|
|
New Delhi
October 5, 2017
He gave Bollywood memorable films like "Khalnayak", "Karz", "Hero" and "Ram
Lakhan", though some of his later films did not live up to audience
expectations. But for veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai -- who has spent half a
century in the industry -- those are the projects that are closer to his heart.
And having played a good "innings", he now wants to invest in training future
filmmakers.
Some of his last directorials -- including "Yuvvraaj" and "Kaanchi: The
Unbreakable" -- did not do well at the box office, but Ghai says he that never
disheartened him.
"I look at my whole body of work -- with its ups and downs; I have been sincere
in making every film... So I love those films more, which didn't work at the box
office. In future, they may be remade -- as happened with 'Karz'," Ghai told
IANS in an interview from Mumbai.
"You can't make a copy of the old one. Then it will lose its essence; you have
to make the core subject contemporary in order to tap the sensibility of the
audience today," he added.
So what is the reason for not directing a film for such a long time now?
"I have played my innings well and would like to invest in making future
filmmakers. If a script is noteworthy, then I may consider directing a movie,"
he said.
Ghai started his career in Hindi cinema as an actor with the 1967 film
"Taqdeer". His directorial debut was the 1975 hit Kalicharan" -- which he also
wrote -- that starred Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy. He also turned producer
with his musical classic "Karz" in 1980.
He formed his own company, Mukta Arts Pvt Ltd, and, under the banner, he made
evergreen musical blockbuster "Hero" introducing Jackie Shroff. This was
followed by many blockbusters in a row including "Meri Jung", "Karma", "Ram
Lakhan", "Saudagar", "Khalnayak", "Pardes" and "Taal" until 2001.
Then came "Kisna" in 2004, "Black and White" in 2007 and "Yuvraaj" in 2008.
He produced many films like "Aitraaz", "36 China Town", "Apna Sapna Money
Money", "Joggers Park" and "Iqbal", as well as regional films like "Nauka Dubi"
in Bengali, "Shehnai Chogde" and "Samhita" in Marathi and "Double Di Trouble" in
Punjabi.
He also set up an international film school in Mumbai, Whistling Woods
International (WWI), that has national and international students on campus and
boasts of exporting education to many countries, including Britain and Nigeria.
The institute recently held the sixth edition of Celebrate Cinema, through which
it provides its students with an opportunity to learn the artistic, technical
and commercial aspects of the media and entertainment industry.
Talking about changes in the filmmaking business, Ghai said there have been some
significant ones.
"Earlier, the mainstream commercial films that we had made were truly 'Indian'
in essence. Those were entertaining, artistically crafted with catchy music, but
also conveyed messages. And mind it, those films had done wonders at the box
office too.
"Today, I have noticed, the commercial concerns and the overall approach to
filmmaking have changed. Some for better, some for worse," said the ace
filmmaker.
So does he find it tough to adjust to the changes in the industry's functioning?
"Though the industry has become a lot more professional, its creative power has
reduced because of lack of spirituality and availability of high-tech tools,"
said Ghai.
"From being a hands-on industry run by a strong one-man show, films today are a
conglomeration of several hands and the work of many people. While this is
really good as it brings professionalism to the industry, it takes away a lot of
the magic of filmmaking too," added the filmmaker.