It has been a tough battle: Jha

Filmmaker Prakash Jha is a happy man. Inspite of facing “tough battle” to release his film Aarakshan, the movie has managed to amass Rs 58.5 crore within its first week of release.

Inspite of facing “tough battle” to release his film Aarakshan, the movie has managed to amass Rs 58.5 crore within its first week of release.

“I’m very happy with the audience response to Aarakshan. I’ve been flooded with congratulatory messages and calls. The film seems to be touching many people,”s Jha said in a statement.

Aarakshan, which deals with the sensitive issue of caste-based quota system in India’s educational system, was banned in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh for fear of anti-Dalit comments in it.

However, the ban was lifted from Punjab and Andhra Pradesh a day after its worldwide release of August 12. In Uttar Pradesh, the ban was lifted August 19.

“It has been an unexpectedly tough battle to release the film... I hope no filmmaker ever has to go through what I went through. I’m grateful for the support of audiences worldwide who have been watching and enjoying the film,” Jha said.