JOIN USSubhash Ghai is in a mentoring mode and is quite enjoying it too. The producer-director, who was at his zenith through the 1970s and the 1990s, is more interested in making film-makers through his Whistling Woods Institute than making films! "I have played my innings well and would like to dedicate my time to grooming future film-makers. I believe if a script is noteworthy, then I may consider directing a movie on it," he says. At the moment, his production house Mukta Arts has three projects in the pipeline for 2019-20. While two of them are under wraps, one is widely expected to be a sequel of his popular and controversial film Khalnayak, released 25 years ago in 1993.
WHat's next?
Clearing the air about his pet project that has been the cynosure of all eyes, Ghai says that we might have to wait a little longer, if at all, for the sequel. For now, a remake it is. "I am equally excited about each one of my upcoming films. We had a script ready for Khalnayak Returns, but we noticed that there was a huge demand for the remake of the film. In addition, if we were to make a sequel, the essence of the movie/script will be lost. Hence, we are looking at a grand remake of the blockbuster."
The film veteran is optimistic about new age cinema and the evolution it is witnessing, and says that young film-makers are responsible for it. "The quality of content in Hindi cinema has been constantly evolving, and new talent in the industry is doing phenomenally well. In the upcoming years, I believe that art cinema will face a few hurdles on the big screen. However, it will have a fair share of recognition and acceptance in the digital world. We will see a lot of change in terms of larger-than-life content based on biopics, mythological characters, and some great ancient
stories."
Ghai emphasises that short films in India have a great
future. "Digital platforms are the future of content, both in India and globally. Short films cater to the need of a time-strapped audience with crisp and meaningful content. In fact, at Whistling Woods, we have partnered with one of the largest and most respected companies in the world to set up the YouTube Space Mumbai. Not just students from our institute but even budding professionals can benefit from this space."
Ahead of times
As part of the evolution of the industry, Mukta Arts was the first Indian film company to launch an IPO on the Bombay Stock Exchange and also the first to introduce film insurance. Ghai plans to take his film institute across to various parts of India. Ghai recently attended the Assam Summit 2018 where he sensed a need for such expertise in Assam. "I want to offer my expertise and knowledge to students who are willing to learn and explore the field of creative arts. The plan is to take the philosophy of Whistling Woods across different parts of the country. We are still in talks with various state government authorities," he adds.
When asked if film-making has come a long way from a hands-on learn-on-the-job skill to a skill taught professionally in colleges, Ghai says that film-making is an evolving craft and needs to be constantly worked on. "In everything that you do in today's time, formal education and training provide a solid foundation to execute the task in a professional and efficient manner. Being newcomers in the industry, the education and technical training provided at film training institutes make them hone their skill-sets and be industry-ready," he explains, citing the examples of two of his well-known students, Shashank Khaitan (writer-director of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and the upcoming Ishaan Khatter-Jhanvi Kapoor-starrer Dhadak) and Gujarati film director Abhishek Jain.
Back in 1993, Ghai had faced issues regarding the release of Khalnayak when the film's posters featuring Sanjay Dutt with the line, 'Main hoon Khalnayak' (I am the villain) were vandalised, and its hugely popular song 'Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai' was all but deleted from the movie. In the wake of the recent Padmavat controversy, when asked about his views on problems faced by film-makers if a film's release is hampered, he says, "When you become a part of the film industry, being a director or producer, you have to be ready for the challenges that come your way. All this has been a part of the industry for the past 60 years and one has to surpass the issues and learn from the same. Having said that, the banning of films does affect only 20% of the overall business that it deserves. I firmly believe that a film with good content will do great regardless of the challenges that come its way."