Subhash Ghai

Subhash Ghai (born 24 January 1945) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter, known for his works predominantly in Hindi cinema. His most notable films include Kalicharan (1976), Karz (1980), Hero (1983), Meri Jung (1985), Karma (1986), Ram Lakhan (1989), Saudagar (1991), Khalnayak (1993), Pardes (1997), Taal (1999), and Black & White (2008). In 1982, he started Mukta Arts Private Limited which, in 2000, became a public company, with Subhash Ghai as its executive chairman. In 2006, he received the National Film Award, for producing the social problem film Iqbal.

Subhash Ghai was born in Nagpur in a Punjabi family. His father was a dentist who practised in Delhi. Subhash did his higher secondary in Delhi and thereafter graduated in Commerce from Rohtak, Haryana. In 1963, he moved to Pune, Maharashtra, to join the Film and Television Institute of India. In 1970, he married a girl from Pune named Rehana alias Mukta. Today, he lives in Mumbai with his wife, Mukta Ghai and daughters, Meghna Ghai Puri and Muskaan Ghai. Meghna Ghai Puri is the President of Whistling Woods International, film and media institution in Mumbai set up by Subhash Ghai in 2006.

Ghai started his career in Hindi cinema as an actor with small roles in films including Taqdeer (1967) and Aradhana (1971). He was the male lead in the 1970s Umang, and Gumraah (1976). His directorial debut was the film Kalicharan (1976) which he obtained through a recommendation by Shatrughan Sinha. As of 2016, he has written and directed a total of 16 movies.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he formed a collaboration with Dilip Kumar whom he directed in Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991), the latter for which he won the Filmfare Best Director Award. He introduced Jackie Shroff as a leading actor in Hero (1983) and directed Kapoor in Meri Jung (1985) for which he was nominated for a Filmfare Best Actor Award . He went on to frequently work with Shroff and Anil Kapoor, casting them together in the films Karma (1986), Ram Lakhan (1989) and Trimurti (1995) which he had produced and was directed by Mukul S. Anand. His 1993 release Khalnayak starring Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Shroff featured the songs "nayak nahin khalnayak hu main" and "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai".

In 1997, he directed Pardes which starred Shahrukh Khan and introduced Mahima Chaudhry and Apoorva Agnihotri. In 1999 he directed Taal which starred Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor. Both Pardes and Taal were released internationally but although hits failed to live up to the box office expectations set by his previous directorial ventures. His following films were Yaadein (2001) and Kisna (2005), which were box office flops.

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 and White released on 7 March 2008 and, later Yuvvraaj released in November 2008 which didn't 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.

Awards :

National Film Awards

2006: National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues: Iqbal

Filmfare Awards

1998: Best Screenplay: Pardes

SkillTree Education Evangelist of India-2013

2015 : filmare awards for contribution to Indian cinema

Subhash Ghai's Filmography with Super Star Rajesh Khanna :

1969 - Aradhana : Supporting actor only