You have not directed a film for quite some time. Has the response to "Kissna" affected the strong showman in you so badly?

What happened to "Kissna" has happened to the best filmmakers in the world but that doesn't mean that I will stop making films. I will continue to make films till the last breath of my life. The one reason why I have not been able to concentrate on directing films is my pursuit of my twenty year old long dream, my school for the future of films, Whistling Woods International. I wanted it to be one of the best schools in the world and to have the best one has to make some sacrifices. I devoted all my days and nights to give shape to my dream. I had to be satisfied making other directors to make to make films for Mukta Arts while I kept my eyes, heart, soul and mind focused on Whistling Woods. I have fulfilled my dream. I have given my best gift to cinema in return for what cinema has given to me. It is the greatest pleasure of my life to see the glow on the faces of the students at the school. I strongly feel that one school is not enough, we need many more schools to groom students in every field of entertainment which has grown so much. My major task is over. My daughter, Mehgna is now complete in charge of the school and I have started concentrating on films again.

You must have observed the rapid strides that Hindi films have taken in recent times.

Yes, I was proud to see the progress that we have made. But I also feel a strange sense of sadness. All the progress that has been made is in terms of technology. We have made unbelievable and amazing progress in technology and technique. We now have a crowd of villages multiplexes but what is the use of all the posh villages if there is no proper lighting, no proper water supply and no drainage systems. What I mean to say is that we have all these multiplexes and we have all the latest technology and techniques BUT WHERE IS THE CONTENT? WHERE ARE THE ORIGINAL STORIES AND IDEAS? WHERE IS THE GOOD GRAMMAR OF CINEMA GONE? WHERE IS THE POETRY OF CINEMA? WHERE IS THE AESTHETICS OF CINEMA? WHERE IS THE KIND OF CINEMA WHICH PEOPLE FLOCKED THE THEATRES TO SEE? COMMERCE AND CORPORATISATION AND THE GLOWING TECHNOLOGY SEEMS TO HAVE MAULED ALL THAT WAS GOOD IN OUR CINEMA. EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS NOW IS HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN THE EASIEST WAYS. THERE ARE NO ATTEMPTS BEING MADE TO BRING BACK THE GLORY OF GREAT CINEMA ENTERTAINMENT. THE TRIUMPH OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCE HAS GROWING INTO A THREAT TO THE RISE OF CLEAN AND GOOD CINEMA. AND THESE ARE SORRY TIMES WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO CHANGE AND WE WILL HAVE TO DO IT SOON BEFORE ALL IS LOST. WE WILL HAVE TO JOIN HANDS IN EVERY FIELD AND WORK TOWARDS ONE GOAL, TO BRING BACK ALL THAT WE ARE LOOSING.

What according to you are the other causes for the decline of Hindi cinema?

The rising growth and dependence of the audience on television, the various entertainment events, the spate of channels, the new radio channels and even the sports channels are taking away a large section of people from cinema.

What do you think about the star system which is ruling or is it running the industry?

That is another scary problem. A major part of the money involved in the making of a film goes to the stars who charge exorbitant prices and give back nothing in return. The rest of the money is spent in making the entire film. How can this kind of lop sided way of working lead to the making of good films for the good of all? And moreover these mighty stars have now started interfering in every aspect of filmmaking. They ask for scripts which they okay with great difficulty and the films flop miserably. They interfere in the making of the film about which they know little or nothing. They demand a song whether it is needed in the script or not because they need the song to perform at their shows which brings them much more money. They interfere in the making of the promos, the trailers and the publicity of the film. If they were to know every film would have been a big success. But that is not the case and no one has the courage to do anything about this problem so they suffer in silence and sometimes even die in silence.

What is the solution?

It is difficult for one man to sit down and set things right overnight. The entire industry together with the starts will have to find a solution because if things continue to go on the way they are nothing is going to be achieved by any one and the stars will go on ruling the way they are and even ruining it as you and many others feel.

But you have always worked with big stars.

The conditions were not so bad once. But now with the corporate houses and other companies willing to put in any amount of money into films, there is money flowing all over the place and there are money forces willing to throw money at the stars for their love for glamour and to see their faces being splashed in the media. It is not only the star but also some of the new directors who have turned into stars with just one or two hits who are raking in the crores. It is very difficult for a professional filmmaker to play with money the way they are. But this trend too will pass. Some of the corporate houses and companies are already in troubled waters.

But do you think things will change in the near future?

I have always been an optimist. I know for sure that this is a passing phase. Good films with original ideas like "Rang De Basanti", "Fanaa", "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" and "Lage Raho Munnabhai" have been accepted by the people and are very big hits. They had both the content and the technique which is the blend for a bright future. We have to trace our forgotten roots. We have to draw back our youngsters who are turning away from Hindi films. This can only be done by making good films which will appeal to them. We will have to give them films that will make them accept the films as their own and films with the right contents is the only way it can be done, I am sure.

Do you see any signs of hope?

Yes, I see great hope in the new generation of filmmakers and I have a positive hope in our people who will forgive us for the mistakes we have made and receive our films with enthusiasm again.

What can we expect from you and Mukta Arts?

Wait for some time when I will spring some surprises. Let me tell you that I am going to direct not one but two films. One is the first small film I will direct and complete in thirty days and the other is a big film which is still in the planning stages. We at Mukta Arts have a motto which says that we cannot surrender under any stress or troubled times. All the dark clouds that are hovering around the industry will vanish and the bright light of a new future will shine again, mark my words.