For over three decades, Subhash Ghai has been one of the most influential and inspirational personalities in Bollywood.
A successful producer director, Ghai commands a larger-than-life image in the film industry with the tag of being an eternal showman. His films have been typical Bollywood fare but the sheer grandeur of the presentation makes them stand out.
A self-admitted workaholic, Ghai is meticulously involved with movies, not only as a director/producer but also penning the stories and the dialogues.
As a director, he has also played a key role in unearthing fresh talents. Jackie Shroff, Meenakshi Seshadri, and Mahima Choudhury were all his own discoveries.
Today, the 62-year-old shows no signs of slowing down as he juggles time overseeing his production company Mukta Arts Limited. The company has been producing critically-acclaimed films such as Joggers Park and Iqbal alongside mainstream Bollywood fare including Pardes, Taal and Yaadein.
Ghai is set to unveil the Anil Kapoor-starrer Black and White this July and the Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor-starrer Yuvraj next year. But nothing enthuses the master director these days, more than his film institute, Whistling Woods International, which he hopes will unleash talented actors and technicians to the international stage.
tabloid! caught up with the star director on a visit to Dubai last week to introduce GEMS school students and parents to Whistling Woods International.
You have seen tremendous change in the Hindi film industry in the past three decades. What does the future hold?
The Hindi film industry will see dramatic changes with a drift towards more meaningful cinema. It will be more and more difficult to please the new generation who are educated and are exposed to global trends. Films will change to cater to their taste. The rousing success of Munnabhai and Rang de Basanti shows this shift.
What makes a film a hit? With so many hits, have you devised any formula?
There is no formula for a hit. Even stars don't matter. Good film wins. Good script wins.
You have been promoting your film institute in India and abroad. Can acting be taught?
One has to have talent, but a film institute's job is to hone it. Students learn all aspects of filmmaking at our state-of-the-art institute. They are well groomed by the time they are out of the academy and save on years of hands-on experience most actors need to deliver the goods.
But most of our actors are not trained.
That's why many flop and those who do make it big do so after years of hands-on experience. Education is a must. Shah Rukh Khan, who was more professionally trained in his formative years, has become a brand. Whereas Govinda, who is probably as talented an actor as Khan, has made wrong choices in choosing films and his career has stagnated.
What are your new projects?
My next directorial project is Black and White, set for release in July this year. I am introducing Anurag Singh, a trained actor from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune. Anil Kapoor and Aditi Sharma, winner of Zee Cine Star's Ki Khoj, a reality TV show, are also in this small-budget, high-content film.
After that I start shooting for my big-budget mainstream Bollywood film Yuvraj, a story of three brothers starring Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan and Zayed Khan. That should be out in April 2008.
Have you regretted making any of your films?
When I look back there are always times when I think I could have done better. But there aren't any specific regrets.
You have made several Bollywood stars. Any new stars in the horizon?
Anurag Sinha. I am introducing him in Black and White. He has what it takes to become a star.
Is there any one famous story you want to make into a film?
I would have loved to make Shantaram, a bestselling novel written by Gregory David Roberts, but Mira Nair beat me to it.
Any word of advice for those who want to take up acting or filmmaking?
There was a time when people thought this was an unsafe job. There was a huge risk factor. But today there is a dearth of talent in the industry. Demand is six times more than supply. So, I would say if this is your dream, then live it.
Did you know?
Subhash Ghai was born on January 24, 1945 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
He graduated in commerce from Rohtak, Haryana.
He studied acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Maharashtra, but could not make it big as an actor. He acted in some low budget films (Umang, Dhamaka) which sank without a trace. The youngster waited for a couple of years before deciding to make his shift to direction.
He struck gold with his maiden venture — the Shatrughan Sinha-starrer Kalicharan in 1976. Ghai has written and directed about 16 feature films in over three decades, of which 12 have been blockbusters.
