Subhash Ghai Turns 78: Did You Know How the Filmmaker Got 'Showman' Title?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUBHASH GHAI : Almost after his 5-decade long run in Bollywood, Subhash Ghai has risen to be known as a great filmmaker and a successful marketer of his films. Though he was never a trendsetter, he knew how to ride a trend better than most of his contemporaries in the industry.

Along with this, his keen eye for spotting talent made him the greatest ‘Showman’ in Hindi cinema. From launching the likes of Madhuri Dixit, Meenakshi Seshadhri to Jackie Shroff, and his aura as a visionary made him an established director whose story is nothing less than a script of a typical Hindi movie.

A middle-class boy with no Godfather defeated all odds to become one of the most powerful filmmakers in commercial Hindi cinema. Before recognizing his talent for direction, Ghai first tried his luck in acting.

His directorial debut, Kalicharan (1976), a crime thriller starring Shatrughan Sinha changed the actor’s entire career. At the time, Sinha was deemed as the greatest villain but casting him as a protagonist was a great risk that Ghai was willing to take and the success of the film only spoke volumes for his vision.

He collaborated with Sinha in Vishwanath and Gautam Govinda, before he catapulted Rishi Kapoor’s career to a new high in Karz.

The story of reincarnation became a refreshing twist for the sensibilities of movie buffs but what made it more interesting was its packaging with the song, Om Shanti Om, that yet remains an iconic number.

Three years later, he showcased an anti-hero Jackie Shroff riding a Rajdoot motorcycle, and then came Taal and Yaadien with popular actors including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, and more. He aptly knew how to pick up successful Bollywood trends when love stories like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Maine Pyar Kiya raged at the box office, he worked on a fresh romantic pair Manisha Koirala and Vivek Mushran in Saudagar.

After Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he placed Shah Rukh Khan once again as an NRI hero in an intercontinental love story or Pardes. Like Dil Se, he made the vengeance-filled musical spectacle Taal. The greatest showman recognized the audience’s want and painted a fantastic run at the box office, a journey that is inspirational to many.

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