Subash Ghai talks about how Yuvvraaj can change his luck!

At one point of time, Subhash Ghai was the 'hit man', the only director in Bollywood who had 11 back to back hits. But after three back to back flops, Yaadein, Kisna and Black and White, he is not exactly in demand. However one cannot take back from him, that he can recreate the magic he is known for, and with A.R.Rahman giving stellar music for Yuvvraaj, his oncoming movie, the battle is half won. Presenting interview with Subash Ghai, courtesy evening Mid-day.(www.mid-day.com)

Yuvvraaj is releasing with Ghajini and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi at its heels. Worried?
I'm anxious and nervous, both Ghajini and Rab Ne... are big movies. My film has a tag of a guy who has given three flops consecutively and people feel I have 'lost the magic.' So I'm eager to see how kind the media and the audiences are to me with this film.

Why cast Salman after your very ugly public fight with him?
In all my life, I have cast actors because they have suited the part. I have needed actors to justify the roles. I have never needed stars. But in Yuvvraaj, for the first time in my career, I felt like I needed a star. I felt that I if don't have a star, I won't get the money, and if I don't get the money, I won't be able to make a big film. It was a commercial necessity. I will never forget Salman in my life. He is going to be a very special star in my life.

Salman seems to be your new golden boy...
Yes. When every star was turning his face away from me, Salman came to me and said, "Sir, let's make a movie." And when I went to him with a script, he did it. He has the guts to work with someone whose last film has flopped. I was being bashed from all sides, for no reason. There were some projects which were shelved. Some projects couldn't take off... I was going through a bad phase, but Salman stood by me. Whatever people say about him, and what he has been involved in, I know one thing, this man has a golden soul.

You even got him to promote your film, which he didn't do for his brother-in-law's Hello.
I told him, 'Let's go for marketing,' and he said, 'Why do we need to do that? If the film is good, it will run. Why should we go everywhere and talk about the film?" I told him that even I don't like doing this, but my marketing team felt it was necessary. He told me, 'I can't do interviews because I am not politically correct.' But finally, he promoted the film.

It is believed that Salman made you change the script of Yuvvraaj...
No actor has asked me to change the script. Even when I change a scene while shooting they never ask me, 'yeh kyun kiya?' But if a star says he or she is uncomfortable with something, I do change it to bring the scene or shot to their comfort level. In Yuvvraaj, there are a few good moments which were Salman's suggestions. And I know that I will get the credit for those scenes.
Salman says that industrywallas treat you differently because your last few flops. True?
During my 30-year journey as a director and producer, I have had three falls. I think when you fail after being successful, it teaches you a lot. I realised when my first film flopped, that stars are very sensitive to your hits and flops. If your film flops on Friday, you can't reach them on Monday. Before Friday, they will give interviews saying, 'Subhash Ghai is God.' But that changes when the film fails. After my first flop Krodhi, when I decided to make Vidhaata, I couldn't get to meet the very stars who were calling me before for work. When I called them, they all had appointments, and didn't have time to meet me. I got the message. And that is the time I created Hero. I decided to cast a new guy and Jackie Shroff became a star. And that is the biggest high of my career. Even today, I know that even if I take a new boy and a new girl, I can give a big hit. So I have never been discouraged.
How much do flops really affect you?
My second low phase came after Trimurti. Myself, Shah Rukh, Anil, Jackie and the other stars were in London for the premiere when we heard that the film had flopped back home, and we all laughed. After that we went to NY and we all said, 'Okay, so the film has flopped but we are here. Let's have a ball.' We asked people there, 'Have you seen this film called Trimurti?' and when they said 'no', we'd tell them, 'Don't see it. It has flopped.' When I came to Mumbai, the media was writing that, 'Subhash Ghai has lost the magic, etc.' What the media says, affects the stars most. The writer and the director don't take the written word so seriously because we believe our Lord is the audience. We offer the film to Them and bow down to their decision.

Does it hurt when you are not in the top ten lists of powerful filmmakers?
To me, it is like a very amusing game. Like musical chairs... har dus saal mein one lot goes and the other comes in. I don't take these lists and awards seriously. I remember when I got the Filmfare award for Saudagar, I said on stage, 'I don't understand why it has been given to me. There were so many beautiful film like Henna and Lamhe.' The Film-fare people got very angry and said you should respect the award… Just look around my house. Do you see any award around? I don't even have it in my cabin in my office. Because it doesn't affect me. I must have a hundred trophies. Some are lying in my godown, some are lying in my other property, ek din maine dekha kuch toh bathroom mein thi. I am not ridiculing the integrity and the sanctity of awards. I am very happy when it is given to youngsters because it inspires them, makes them more charged and responsible.

