The Showman tag is associated with Subhash Ghai. There is little about him that is not known, debated or discussed. Hailing from Punjab, Ghai decided that films would be his calling and enrolled himself in the Films and Television Institute of India (FTII) much against the counsel of his near and dear ones. Ironically, he had joined FTII in the acting course, hoping to make it big as an actorthat kind of explains those fleeting moments on screen.

It was in 1976 that Ghais destiny took an unusual turn. From struggling in front of the camera, he made the transition to the back and directed the Shatrughan Sinha starer Kalicharan. The film was a big hit, and Ghai never looked back since. In the three decades, Ghai has made movies from Karz to Kisna, covering a wide spectrum of genres. His publicly listed company Mukta Arts is producing and distributing a whole gamut of films. Ghai is also conscious about the requirement of a world-class training facility for Bollywood, and hence a few years back launched Whistling Woods, a film institute that aspires to train and hone professionals for a career in the industry.

In an exclusive interaction with Dataquest, Ghai talks about where the Indian film industry stand against Hollywood, and dwells on the reason why some people call him Mac Ghai. Excerpts

How does the Indian film industry compare to the foreign film industries (like Hollywood) in terms of technology adoption?
First, let me briefly talk about the scene on-ground and then we will talk of tech adoption. Today, when you go to see a Hindi film at any of the multiplexes that have mushroomed across the length and breadth of India, you have many options in hand. Out of the five movies that are running at the multiplex, two of them would be from Hollywood. Thus, Hindi movies are now directly competing with Hollywood films. So, it makes it imperative for Indian makers to be as technically sound, if not more, than they are.

The essential reason why you do not see much technical gimmickry in our films is that our narrative does not require it. The narrative and sensibility of Indian cinema is vastly different from Hollywood. But technically, we are as good as anybody else. If you were to evaluate films made by renowned directors, you will realize that they can compete with any other film from Hollywood in terms of sound track, special effects, background score, cinematography, etc. Today, there are quite a handful of renowned companies in India like Crest, Prime Focus and Red Chillies. It is possible now for Indian makers to get what they desire, right here, and need not go to Singapore. Ten or so years back it would have been tough to make a film like Krissh but now it is possible. Not only that, the Indian film industry is actively collaborating with the foreign makers as well. Now you have Hollywood studios, MNCs, directors all of them coming here. In fact, they are even getting there VFX and animation work done from India. That vouches for the fact that we are indeed technologically sound.

Subhash Ghai

In the next three years most of the Bollywood work post-production will be done here because of the cost factor. Yet there is this perception, even in India, that we are not as tech savvy as them (Hollywood). Any comments?
Again, it goes back to what I stated earlier: it is simply because of the kinds of films we make. A majority of our films fall into the Indian mainstream ambit, while Hollywood tends to focus more on fantasy and thriller sort of movies. It is a difference of cultures, and the films reflect it. The main contention is: can we make the same kinds of films that are made in the US? Of course, we can, it is merely a matter of economics and financing. As and when that changes, you will see a lot of these so called hi-tech movies being made in India.

Starting from Kalicharan to Yuvraj and Paying Guest (both currently under production), how has been your experience in terms of changing technology and means?
As you pointed out, technology is in a state of flux, changing every few years. I regard this change as important and crucial, and I am always trying to understand, evaluate and embrace the latest technical breakthroughs. I have always been updated when it comes to technology and its uses, right from Kalicharan, Karz to the latest movies. So, if you look at my movies, I have been very tech savvy. Even in my personal life, I like to possess the latest gadgets. In fact, people refer to me as Mac Ghai due to my fixation with the Apple systems. In the Indian film industry, Mukta Arts was the first company to go in for Dolby Digital Sound. We were the first ones to use the Codiac Sound System. In the film Taal, for instance, the background score was composed in Chennai, while I was mixing it here in Mumbai. We were also among the first ones to promote non-linear editing using the Avid systems. The list goes on. So you could say that it is a journey, and I am enjoying every bit of it.

You hail from the illustrious FTII, why then did you feel the need for an institute like Whistling Woods? What is the USP of Whistling Woods?
Times are changing and we need to evolve with them. For instance, ten years back we were completely oblivious to the fast food culture, there werent any McDonalds or Baristas. But today, like it or not, they have become an intrinsic part of our lives. Similarly, we need to look forward even while we continue to exist in the present. From the perspective of how our Indian cinema will evolve, I have set up Whistling Woods to equip makers and technicians of tomorrow with the best tools that are available. Our courses are among the best on offer, frequently updated to incorporate the ever-changing technology. We have a library of over 7,000 films, accessible to the students. We also ensure that the equipment being used by the student is the best available, and we try and stimulate the professional environment of film making as best as we can.

So, when a student walks into the campus at Whistling Woods, a muffled wow escapes his lips. We have Mac systems in the classrooms. The whole system, right from production to post-production is done on the hi-end, professional Apple systems. Mac gives us many options to create whatever we want, to access then that whatever we want, to remold, rework, etc. Little wonder Whistling Woods is renowned as a very hi-tech training school.

You have also been part of various forums like CII, FICCI, and Nasscom, what is the reason?
I am trying to map the growth of the media industry. Also, as our film industry is steadily getting corporatized, it is important for us to adopt best practices that are prevalent in other verticals. So my aim is to interact with people from different backgrounds, learn and understand their ways, and adopt them to the way we function. These forums are good learning and sharing grounds.

Finally, what do you think the future portends?
I am very bullish about the future. In the past decade or so, the Indian film industry has been steadily and silently undergoing a metamorphosis, from being just another film market. Today, we are a force to reckon with, everyone that knows about India, knows about Shahrukh and Amitabh, so our reach is increasing. We are competing with Hollywood movies in India, as of now, and in the coming years, we will be competing with them in their markets, namely in the US, just you wait and watch.

Shashwat DC
shashwatdc@cybermedia.co.in

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