Subhash Ghai

Early life

Ghai was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. His father was a dentist in Delhi. Ghai's father had moved to Delhi from Punjab following the 1947 partition. Ghai graduated in commerce from Rohtak, Haryana, and then went to pursue graduation in Cinema from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

Career

In an interview with Rajya Sabha TV, Ghai recounted that after graduated from FTII, he came to Bombay, but was not allowed to enter any studio as he was unknown. He then read self help books like Dale Carnegie's How to Win friends and influence people, and used techniques given in it to help him try and enter the film industry. At the same time, he learnt of and entered a United Producers Filmfare talent contest. Of the 5,000 participants, three people were selected in it, he, Rajesh Khanna and Dheeraj Kumar. While Khanna received a role soon after, Ghai received a role a year later.

Ghai started his career in Hindi cinema as an actor with small roles in films including Taqdeer (1967) and Aradhana (1969). He was the male lead in the 1970s Umang and Gumraah. Post that he went on to direct Vishwanath in 1978, Gautam Govinda in 1979 and Karz in 1980. Thereafter, he directed the film Krodhi (1981) starring Dharmendra and Zeenat Aman.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he formed a successful collaboration with Dilip Kumar whom he directed in Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991), the latter for which he won his first and only Filmfare Award for Best Director. He introduced Jackie Shroff as a leading actor in the action romance Hero (1983) and helped establish Anil Kapoor's rising career with the legal drama Meri Jung (1985). He went on to frequently work with Shroff and Kapoor, casting them together in the films Karma (1986), Ram Lakhan (1989) and Trimurti (1995), the latter which he had produced and it was directed by Mukul S. Anand. His action crime film Khalnayak starring Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Shroff featured the hit songs "Nayak Nahin Khalnayak Hu Main" and the controversial "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai".

In 1997, he directed the musical romance Pardes which starred Shahrukh Khan and newcomers Mahima Chaudhry and Apoorva Agnihotri. In 1999, he directed the musical romantic drama Taal which starred Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor. Both Pardes and Taal were released internationally. His following films were Yaadein (2001) and Kisna (2005). He then took a break from directing and turned producer with films including Aitraaz (2004), Iqbal (2005), 36 China Town (2006) and Apna Sapna Money Money (2006). In 2006, he set up his own film institute Whistling Woods International in Mumbai. The institute trains students in filmmaking: production, direction, cinematography, acting, animation. Ghai has done brief cameos in his directorial ventures.

After a three-year hiatus from directing, he returned in 2008 with Black & White released on 7 March 2008 and, later Yuvvraaj released in November 2008 with collaboration Yash Singhaniya (award-winning journalist and writer). which did not perform well at the box office. A. R. Rahman stated in an interview that Ghai had asked him to use the words "Jai Ho" in a song. Although intended for Yuvraaj, the song resulted in Jai Ho!, featured in Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 81st Academy Awards.

At the Cannes International Film Festival in May 2018, Ghai announced that he is co-producing a biopic on Osho Rajneesh along with an Italian production house. The movie would be directed by Lakshen Sucameli.

, he has written and directed a total of 16 movies.

Advisor

Currently, he is also on the Board of Advisors of India's International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.).

Personal life

In 1970, following a four-year-long courtship, Ghai married Rehana Farooqui, whom he met while he was in FTII in Pune. She is better known as Mukta Ghai. They live in Mumbai along with their daughters, Meghna Ghai Puri and Muskaan Ghai. Meghna is the President of Whistling Woods International Institute.

Controversy

In 2018, Subhash Ghai was accused of sexual assault by an anonymous woman. The victim, who used to be an assistant of Subash Ghai alleged that he raped her at Fariyas hotel, Lonavala after spiking her drinks with drugs. No Criminal case or FIR was registered in this matter while Ghai denied it strongly, calling it false.

Awards

Filmography

Acting credits

• Aradhana (1969) as Flight Lieutenant Prakash
• Do Bachche Dus Haath (1972) as Inspector Rajesh
• Dhamkee (1973) as CBI Inspector

References

References

1. (14 February 2008). "Profile – Mukta Arts". Mukta Arts.
2. (17 July 2022). "Subhash Ghai delivers 24th film as a silver jubilee hit; '36 Farmhouse' continues to break records on OTT".
3. "53rd National Film Awards". [[Directorate of Film Festivals]].
4. "Subhash Ghai".
5. "Directorate of Film Festival".
6. (28 May 2015). "Showman Subhash Ghai to receive IIFA Lifetime Achievement award 2015".
7. (30 March 2002). "Subhash Ghai: Lights, camera, action replay".
8. "Mukta Arts >> Board of Directors". Mukta Arts.
9. "Board Of Directors".
10. (2017-04-06). "Subhash Ghai {{!}} WEF".
11. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140910201915/http://www.sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14170882 Subhash Ghai unveils dream project] IndiaFM, Monday, 27 March 2006.
12. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/First-reaction-from-LA-Please-dont-go-overboard/articleshow/4180033.cms “Subhash Ghai is the one who asked me...”], ''[[The Times of India]]'', 24 February 2009.
13. (16 May 2018). "After Wild Wild Country, Subhash Ghai announces a film on Osho".
14. (6 June 2018). "Subhash Ghai's biopic on Osho would be different from Wild Wild Country, asserts filmmaker {{!}} Bollywood News".
15. (17 May 2018). "Subhash Ghai to produce international biopic on Osho Rajneesh".
16. "I.I.M.U.N. {{!}}{{!}} Board of Advisors".
17. "Subhash Ghai says he used to greet wife with "ilu ilu", reveals it was their code word while dating". The Times of India.
18. Farook, Farhana. (January 10, 2013). "My heroine has to be a seductress".
19. "Board Of Directors".
20. (11 October 2018). "Filmmaker Subhash Ghai accused of drugging, raping woman".
21. (11 October 2018). "Subhash Ghai drugged and raped me: Woman recounts horrific experience".
22. "Deeply pained by allegations says Subhash Ghai".
23. (11 October 2011). "Subhash Ghai's Kannada film".