Showing posts with label Gautam Govinda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gautam Govinda. Show all posts
If I have to, I will attempt a sequel of Hero-Subhash Ghai
8:59 AM
On this milestone, the filmmaker looks back at why he was insistent on introducing new talent with the cult movie
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 16, 2023)
For Subhash Ghai, a lot was at stake when he set out to make Hero with a newcomer as the lead. As the cult film completes 40 years today, the filmmaker is glad that he decided to pursue his vision.
Starring Meenakshi Seshadri and debutant Jackie Shroff, the film narrates the story of a criminal’s transformation after he falls for the woman he kidnaps. “Hero was a very important film of my career. When I started working on the film, there was a lot at stake — from my money to my house,” says Ghai, revealing that he was advised by many to cast a big star in the lead. He adds, “Three distributors even backed out of the film for this reason. But, I was sure of casting a newcomer.”
From the intense love story to the soothing music, the film enjoys a cult following and has also been remade (Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty-starrer Hero in 2015). While Ghai has no intention of remaking it himself, he hints that he might take the story forward with a sequel.
“I never like to remake a film. I do let other producers remake it, but it’s a big no for me. If I have to, I will attempt a sequel of Hero and explore how the story of that transformed man takes forward. That is a bigger challenge for me. I will reveal all the details at a proper time. But, it is definitely an interesting prospect for me,” says the 78-year-old.
Along with Shroff, the film also marked late Saroj Khan’s first full-fledged film as a choreographer and introduced Anuradha Paudwal and Manhar Udhas as lead singers. Opening up about why he didn’t want to work with stars, the 78-year-old shares, “Hero happened after back-to-back failures — Gautam Govinda (1979) and Krodhi (1981). All the stars who wanted to work with me backed out because they wanted a hit director. I felt bad that they didn’t value talent, but box office. In retaliation, I did a film called Vidhaata (1982), which became a hit. Stars started calling me, but I decided to never make a film with big names,” he concludes.
Prem Nath ji was a real character who drank five different kinds of liquor with a ‘mala’ in his hand-Subhash Ghai
7:36 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 23, 2017)
It was classical music that forged a ‘tuning’ between ‘zamindar’ Prem Nath and his on-screen son Subhash Ghai who were cast in the 1973 Punjabi musical Sherni which went on to celebrate a silver jubilee run. “We shot in Punjab for 40 days. He was a big star then while I was just a newcomer but the divide was quickly bridged when he discovered that I could sing and play the tabla. I became his favourite and he’d call me ‘Sonny’ off the sets too,” the ‘showman’ reminisces.
Three years later, ‘Sonny’ went on to direct the veteran actor in his first directorial, Kalicharan, in which Prem Nath played IG PN Khanna to Shatrughan Sinha’s Inspector Prabhakar/Kalicharan. Ghai remembers that Prem Nath was delighted when he learnt that his boy was making the transition to direction and loved the role even suggesting that the film be retitled I G Khanna since it was his story. Ghai told him he’d think about it but the next day was adamant that Kalicharan was an apt title. “I was afraid he might refuse the film, but he not only accepted the offer but enhanced the film with his performance,” exults a still ebullient Ghai.
Next up: Vishwanath in 1978 with the same team of Sahtrughan Sinha, Reena Roy and Prem Nath. This time played a multimillionaire, GNK, who travels with a convoy of 40 cars to show off his money power. He played the role with elan and Vishwanth was a bigger hit than Kalicharan .
Reciting a popular dialogue from the film, “Jali ko aag kehte hain, bhuji ko raakh kehte hain, jis raakh se barood bane, use Vishwanath kehte hain,” Ghai remembers the man he called Swamiji, saying, “Prem Nath ji was a real character who drank five different kinds of liquor with a ‘mala’ in his hand. In our 10 year association through five films— Kalicharan, Vishwanath, Gautam Govinda, Krodhi and Karz—I wrote diversely different characters for him that brought out the best in him.”
His best-remembered role is undoubtedly that of bad man Sir Judah from Karz. Ghai laughingly admits that he has no idea where the name cropped up from, but it suited the godfather Prem Nath played. “When I told him I wanted him to play a mute, he laughed and asked, ‘You are fed up of my vocal power now?’ Actually the reason was that the role wasn’t big in terms of screen time and I wanted to compensate length with strength. I gave him a sidekick to translate his telegram signals into words. It was a gamble making a powerful vocal actor like him speechless but he enjoyed the challenge,” Ghai beams.
He adds that his Swamiji was a musical, spiritual and loving man who was an impulsive philanthropist. He would insist that he be paid a lakh more than the hero and would decide on his remuneration depending on the day a filmmaker approached him. So, if it was December 6, his fee was Rs 6 lakh and if it was 29 th of the month, he asked for Rs 29 lakh. “But if a really needy person approached him on the set, Swamiji would take his instalment from the producer and give it to him to take care of his family,” he informs.
Prem Nath demise on November 3, 1992, broke the ‘tuning’ they shared. “Tuning was a word he used to describe if he was in sync with the director and happy to work with him. Agar tuning na ho to he was not open to a collaboration. It was a word that many others picked up later. As long as he lived, we were on the same page and even today, 25 years later, I miss that tuning,” says Ghai. He would have turned 91 on November 21.
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