The Jaipur International Film Festival commenced from January 2 and ace filmmaker Prakash Jha not only inaugurated the prestigious film festival but was also conferred with the JIFF's Excellence Award for his achievements in the field of cinema and his immense contribution to the Indian film industry.

The National Award-winning filmmaker, who has given several acclaimed films like Mrityudand, Gangaajal, Apaharan, Aarakshan and Raajneeti to name a few, got a taste of royalty in the Pink City. On receiving the award, Jha said, "It's a big honour for me. Honestly, I have not done anything great till now, it's too premature." He also appreciated JIFF, which opened with Piku and Pakistani film Manto, and stated that such events help in creating new audiences. 35 feature films, 17 documentary feature films, 58 short films and 15 short animation films will be screened at the five-day long festival.


Emphasizing on the role of a good audience behind quality cinema, Jha said, "A good movie is made when there is a good audience for it and the role of audience in making of a film cannot be neglected."

Prakash Jha, who is gearing up for the release of his cop-drama Jai Gangaajal, which stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead role, also admitted that police, politics and their role in our society has always been his favorite topics. Priyanka has essayed the role of a tough cop- Abha Mathur in Jai Gangaajal and the trailer of the film has received rave reviews from all quarters of the society.