August has been a significant month in Subhash Ghai’s career, with several of his best-known films, including Karma (1986), Saudagar (1991), Pardes (1997) and Taal (1999), releasing during the month. Decades into a career defined by commercial cinema, the filmmaker believes the industry’s relationship with success has changed, with box-office numbers increasingly dominating conversations.

Ghai recalls how he approached filmmaking earlier in his career. He says, “In our time, the respect for art and craft was much higher. Today, you tell a newcomer that his film is doing well, he will reply, ‘Ki itne crore bana liye hain.’ Even the stars in the ’80s and ’90s never used such language. The conversation revolved around the craft then. My principle is that money will follow if I give a good product. We have produced 42 films, of which I have directed 18, and 34 out of 42 are hits. This is because we always focus on scriptwriting and the making of the film. We never made a project. We made films. We told stories. We gave music.”

The celebrated filmmaker also feels the atmosphere on film sets has changed, particularly the sense of unity within large crews. He says, “During my time, 200 logon ki film release tak ek family jaise thi. Kyunki kisi aadmi ka vision toh raha hi nahi. Sab alag alag kaam karte hain.”

Having worked with some of the biggest stars of his time, Ghai also recalls how he managed to bring large ensembles together, even as the culture of entourages existed then too. “Yeh mere time par bhi tha. This is about demand and supply, where you respect people because of their status.”

One of the exceptions, he recalls, was Shashi Kapoor, who maintained a clear distinction between professional and personal expenses.

He shares, “When Shashi ji would go to Kashmir for a shoot, he would ask at the hotel reception to make separate accounts for billing, personal and professional. He wouldn’t burden the producers with his personal expenses. That’s why he survived so long. These people created discipline. Integrity matters.”