When director Subhash Ghai’s Taal hit theaters in 1999, audiences were unaware that the film would revolutionize the musical genre by not just incorporating music into the narrative but building the entire story around it. Languagestarring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor, celebrates its 25th anniversary today. Ghai reflects on the creative process, which he considers the high point of his career.
Wanted to get out of the image of Khalnayak
Ghai, who was already known for his love story Pardes (1997), was still overshadowed by the success of his 1993 blockbuster KhalnayakHe wanted to redefine his narrative approach and conceived Taal as a departure from his previous work. “My inspiration was the rebel in me that made me not want to make a crime film. I went through Khalnayak’s success and I wanted to know whether I could do a love story or not,” says the 79-year-old filmmaker. He adds, “It was a big challenge for me how to approach it. I deliberately kept the title Taal so that main apne aap ko bhatkau nahi. That’s where the music came from.”
AR Rahman said he was the hero of the film
Ghai turned to the celebrated music composer AR Rahman, whose work in Red (1992), Dil Se (1998) and Rangeela (1995) had already made a big impression. For Ghai, Rahman was central to the film’s vision. “I had to change my composer and went to AR Rahman. I told him, ‘My title is Taal and you are the hero and the rest are my characters and stories.’ He was very happy,” reveals Ghai, adding, “If you keep the title Taal, you have to do it justice.”
“My first task was that I would implement Rahman’s vision and he would implement mine,” says Ghai. He continues, “Rahman, who has an international sensibility, took up the challenge of working with a north Indian lyricist (Anand Bakshi) and singer (Sukhvinder). Then the songs were recorded and we spent about 80 days together. After that, I revised my script according to the music. First, I wrote the story as a director but later I worked on it musically.”
Saroj Khan recommended Aishwarya Rai for the role
Although there were rumours that Mahima Chaudhry was initially considered for the role of Mansi, Ghai reveals that choreographer Saroj Khan was instrumental in casting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. “One day I asked Saroj, ‘Who is the best dancer among all the heroines on my wish list?’ and she said ‘Aishwarya Rai’. So I called Ash and told her the story and she accepted it,” says Ghar. He further says, “She worked very hard throughout the film. Whether it was raining, muddy or too hot, she was there whenever we wanted and she did exactly what I wanted her to do.”
Three choreographers came together for Taal
What is little known is that the film’s choreography was a collaboration between three renowned choreographers. “As the journey took us from rural areas to cities and into the cosmetics world, there was an evolution in the story, even in terms of costumes and presentation. Shiamak Davar, Ahmad Khan and Saroj Khan came together for the film and helped me a lot,” says Ghai, adding that their combined efforts contributed to the film’s unique dance sequences.
I made a new Subhash Ghai
Talking about the challenge of reinventing his style and creating a film that was different from his earlier works, Ghai says, “I was making a new Subhash Ghai. It was a pure musical film, so I decided there would be no villain, no fight, no violence and no mirch masala.”
“I changed my role as director Subhash Ghai (everyone knew him) and embarked on a different journey. This was the time when I was at the peak of my career. It was a very big departure from my own sensibility for commercial cinema,” he concludes.
