How Subhash Ghai Cast  Aishwarya Rai  In The Film ‘Taal’? | Exclusive Interviews - video Dailymotion

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As Aishwarya Rai Bachchan marks her 50th birthday today, let's explore the story of how she landed the role in her most successful film 'Taal,'

Transcript

00:00 That one hit you don't have and I used to keep saying a hit isn't everything.

00:05 He commands that. I don't believe he demands it being a Subhash Ghai hit filmmaker.

00:10 I think he commands it because he's such a complete filmmaker.

00:13 I was obviously extremely thrilled to be signed on for Taal because

00:22 Subhash Ghai and me had been speaking for some time before I even joined the industry

00:26 as to whether I would join films or not and whether I'd get to work with him or not.

00:31 So when this happened it was a kind of dream come true because

00:36 there's always the pride, the prestige, the honour of working with Subhash Ghai

00:42 to work at Mukta Arts. But more than anything else he gave me a narration.

00:49 He was offering me a role not just the prestige of working in his banner.

00:54 And that felt very good that I'd get the opportunity to work with him

01:01 and under his guidance in a beautiful film like Taal. It felt good.

01:06 [Music]

01:24 Mansi is a girl originally from Chamba.

01:30 She has a father, is a family person but with a lot of responsibilities.

01:35 She does not have a mother. And an educated girl.

01:39 A girl who holds the values of this century very dear to her

01:45 and yet a girl who can ready herself for the world of tomorrow.

01:50 She can adapt, adjust and embrace the lifestyle of an urban society

01:57 which she discovers through her life's experiences.

02:01 So in that sense you see a kind of a growth of a girl from Chamba

02:06 into today's urban world, glamour world. And yet she never loses herself in it.

02:13 So in that sense it's interesting. It's not like such a drastic transition

02:17 that now she's become part of the glamour world so you forget being Mansi.

02:21 Mansi retains being who she is and yet can conduct herself in today's world.

02:28 Do you think it was challenging to play this role because you've gone from Chamba to Bombay to Toronto?

02:34 It was very interesting. I mean in the sense Mansi is a character by herself.

02:41 Work becomes interesting and fun if I can get to be different characters.

02:46 [Bell rings]

02:52 And sort of it makes my job which is quite my passion today, I mean being part of films, interesting.

03:00 So Mansi is individual. She's a character on her own.

03:06 Each girl in every film, I hate using the usual cliche of saying that this one is...

03:11 Each girl is individual. She is Subashji's conception and thereby a girl by...

03:18 very very exclusive to Taal. So in that sense I'm glad I got to portray her.

03:23 A very interesting character to play. As an actress I must say that in every film

03:28 I do land up obviously lending a bit of myself to the characters because that's who I know best, myself.

03:36 So Pooja of Aap Lauchale, Nandini of Hamdil Dechu Kesanam, Mansi of Taal.

03:41 I do relate to them and yet they are the director's conception.

03:46 And that is something I don't quite forget if I can help it.

03:49 So that's where I'd say the director plays a big hand in what you sort of give to your character.

03:56 What did you learn from the film as a director and as a teacher to Mansi?

04:01 I think his... the fact that he is just so committed to what he does.

04:13 He is such a complete director. I mean... I've never been awestruck by him.

04:21 But he has truly... choti mo badi baat to say earned my respect and my admiration.

04:29 But I believe ki shuruaat mein sabne kaha ki "Arey Subash Ghai ki film sign ho gayi toh ab toh"

04:34 You know, you should be so happy and all that.

04:36 I'm like yeah, Subash Ghai film I guess is very prestigious.

04:40 But for me it was an honor because he commands that.

04:44 I don't believe he demands it being a Subash Ghai hit filmmaker.

04:47 I think he commands it because he is such a complete filmmaker.

04:50 He is involved in every department of filmmaking.

04:54 And it truly is his baby in every area.

05:00 And he has got incredible knowledge whether it be music.

05:03 There is a lot of Subash ji also in Rehman's music.

05:06 That's where the interesting combination in Taal's music.

05:09 And of course Bakshi Saab.

05:11 So in the dialogue, there is a lot of... it's him.

05:15 It's his thought process.

05:17 In cinematography, Kabir has managed to translate his visions.

05:21 In our performances, I mean Subash ji has a big hand in every individual's performance in the film.

05:28 Whichever, whoever be the characters. Not just like the three main characters or something.

05:32 Every character in the film.

05:33 So in that sense, it's inspiring to work with someone like him.

05:38 It helps keep the adrenaline pumping.

05:41 [Music]

05:50 [Music]

06:03 [Music]

06:26 I have always felt very content and happy about the faiths people in the industry have had in me.

06:36 Everybody has been so supportive, so encouraging.

06:40 And they have always recognised the fact that I had to learn very soon.

06:45 And I had to deliver very fast because of the kind of work I was being taken up for.

06:52 So I got the appreciation in Aab Lauch Chale.

06:58 And Hamdil Dechu Kesa Nam.

07:00 For me personally, more than the box office results, which feels good.

07:05 Now I know.

07:06 Because everybody used to say, that one hit you don't have.

07:09 And I used to keep saying, a hit isn't everything.

07:13 I do feel good about the fact that it's a hit.

07:17 But I'm even happier and truly content about the fact that people do recognise the efforts and the hard work put in.

07:25 And they do today accord me the...

07:28 Like I've earned the title of probably being called an actress today.

07:32 I've had to wait my time.

07:34 Miss India happened easy. Miss World happened easy.

07:36 But I think of being called an actress took a bit of time.

07:39 And it feels good to have earned that.

07:41 That is my true satisfaction and happiness today.

07:44 And to have that reiterated with a beautiful film like Taal.

07:48 I mean I couldn't have asked for a better time.

07:50 It feels good.

07:51 When I select a star or an actor, I look at their inner self first.

07:58 I never look at their outer personality.

08:01 Or how big a hit they are, how big a star they are.

08:05 Or what the media is writing about them.

08:07 Or how much of a craze they have.

08:09 I don't go into that.

08:10 If they've flopped or become a hit, that's not important to me.

08:15 When I meet an actor, I look at their inner self first.

08:18 When I met Aishwarya Rai, her films were not doing well.

08:22 But I looked at their inner beauty.

08:25 I looked at that raw beauty that people probably didn't see.

08:28 Because since she became Miss World or Miss Crown, people made her a cosmetic.

08:34 Thinking that she's Miss World, she's Miss World, she's Miss World.

08:37 I didn't see her as Miss World.

08:39 I saw her as a beautiful woman who came down from the Himalayas.

08:44 Whose soul is also beautiful like the Himalayas.

08:46 Who is the daughter of nature, who is the daughter of God.

08:50 She's a pure beauty.

08:52 And that pure beauty that was born from the earth, that came out of the ground.

08:56 So our mental character is a beautiful thing that came out of the ground.

09:02 Which doesn't know how beautiful it is.

09:04 When the world tells her that she's beautiful, what happens to her?

09:10 When she faces different challenges in life, what happens to her?

09:14 So she has that kind of beauty.

09:17 So I chose Aish for that because I could see the beauty inside her.

09:21 I liked that.

09:23 [Music]

How Subhash Ghai Cast Aishwarya Rai In The Film ‘Taal’? | Exclusive Interviews

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