Subhash Ghai, the showman of Bollywood, quietly flew into town on a quick business trip to meet Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Hyderabad Times caught up with him to get the details. Excerpts from an interview ...


Buzz is that you met CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy…
Yes, I’ve met the CM. I must say that he is a dynamic personality and a great visionary. I plan to open a branch of my film institute in the city and I had to make a trip to meet Dr Reddy for this. I met him once before too and proposed my plans of a film studies institute. The CM liked the idea and put forward some of his thoughts which were very inspiring. During this trip he gave us an offer letter and now we are all set to begin our work here.

So how long will it take for your institute to open doors in the city?
Well, hopefully by the end of 2010, we should be ready. There are other details that need to be finalised and we are taking it one at a time. All I have to do is replicate the Mumbai model here, so that way we will save a lot of time.

But why did you choose Hyderabad to open a branch of your institute?
The Telugu film industry is the hub of South Indian cinema. There is a lot of talent here and it’s also one of the highest revenue-generating industries in the country. Sadly though, there aren’t many institutes in the city that teach the new generation the finer nuances of film making. With Indian cinema gaining global recognition, I think it’s important to educate the coming generation on the art of film making and enhance their talents. The CM too recognises the importance of this.

With more and more international production houses venturing into the Indian market, is the gap between Hollywood and Bollywood decreasing?
The gap has definitely lessened, but there are a lot of fundamental differences that need to be sorted out. Slumdog Millionaire made India the toast of the globe. It has shown the world that there is a lot of cinema happening here in the country. But there is a lot of work to be done to considerably lessen the gap between Hollywood and Bollywood. Western audiences love to watch larger than life cinema, whereas we in India, like to see our own stories on screen. Film making too is approached keeping these sensibilities in mind. Now that the various differences are identified, all we have to do is work on them. I’m sure, very soon Hollywood producers will approach Indian filmmakers to direct films for them!

When will you direct your next film?
As and when something interesting comes my way. Right now, I’m concentrating on other business aspects and my film institute. So for the next one year, I’m not taking up any other project. Failure or success do not deter me from my goals. I’ve had people come up to me and prod me about it. But for god’s sake! I’ve made 18 films in my career, and I don’t have to prove myself to anyone.