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Actors turning producers is not new to Hindi cinema. Commercial considerations, family loyalties and desire to make their kind of films has prompted actors from Ashok Kumar to Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan to produce films when any number of producers were ready to pay them their price and sign them for their films. Shahrukh Khan recalls that for a film he had to jump from a height of more than a 100 feet. He decided to do the stunt himself and suggested the producer that he should organise five cameras for the sequence to make impact. When he landed at the location, he saw only three cameras. When he asked the producer, he merely replied "Bus teen se kaam chala lengey". Thereafter, he set his own production company Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment. His first production was Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. His latest film Om Shanti Om was among the highest grossers of 2007. Similarly, with Lagaan, Aamir Khan ventured into film production. Set in 1890, the film dealt with the land tax imposed by the British, a subject an average producer would not dare to experiment with. The film went on to be nominated for the Oscars. His latest venture Taare Zameen Par too dealt with an uncommon subject of a dyslexic child constantly under pressure from his parents to perform well. The film touched the chord with the masses.
Mr India was produced by Boney Kapoor to boost the box office collections of his brother Anil Kapoor. Whatever is earned by Anil Kapoor is put by him into films. Their projects are family ventures launched with the aim to make quality films. His latest production Gandhi — My Father has proved false the age-old dictum that Hindi films do not work without sex and violence. His film conveys the longing of a hapless father Gandhi and the frustrations of his ambitious son Harilal. Gandhi sacrifices the future of his son for the sake of the nation and his son fails to understand why Gandhi has to place nation before his own family. Anil has made a film that will raise his stock at the box office. When Raj Kumar Santoshi went to Sunny Deol with the script of Ghayal, it lacked the usual masala and certainly defied the formula. Sunny backed his director to the hilt. The result was — the best actor award, two National awards for Sunny and the best commercial entertainer for Ghayal. Ajay Devgan says his producers would tell him that they made a loss on every film of his but still were ready to buy his next film. He then floated a distribution company Devgan Entertainment and Software Limited and has been marketing films since 1995. Later on he plunged into production with Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, made under his banner Devgans Films. His directorial debut You, Me and Hum makes him move beyond his image as an action hero and showcases his versatility. When Pooja Bhat felt that her career as a heroine had touched the lowest ebb, she decided to turn producer and made films like Tamanna and Dushman. Producing films has not only kept her in the show business but has given her respect in the industry. But not every actor has made good in the filmmaking business. For instance, Jackie Shroff’s home production Grahan taught him that it was not a child’s play for an actor to play the role of a producer. Thereafter, Jackie shelved his next venture Raju, Raja and Ram. Deedar-e-Yaar produced by Jitendra had ruined him. The failure of Gurudev and Teesri Kasam proved fatal for the first-time producer Venod Mehra and lyricist Shailendra. Rajesh Khanna’s Jai Shive Shankar has been in the cans for the last over two decades for the want of buyers. Shashi Kapoor financed quality films like Junoon, Kalyug and 36 Chowringheee Lane with directors like Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani and Girish Karnard but his directorial debut venture Ajooba cut short his tenure as a producer as well as actor. Amitabh Bachchan’s much-hyped Mrityudaata was box office failure putting paid to ABCL company’s ambitious production plans. Bharat Bhushan won applause for producing Basant Bahar but his Dooj Ka Chaand proved a Waterloo for him. Om Prakash made a mark with Gateway of India, Chacha Zindabad, Duniya Gol Hai... but he burnt his boats after production of historical Jahan Aara. The dismal track record of most actors turned producers reveals that it is one thing to do it for the love cinema and another to cash in on star status in producing films.
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