Veteran director Subhash Ghai on Friday urged young filmmakers to avoid the temptation of imitating Western cinema and instead craft stories rooted in their own culture, an approach that could revitalise the Hindi film industry.
“Connect to your own culture and make films of what you’ve grown up watching, the people, the world around you, then you will be able to emote it in the right way,” Ghai said at a masterclass celebrating the 45 years of his iconic film Karz.
According to the cinema veteran, Tamil and Telugu films are working with the audience these days because they are connected to their roots.
“My advice to today’s kids is to make stories that are rooted in our society. Don’t ape or come under the influence of technology. Don’t ape to be Western or urban. They comprise only 20 per cent of the population,” he added.
Also starring Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Tina Munim, Pran, Raj Kiran, Karz was released in 1980 and is still remembered for its taut storyline and chartbuster songs like Dard-E-Dil and Om Shanti Om.
The romantic thriller revolves around Monty (Kapoor), who uncovers the truth about his past life, and how he was murdered by his ambitious wife (Garewal).
Ghai said Kapoor, who passed away in 2020, was initially skeptical about his approach to the reincarnation theme in Karz.
“I could not imagine any other hero than Rishi Kapoor for the film. When I told Rishi Kapoor, he asked me if I was sure to make a reincarnation story to have two actors for the same role. I told him I wanted to experiment and do something new. He liked the idea,” said the director, who is also known for blockbuster hits like Kalicharan, Ram Lakhan, and Khalnayak.
Ghai revealed that Kapoor asked him if he had a sense for music since he is making Karz as a musical story.
“When he saw the song Dard-E-Dil, he was very happy. He called me to apologise. Later, he had this confidence in the film. He was a child-like person and he remained one till the very end. He was the only actor who never cared for money, he cared about his performance. He was the star in the Kapoor family but he was a very good human being too,” the 80-year-old director said.
Kapoor’s actor wife Neetu Kapoor, Garewal, Munim, and the other key cast and crew members were present at the special event.
Neetu, who married Kapoor in 1980, revealed that she was dating the actor while he was filming for Karz.
“I started dating him when his film was being made, and by the time the film got released, we were married. I remember we got married in January and this film was released in June,” she said.
Garewal expressed gratitude to Ghai for offering her the film, and fondly remembered Kapoor, who worked with him on films like Mera Naam Joker and Kabhi Kabhie.
“I never thought that we would be back after 45 years of this film. It’s a wonderful experience of working on Karz. I was happy to work with Chintu, who is my old pal, and my love, Tina, was so adorable, and we became friends. Neetu has been an amazing woman, I love the way she has handled her life, her husband, children, and her grandchild,” the actor said.
Ghai praised Garewal for her noteworthy performance in Karz.
“She had a tough role in Karz. Initially, she was apprehensive about playing the role. I remember she asked me, ‘Subhash ji, will I become a vamp?’ I assured her that she is a great actor,” he recalled.
Munim also thanked Ghai for the opportunity and said it was an experience of a lifetime.
“It’s been 45 years of Karz, time flies in the blink of an eye. I’m glad I got to be part of this iconic film, talented director, and wonderful co-stars, I miss the charming Chintu (Rishi). It was an experience of a lifetime. It never felt like we were making a film. I played myself and I loved playing the part,” she said.
The masterclass was held as part of the second edition of the Red Lorry Film Festival, organised by BookMyShow.
