Most Bollywood films see cops as the righteous hero or the corrupt one in the system. But, filmmaker Prakash Jha, in his 2003 release Gangaajal, showed how a police officer can sometimes be a bit of both. 

“Till date, questions like, ‘Why do we need the police?’ and ‘How does that very force who we have given the power to control us, turn corrupt?’ keep coming to my mind. Gangaajal was an effort to find answers to all these,” says Jha, whose film clocks 20 years of release today.

Actor Ajay Devgn played SP Amit Kumar in this film that also starred Gracy Singh, Mohan Joshi and Anup Soni. It delved into the reality of corruption and lawlessness in rural India. Jha, sharing how the film resonated with the audience, reveals: “Recently, I met an IPS officer who told me that Gangaajal inspired him to become one. It was only after watching the film that he started preparing for the exam.”

While the film inspired many, it also faced its share of backlash — something many films face today. As a filmmaker, how does Jha look at this? He says: “When you’re trying to tell a story, you have to be responsible... Our society is opinionated. Gangaajal ke time par bahut putle jalaaye gaye the. Even with Apaharan (2005) and Raajneeti (2010), we saw backlash. But, as a filmmaker, I am only trying to tell a story. Jo aap kehna chahte hain, wo toh kahenge hi na.”