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| Sridevi, producer/director Subash Ghai and Poonam Dhillon on the sets of Karma (1986) |
Sridevi worked with "Showman," a title usurped from Raj Kapoor, Subash Ghai in only one film; the biggest blockbuster of 1986, Karma. With an all-star cast led by Dilip Kumar, Nutan, Naseeruddin Shah, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Poonam Dhillon and a host of others, with a Sholay-esque plot line (the same beats of narrative!), Ghai always had a finger on the pulse of the Indian audience, as his movies made record breaking box-office. The opening of his movies were an event; a career that saw many ups and downs, Ghai endured all before riding box-office like a beast possessed. As writer, director, producer (often all three all at once and with a hand in music and a foot in dance too--watch the making of his movies!); his track record between 1982-1999 is one for the ages;
1982 Vidhaata Writer, Director
1983 Hero Writer, Director & Producer
1985 Meri Jung Writer & Director
1986 Karma Writer, Director & Producer
1989 Ram Lakhan Writer, Director & Producer
1991 Saudagar Writer, Director & Producer
1993 Khalnayak Writer, Director & Producer
1997 Pardes Director & Producer
1999 Taal Writer, Director & Producer
Oh the money truck backed into his haul and he truly understood what paisa-vasool movies had to be; high drama, highlight songs, momentous dance routines; extravagance, exhibitionism and entertainment. He spent big money on set pieces, costumes, music, the film in its entirety. However, he famously wasn't as generous to his stars though; he'd often give them career defining roles, but not remuneration. More reputation than blank cheque offers.
Which was not kosher for the highest paid Indian actress (and her famed momager, Rajeshwari!), the siren from the south Sridevi! Sridevi, then 22, was the shy, recently crowned Number One star of India who, by all accounts did not enjoy the experience of working in an ensemble film where she had little to do, and little to earn. Ghai's interactions with monosyllabic Devi, also didn't go down well. And the two never worked together again. Ghai found his muse in Meenakshi, then Madhuri, then Manisha, then Mahima, then, mmm hmm. The muses dried up.
Though he worked with Madhuri Dixit the most--Mukta Arts featured her in a song in Karma (which was later cut), then Uttar Dakshin (produced and written by Ghai), Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Prem Deewane (produced by Ghai's brother but under his banner)--clearly something went wrong as there was a phase when he praised Sridevi to the skies while Madhuri was dancing around box-office, and in his films!
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| (G)hai - kya hua?! |
After English Vinglish, he stated that Sridevi's entire performance was a masterclass in acting and we've often seen Sridevi interacting with the director at events, be it premier or parties.
Ghai's death spiral of flops (fiascos from Yaadein, Kisna, Black & White, Yuvraaj, Kaanchi) have spun out of control to such an extent that, he has essentially stopped making movies, and concentrating on Whistling Woods, the film school. Ghai didn't evolve with the times and the repeat formula of the retro vibe of his outdated storytelling simply hasn't worked; Yuvraaj was unbearable and Black & White was a yawn. Even the films he's produced have been no great shakes.
And yet, fact of the matter is Subash Ghai will always be remembered for his superhits, be it song or scene. His early filmography holds, entrenched for the ages as the movies he made in the 1980s and 1990s have a huge nostalgia and repeat viewing factor. Watching Khalnayak on the big screen, the chills we got when the chorus started singing 'Ri ra ri ri... " before the intro of Khalnayak; his memorable song and dance (take a bow Saroj Khan) picturisation, his phenomenal ear for music (which he never lost tbh); Ghai rocked the whistle-blow entry scene for hero or villain, long before Tamil and Telugu cinema perfected it.
In the winter of his life, we would love a juicy tell-all book about working in the Indian film industry, he famously doesn't mince words, "I have tasted success, I have tasted failure and I know everyone and everything changes around you when failure occurs. After Vishwanath, the party was over. Gautam Govinda, Karz and Krodhi [flopped]. Gautam Govinda and Krodhi took three years to make. With these two flops, everybody around me changed their tune. I never could forget how people turned on me. Even Shatrughan Sinha changed his tune. He stated that Subhash Ghai needs to learn the difference between a role and a actor. He doesn't know what is commercial and what is art. He said so many things like he understood commercial cinema. He forgot it was this Subhash Ghai that gave him Kalicharan and Vishwanath. That was when we decided to not work together again. The role of Ram in Ram Lakhan could have been done by Shatrughan..."
Ghai's place in the cine-pantheon is bolstered in marble, his legacy enshrined. At 80, he can truly rest on his laurels at long last.
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