Famous for directing and producing the hit Hindi political thriller Raajneeti (2010) and the National Film Award-winning crime movie Apaharan (2005), he is also notable for his work on the acclaimed documentary features Sonal (2002) and Faces After the Storm (1984).
After abandoning his physics coursework at Ramjas College, Delhi University, he pursued a career as a painter and then briefly studied at the Film and Television Institute of India.
In 2004, 2009, and 2014, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Indian Lok Sabha (lower parliamentary house).
Over the course of his nearly two-decade marriage to prolific Hindi film actress
Ajay Devgan starred in Gangaajal, a 2003 action movie directed by Jha.