No "M"-pathy

The Indian Express

The Financial Express

Latest News

Express Investment Week

Market Indicators

Screen

Express Computers

Travel & Tourism

Advertisers Forum

Information Technology

Drumbeat: Ad Buzzaar

Astrosurf

Eco-India

Dr Know

Career India

Business Forum

Match Maker

Express Properties

Friday, April 10, 1998

No "M"-pathy

He loves them. He cannot stop raving about them. He promotes them in style. But something inevitably goes wrong with Subhash Ghai and his heroines. They hate him with as much passion as they loved him. A quick look at the Showman's fall-out with his heroines.

If he hadn't made her his heroine in Hero, she wouldn't have made it big overnight. But the rather unfilmi Meenakshi Sheshadri refused to dance to her godfather's tunes once she had done three films with him -- Hero, Karma and Meri Jung. That was the end of this relationship. If it wasn't for him Stardust wouldn't have given her the ice-maiden tag. "She is cold and doesn't come across as warm," he had complained. "I can't keep saying Subhashji this and Subhashji that," she retorted. Eventually she lost Uttar Dakshin to Madhuri.

Enter the new M factor. He saw potential, she saw a future. There was Ram Lakhan and there was Khalnayak and then Madhuri Dixit was big. She refused to play the loyal protege anymore. He spoke of a dream projectcalled Ganga and lured her into attending the mahurat of his film Shikhar. Eventually Ganga was made as Pardes and there was no sign of Madhuri. The showman had his explanations: She'd made him wait on her sets.

By then Ghai had found Manisha Koirala, a newcomer who was supposed to resemble Madhuri. He gave her Saudagar, but problems arose even before the film was complete. She accused him of coming on to her and went to the press. She predicted that he was going to cut her role but Ghai was just to her. Only for that film. He had also promised Manisha Ganga/Pardes.

But Ritu Choudhary -- re-christened as Mahima -- entered the scene with Pardes as her launch vehicle. He played the possessive godfather and she, the awestruck protege. They did everything together. Parties, launches, tele-interviews, they were a team and then now they meet in court. Mahima believed that Taal would be hers and attended the mahurat, not knowing that he would sign Aishwarya Rai.

Perhaps Ghai had realised that the Mfactor was not working for him and decided to start from the beginning. If the first letter `A' does not work, he has the rest of the alphabet to go through.