Subhash Ghai talks to Subhash K Jha

Q: Your career as a producer seems to have for now overtaken your career as a director. Is that a voluntary decision?
A: Naturally. You have to go with whatever the times demand from you. Today I am responsible to Mukta Arts' investors' interests. We need to scale up production and we are planning to produce twenty movies in 2008. And I hope we will be able to ...small and big productions.

Q: Did the failure of Kisna come in the way of you directing another film immediately? Are you planning to return to direction in the near future?
A: No, it definitely did not discourage me. I know audiences all over and media are looking forward to a film directed by me because they respect me as a director first. But I will direct my film only after completing my present commitments of whistling woods international film school which is scheduled to open on 15th july 2006.

Q: What kind of film will you direct?
A: I may go for my directorial multi star cast venture next year. I can't reveal my star cast and story at this moment.

Q: Your last production Shaadi Se Pehle wasn't the success it was meant to be. Do you think there has been a glut of comedies lately?
A: Shaadi se pehle has been a successful venture for Mukta Arts ... there is always a difference between reality and perception. The fact is that we all are in profit by the end of it. So how does one calculate that it's not a success unless you mean roaring success when today 90 % of the releases are flopping.

Q: What do you think of the films that are being released these days? Do you think the multiplex culture has engendered a kind of self-indulgent innovativeness among filmmakers?
A: Huge revenues in multiplexes in the first week have definitely put pressure on the innovative minds of all writers; directors and producers to match the demands of new audiences while old audiences are vanishing. Iqbal and Joggers Park would have never run in 1996 if they had to be released in single theatres. They have been successful in multiplexes.

Q: On one hand you've produced innovative films like Iqbal and Joggers Park. On the other hand you've done formula fare like Shaadi Se Pehle. What are your aspirations as a producer?
A: I respect every kind of cinema but we do need to be sure about our targeted audience. That decides our professional study and take on the movie accordingly. We have our company searchlight films to thank for making good niche cinema and mukta arts entertainment for commercial popular cinema.

Q: Please tell me about your forthcoming productions?
A: This year you will see three other movies .... Apna Sapna Money Money, Good boy bad boy, Rasta pyar ka to be released and we are going to launch another five films on 24th oct in the traditional style of Mukta Arts.

Q: Is it true that Mallika Sherawat gave you a tough time ? Do you think stars are still being given too much importance in our film industry?
A: Yes, its still a star- based industry. Imagine 150 producers and 15 saleable actors! The problem is we are totally ignorant of the definition of a star. Even rising or small-time actors are treated as stars by media without much achievement, hence by the industry too.

80 % of prevailing popular actors have yet to win the title of a star. According to me a star is someone who shines above the script and wins the collective hearts of audiences in a theatre in spite of an ordinary or average script or director.

People like to watch him more than the story going on. He is too believable and adorable for the audiences.

Q: So who according to you are the stars?
A: At present, at this point of time, this title can go only to Amitabh, Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman. Hrithik and Saif find a respectable place as stars when their movie is great. Among the rest a few are adorable, a few are popular, a few make themselves popular through media and gimmicks.

For me all good actors with good and committed behaviour who respect their projects till the release of their movie are real star actors, who will survive in the rat race. The rest is chaos of insecurity and short-lived careers.

There is a lot of misplaced confidence in these media-made self-proclaimed which looks funny to people like us who are an integral part of the industry.

Q: You've been an integral part of the film industry for decades. Do you think we've made enough headway abroad? Is the crossover cinema a reality or just a myth invented by us to feel important in the global market?
A: The crossover cinema is not a reality but just a myth invented by us to feel important in the global market. This ignorance has been fostered by the Indian media ...you have hit the nail on the head. But i believe the crossover will be a reality within the next five years.

In 2011 you will see this myth of crossover as reality. Not before then. At the moment not even two percent of our great successful movies create an impact in the international market..

Q: What do you think of NRI directors like Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta and Gurinder Chadha?
A: They are Indians born who know the international sensibilities while telling Indian stories. They are brilliant.

Q: Abbas-Mustan have done two films for you. Aitraaz was controversial. Is 36 Chinatown a safer film?
A: 36 china is a safer film i would like to believe. The initial response is too good for the. Rest, wait and watch is the name of the game of the industry...

Q: Out of curiosity...is the title a homage to Aparna Sen's 36 Chowringhee Lane?
A: That's comparing jurrasic park with Jogger's Park.