While he has always harboured acting ambitions, film maker Prakash Jha has never been seen in a full fledged role. His last screen-appearance was a fleeting cameo in the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif-Ajay Devgn starrer Raajneeti, which he directed. Now, Mirror has learnt that the National Award-winning director will make his acting debut in Gangaajal 2, which is being presented by his frequent collaborator Ajay Devgn.

A source close to the development said: “He plays a cop in the film, but it's a manipulative character with grey shades. For a long time, he was considering other actors but eventually decided it is the ideal role for him to debut with as an actor.“

Devgn played the lead in 2003 original, which was inspired by the blinding incident in Bhagalpur in 1979-1980. The sequel, which Jha will also be directing, revolves around a female protagonist, who has yet to be cast.

In an interview to Mirror (November 17, 2014), Jha had revealed that he had drawn from the experiences of a young IPS officer posted in Madhya Pradesh. “Since she's a woman, the people around her, including the DSP, the inspectors, subinspectors and constables thought they could manipulate and bully her. But she ended up putting the house in order though she was harassed, penalised and her career threatened,“ he informed, adding that former Home Minister of Haryana, Gopal Goyal Kanda, was another muse. “He was a real estate broker who became the Home Minister and had the entire police machinery under him. Gangaajal 2 revisits the nexus between politics and the police after 12 years.“