Movie “Aarakshan” talks about Caste-based Quota system in Education

The movie “Aarakshan” (which means Reservation) takes inspiration from real-life incidents like the Mandal Commission protests and the 1990 self-immolation of Delhi college student Rajeev Goswami.

According to Prakash Jha education is considered one of the biggest assets one can possess in India and his film captures a lot of issues that concern the education “industry”. He said that his film’s subject won’t be vague at all. “We all know we live in a caste-based society, we know there are caste-based reservations, so why should we be cagey about it? Why can’t we talk about it openly in our films?” he asks. “Almost every politician in our country owns colleges and universities. As a character in my film says ‘what can be a better business than education,” Jha said.

Saif Ali Khan would be portraying the role of a Dalit in the movie while Prateik Babbar would be essaying the role of a high-caste Brahmin. The movie shows how both are affected by the Indian government’s decision to introduce quotas in education. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of an idealistic teacher who believes reservations are meant to provide opportunities to weaker sections to help them climb the success ladder on their merit. The film has mainly been shot in Bhopal.

The movie releases on India screens on 12^thAugust 2011. Don’t miss this one!