. They just want to save their house and their family.