What gives you the strength to always bounce back?
When Trimurti didn't do well, the whole nation was mourning. I went to my office and everyone was depressed. I said, "Toh kya hua? Let's make the next one." I told them to first remove all the posters of Trimurti from the office, so they wouldn't be reminded of the film. Then I asked my accountant how much profit we had made. He said one crore sixty five lakhs. I told him to divide that money between our six distributors and send them a cheque the next morning. Some filmmakers came to me and said 'You are spoiling distributors.' I told them I didn't do it because I didn't want to make my next film with a fear that I owed people money. I wanted to write my next film without worrying about anything else. And then I made Pardes. And it was a hit and once again people started saying that it was my comeback.
What made you set up Whistling Woods?
My daughter Meghna is not interested in making movies. She is interested in education. That is why we set up Whistling Woods. Also, because I know that one day I have to say goodbye to the film industry.

Why is that?
Because of health reasons. To be a director, you have to be in perfect health. All your faculties have to be working. It is not like lawyers and doctors the older you are, the better you are at your job. At 60-plus, if I have to make a film catering for the 20-plus, it is a tough job.

So you're so saying you can't make a film like Rock On!!?
I can. But I am stupid if I do. It's like a mother of a four-year-old saying she wants to wear a bikini.

In your last few films, you have gone away from the kind of films you're good at. Why?
There is always a desire in every man to grow. You want to try and do new things. People ask me why I am not making my kind of films which had raw emotions and a dramatic climaxes. But that was in the '80s, now it's 2008. So the kind of films I am making has to change, my characters have to change, and they have to speak a new language. In 1988, when I made Ram Lakhan, Anil's character considered his older brother Jackie to be like Ram. That doesn't happen anymore. The world has changed. Now the brothers are thinking, "Jab baap jayega, yeh sab property main hum sab partners hain." Money has taken over emotions and relationships, values and tradition. That is what I observe today, and that is what Yuvvraaj reflects.
Please continue.
Yuvvraaj is the story of three brothers in 2008. They speak today's language. They are bold, aggressive, needy and greedy. Everybody has their own motivation and they all pounce on the father's property. But ultimately it is a Subhash Ghai movie. Do you think had I made Jaane Tu, it would've been accepted? No. Because people relate to your past films. They will forgive a new director, and even praise him because everybody likes to encourage new blood. When people say they grew up on my films, it worries me. Because I wonder what more new work I can do now?

Do you think filmmakers get outdated?
They have to evolve. Kisna was the story of an 18-year-old boy in 1947. When the first print of the film came, my niece saw it, and she asked me, 'It is a well-made film but why does the hero leave the heroine when she was offering him big money?' I knew then and there that the film would never work. I knew that I had made a mistake. Because the values have changed. The new generation doesn't understand the characters I showed in the film. So at some point, you have to say goodbye to the kind of films you were making and make films for new audiences.

And you made Black and White.
Yes. I knew people would call it pretentious, yet I wanted to make the film as sincerely as possible. I knew at least 50 per cent of the audience would appreciate it. Fine, I have no regrets.

You used to have flashy mahurats and big bashes. Why did you stop?
Because I find that there is a grand mahurat after every four hours. First, no one else did it, so I used to host lavish dos. I need to feel special. If I am doing what everybody else is, where is the fun in that? Every week there are parties and premieres. Now a film releases one Friday and on Monday, they have a party to celebrate the success of the film. (Laughs) Some people start celebrating on Saturday itself.

In the '80s, you shelved a film with Amitabh. Then never worked with him. Any regrets?
I believe that I should cast a star if I have a role for him that he hasn't done before. He should be excited to do it. Today it is very tough for me to write that sort of a role for Shah Rukh, Aamir and Amitabh, kyunki they have done so much. It is unfortunate that we had to shelve that film. There were many reasons why it was shelved. It wasn't Amitabh... maybe it was my mistake, or some crisis in my life. My confidence was shaken and I felt at the time that I couldn't make a good film. I wanted to make a film with people I could control, toh maine Ram Lakhan ko bulaya and said, 'chalo, chalo picture shuru karte hain' and I started Ram Lakhan in 15 days.

You have introduced more new girls than boys. Why?
Because, normally, on screen new girls are more accepted than boys. The audience doesn't warm up to new heroes as easily. You see Shah Rukh has been working with all new girls right from Pardes, Swades, Om Shanti Om and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Audiences also like newer actresses, they want fresh faces. Heroines bechari jaldi buddi ho jaati hain. Finally, it is the hero who matters on the screen.