Showman Subhash Ghai on heroines introduced by him Never bothered to be in touch
Showman Subhash Ghai on heroines introduced by him
Never bothered to be in touch
Subhash Ghai is a veteran actor-turned filmmaker and hailed as a showman after Raj Kapoor, the legendary actor-filmmaker and founder of R.K.Studios, a prominent landmark in Chembur.
On his 78th Birth Anniversary, Subhash Ghai expressed his sorrow over his heroines those who worked in his movies and those to whom he gave a break as he is known to give break to newcomers.
Madhuri Dixit,
Before dabbling into filmmaking, Subhash Ghai had acted in a film “Umaang”.He floated his own film production house and has given to the industry blockbuster films to name a few Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Mahima Chaudhry who never bothered to keep in touch with him after they became popular and earned name and fame. Whereas the male actors Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt stay in touch with him even as of today They all have worked with him and remember him.
Subhash Ghai turned 78 on 24 January. a year older on January 24. The Showman has a penchant for naming his heroines with the letter ‘M’. Meenakshi Seshadri’s real name is Shashikala and Mahima Chaudhry is Ritu in real life.
Subhash further added that in Pardes, his financiers wanted him to cast Madhuri Dixit. Since Madhuri was under contract with him, he could have easily signed her for Pardes. But Ghai was sure the girl in Pardes had to be played by a newcomer,.Ghai took up the challenge of turning a very Westernized veejay Ritu Chowdhary into a very Indian pahaadi girl in Pardes.
It had to be newcomers Meenakshi Sheshadri and Manisha Koirala in Hero and Saudagar. Ghai has never hesitated in casting newcomers in his films and he has never compromised on the budget merely because a film features newcomers.
In an interaction with a news agency Ghai revealed that Meenakshi Sheshadri and Madhuri Dixit were very raw on camera. When he made “Hero” with Meenakshi she didn’t have an iota of romance in her entire being, on her face and in her body language. And there he was, making an intense love story. It was the biggest challenge of his career. All the romance came in the presentation and the music. He is passionate with music and very much music minded like Raj Kapoor.
Most startling of all was Ghai’s revelation that Madhuri couldn’t dance when he signed her. When he re-introduced her after Abodh proved a debacle, she had no idea of film dancing. He had to travel to Chennai with Saroj Khan and train and rehearse with Madhuri. Only after that did Madhuri manage
Laila mar gayee in Uttar Dakshin and Ho ramji bada dukh dina in Ram Lakhan.”
When he presented Madhuri in Uttar Dakshin, she was so raw and inexperienced she didn’t know how to walk or dance on screen. He remembers how appalled he was on the first day of shooting and that sitting with her and telling her how important the walk is. Ghai had to create an entire persona called ‘Madhuri Dixit’ in Uttar Dakshin and Ram Lakhan. She had the biggest of co-stars in these films. She couldn’t appear inexperienced before them.”
Ghai also revealed Manisha Koirala the stunner from Mani Ratnam’s Bombay and Sanjay Bhansali’s Khamoshi. She couldn’t act. Manisha was a complete non-actor. Her co-star Vivek Mushran was a better actor. Manisha had a terrific face. But her energy level was very low. She had no interest in being an actor. She was pushed into it. Even if he had 4 told her to shake a branch on a tree, it was an ordeal for her. Later, when he saw her in Mani Ratnam’s film, he was blown away by how a complete non-actor could transform intoùu7 an actor….or how a non-dancer like Madhuri could become dancer.”
On the other hand, Isha Sharvani was purely a dancer and not at all an actor in Kisna. Ask Ghai how many of his discoveries have stayed connected with him , and the mentor grows silent. He had finally blurted out. Frankly speaking Ghai affirmed that not one of them has kept in touch with him. Nevertheless he doesn’t blame them. Everyone grows in life and moves on. He happy to have given the film industry these talented actresses and that school teacher whose students leave him after Class 10. But yes, he does feel bad when he attempts try to meet my actresses for a role and they refuse to meet him.
As per Ghai his male actors stays connected with him. Whether it is Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Shah Rukh Khan , Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt they have stayed in touch. The male actors have given him respect, the female actors have not. Women are emotionally equipped to move into difference relationships very fast. Aap dekhenge bidaai ke waqt ladkiyaan khoob roteen haain. Ek hafte baad wohapne maa-baap ko bhool jaatee hain
News Input K.V.Raman
