Subhash Ghai

Born in Nagpur, India, Subhash Ghai, son of a dentist in Delhi, graduated in commerce from Rohtak Haryana, graduated in Cinema from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, started his career in Mumbai as a screen actor, then shifted to writing screenplay and got his first directorial break in film KALICHARAN [1976] which proved a big hit and thereafter he did not have to look back and went on making blockbusters with lot of acclaim from public and critics. He has been awarded with various laurels and titles including 'showman' and 'dream merchant' by various media establishments. The President of India has honored him with a national award for making 'KARMA' an anti-terrorism motion picture in 1986. His later films like PARDES and TAAL opened a wider audience's world wide for Indian movies and featured in Hollywood top twenty at box-office for various weeks. He won a national award for producing film 'IQBAL' and, in 2001, ventured into education and set up world-class film & media institute in Mumbai.

Subhash Ghai is one of the most renowned names among Indians and south Asians for his excellent record as an Indian filmmaker in mainstream cinema for the last 35+ years and his contribution to Film & Media education.

Mr. Ghai has written and directed 19 motion pictures out of which 14 have been hits / blockbusters. He started his production company in 1978 as a partnership concern Mukta Films to begin with a film 'Karz', then formed a Private Limited company known as Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd. in 1982 with the blockbuster film 'Hero'. He has since produced and directed many more blockbuster hits under the company, which continues to be one of the leading production houses in film-making in India. In the year 2000, his Mukta Arts went public, listed on the stock exchange to an overwhelming response from the public and the Indian capital markets.

Subhash Ghai is the chairman and managing director of MUKTA ARTS LTD. - India's first Film industry corporate, which is in the active business of Film Production, Distribution, Exhibition and Education.

In the Hindi film industry, Subhash Ghai has introduced many new performers and groomed emerging & struggling talent into success & stardom. He has also introduced several new technicians and immensely contributed to the development of Indian Cinema.

In 2007, he has been conferred a National Award as producer of the film 'Iqbal' which won the Best Film on Social Issues. He has further been selected as final round jury member for the International EMMY Awards for several years.

Widely traveled internationally, Mr. Ghai has been on the board, committees, associations with various activities and missions in the field of social, economic or human welfare. He is a member of executive committee of Producers Guild of India and a member of United Producers forum. He has also been appointed as the Chairman of the Entertainment Committee of Trade body CII and also the member of organisations like FICCI, NASCOM and TIE and has been invited to address at various forums and seminars including on corporate governance and other subjects relating to the growth of media and entertainment industry in India and worldwide.

As Chairman & Founder of Whistling Woods International, Asia's largest Institute for Film, Television, Animation & Media Arts, he has been overseeing the setup, academic staffing, smooth functioning of the first-ever privately setup world-class media institute in India and ensuring imparting of quality education to the next generation of film-makers. It is his vision that India will be able to hold its own against the rest of the world in the field of entertainment.

Under his leadership and vision, within a short span of time since its inception, Whistling Woods International has established itself as a leading Internationally recognized film and media international institute. The institute continues to scale greater heights and aims to be the institute of choice for media education globally.

Today Whistling Woods International has been rated as One of The Ten Best Film Schools in the World by 'The Hollywood Reporter'.

Honorary positions held:

• The former Chairman of National Entertainment Committee of CII (the Confederation of Indian Industries) 2005 to 2007
• Member of the Executive Committee of Producers Guild of India
• Director in United Producers Forum
• Member of FICCI, CII and NASCOM (e-alliance)
• Member of the IDBI bank Film Financing advisory board
• Chairperson of the Sectoral Mentor Council (SMC) on 'Entertainment, Media, Advertisement & Event management' under the Ministry of Labour & Employment (DGE&T)
• Chairman of The Media & Entertainment Skill Council of India