Subhash Ghai | |
|---|---|
 Ghai in 2024 | |
| Born | (1945-01-24)24 January 1945 (age 80) |
| Alma mater | Film and Television Institute of India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | muktaarts |
Subhash Ghai (born 24 January 1945) is an Indian film director, producer, actor, lyricist, music director and screenwriter, primarily known for his work inHindi cinema. He was one of the most prominent Hindi filmmakers in the 1980s and 1990s.[2] His notable films includeKalicharan (1976),Vishwanath (1978),Karz (1980),Krodhi (1981),Hero (1983),Vidhaata (1982),Meri Jung (1985),Karma (1986),Ram Lakhan (1989),Saudagar (1991),Khalnayak (1993),Pardes (1997), andTaal (1999).[3]
In 1982, Ghai foundedMukta Arts,[4] which became a public company in 2000, with Ghai serving as its executive chairman. In 2006, he received theNational Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues for producingIqbal, a film addressing social issues. That same year, he establishedWhistling Woods International, a film and media institution inMumbai.[5] In 2015, Ghai was honoured with theIIFA Award for Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema.[6] His films are noted for their iconic characters, grand sets, dramatic climaxes, and themes of divine justice and duty.
Ghai was born inNagpur,Maharashtra, India. His father was a dentist inDelhi. Ghai's father had moved to Delhi fromPunjab following the1947 partition.[7] Ghai graduated in commerce fromRohtak,Haryana, and then went to pursue graduation in Cinema from theFilm and Television Institute of India,Pune.[8]
In an interview withRajya 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 likeDale Carnegie'sHow 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 andDheeraj Kumar. While Khanna received a role soon after, Ghai received a role a year later.[citation needed]
Ghai started his career inHindi cinema as an actor with small roles in films includingTaqdeer (1967) andAradhana (1969).[9] He was the male lead in the 1970sUmang andGumraah.[1] His directorial debut was the action thrillerKalicharan (1976) which he obtained through a recommendation byShatrughan Sinha.[10] Post that he went on to directVishwanath in 1978,Gautam Govinda in 1979 andKarz in 1980. Thereafter, he directed the filmKrodhi (1981) starringDharmendra andZeenat Aman.
In the 1980s and 1990s, he formed a successful collaboration withDilip Kumar whom he directed inVidhaata (1982),Karma (1986) andSaudagar (1991), the latter for which he won his first and onlyFilmfare Award for Best Director.[citation needed] He introducedJackie Shroff as a leading actor in the action romanceHero (1983) and helped establishAnil Kapoor's rising career with the legal dramaMeri Jung (1985).[9] He went on to frequently work with Shroff and Kapoor, casting them together in the filmsKarma (1986),Ram Lakhan (1989) andTrimurti (1995), the latter which he had produced and it was directed byMukul S. Anand. His action crime filmKhalnayak starringSanjay 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 romancePardes which starredShahrukh Khan and newcomersMahima Chaudhry andApoorva Agnihotri. In 1999, he directed the musical romantic dramaTaal which starredAishwarya Rai,Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor. BothPardes andTaal were released internationally. His following films wereYaadein (2001) andKisna (2005). He then took a break from directing and turned producer with films includingAitraaz (2004),Iqbal (2005),36 China Town (2006) andApna Sapna Money Money (2006). In 2006, he set up his own film instituteWhistling Woods International in Mumbai.[11] 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 withBlack & White released on 7 March 2008 and, laterYuvvraaj released in November 2008 with collaboration Yash Singhaniya (award-winning journalist and writer). which did not perform well at the box office.[citation needed]A. R. Rahman stated in an interview that Ghai had asked him to use the words "Jai Ho" in a song.[12] Although intended forYuvraaj, the song resulted inJai Ho!, featured inSlumdog Millionaire (2008) and won theAcademy Award for Best Original Song at the81st Academy Awards.
At theCannes International Film Festival in May 2018, Ghai announced that he is co-producing a biopic onOsho Rajneesh along with an Italian production house. The movie would be directed by Lakshen Sucameli.[13][14][15]
As of 2016[update], he has written and directed a total of 16 movies.
Currently, he is also on theBoard of Advisors ofIndia's International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.).[16]
In 1970, following a four-year-long courtship, Ghai married Rehana Farooqui, whom he met while he was inFTII inPune. She is better known as Mukta Ghai.[17] They live inMumbai along with their daughters, Meghna Ghai Puri and Muskaan Ghai.[18] Meghna is the President ofWhistling Woods International Institute.[19]
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 orFIR was registered in this matter while Ghai denied it strongly, calling it false.[20][21][22]
| Year | Award | Category | Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Saudagar |
| 1998 | Best Screenplay | Pardes | |
| 2022 | Lifetime Achievement Award | ||
| 2006 | National Film Awards | Best Film on Other Social Issues | Iqbal |
| 2015 | IIFA Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Business World | Pioneering contribution in the field of Cinema Exhibition | ||
| 2017 | Screen Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Amar Ujala | Lifetime Excellence | ||
| 2018 | Economic Times-Edge | Iconic Brand of Indian Cinema | |
| 2019 | 1st Diorama International Film Festival & Market | Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| 2022 | The FilmFare Award | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Kalicharan | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1978 | Vishwanath | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1979 | Gautam Govinda | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1980 | Karz | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1981 | Krodhi | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1982 | Vidhaata | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1983 | Hero | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1984 | Naan Mahaan Alla | No | No | Yes | |
| 1985 | Meri Jung | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | Karma | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Ram Lakhan | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | Saudagar | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1993 | Khalnayak | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1995 | Trimurti | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 1997 | Pardes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1999 | Taal | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2001 | Yaadein | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Rahul | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2003 | Ek Aur Ek Gyarah | No | Yes | No | |
| Joggers' Park | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2004 | Aitraaz | No | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | Kisna: The Warrior Poet | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Iqbal | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2006 | 36 China Town | No | Yes | No | |
| Shaadi Se Pehle | No | Yes | No | ||
| Apna Sapna Money Money | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2007 | Good Boy, Bad Boy | No | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | Black & White | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Yuvvraaj | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2009 | Paying Guests | No | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | Right Yaa Wrong | No | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | Love Express | No | Yes | No | |
| Cycle Kick | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Naukadubi | No | Yes | No | Bengali film | |
| Kashmakash | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2013 | Samhita | No | Yes | No | |
| 2014 | Double Di Trouble | No | Yes | No | |
| Kaanchi: The Unbreakable | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Nimbehuli | No | Yes | No | Kannada film[23] | |
| 2015 | Hero | No | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | 36 Farmhouse | No | Yes | Yes |
