I have worked in the industry for the last 18 years. Now I want to do something different and therefore I am producing films,' said Saif Ali Khan (left), best known for films like the 2005 hit 'Salaam, Namaste'. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MUMBAI - BOLLYWOOD actor Saif Ali Khan makes his debut as a producer this month, marking a growing trend for stars in India's Hindi-language film industry to get more involved behind the camera.
SUCCESSFUL FILM ENDEAVOURS
Aamir Khan set up Aamir Khan Productions to make the film 'Lagaan' (Land Tax), which hinges on the outcome of a cricket match between a group of Indian villagers and their colonial British masters.
'Taare Zameen Par' (Stars on Earth), from 2007, tells the story of a child with dyslexia and is unlikely to have been touched by more mainstream producers.
'Love Aaj Kal' (Love Today and Tomorrow), a drama featuring Khan and actress Deepika Padukone, hits screens on July 31. It is the first venture by Illuminati Films, which he set up earlier this year.
'I have worked in the industry for the last 18 years. Now I want to do something different and therefore I am producing films,' said the 38-year-old, best known for films like the 2005 hit 'Salaam, Namaste'.
Now others are following suit. Anil Kapoor, recently seen as the quizmaster in the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire', has produced 'Short Kut: The Con is On' through his company Anil Kapoor Films.
Bollywood has traditionally been a family affair, with directors and producers, actors, musicians and singers, all tending to come from powerful dynasties.
But that - and those filmmakers with links to the city's underworld in the 1980s and 1990s - is increasingly a thing of the past, as big business looks to get a greater share of the lucrative US$2.1-billion (S$3.6 billion)-a-year industry.
With new corporate practices in place, Bollywood is moving away from its traditional song and dance 'masala' roots and experimenting with new styles and subjects. 'The industry has gone through a sea change,' said Khan.
'There are not many single producers left in the industry. So, we too need to branch out and do things which we believe in and I hope to continue by making more films in the future,' said Saif Ali Khan.
Work on his second film, called 'Agent Vinod', begins later this year. The days of the actor-producer-director began in 2000, when Khan's namesake Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment produced 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' (My Heart is Still Indian).
The film was not a success but in 2007 he hit the jackpot with 'Om Shanti Om', which took nearly two billion rupees (S$61.2 million) and became one of the biggest Bollywood films of all time. -- AFP
