In an interview with
Rajya Sabha TV, Ghai recounted that after graduated from FTII, he came to Bombay, but was not allowed to enter any studio as he was unknown. He then read self help books like
Dale Carnegie's How to Win friends and influence people, and used techniques given in it to help him try and enter the film industry. At the same time, he learnt of and entered a United Producers Filmfare talent contest. Of the 5,000 participants, three people were selected in it, he,
Rajesh Khanna and
Dheeraj Kumar. While Khanna received a role soon after, Ghai received a role a year later. Ghai started his career in
Hindi cinema as an actor with small roles in films including
Taqdeer (1967) and
Aradhana (1969). He was the male lead in the 1970s
Umang and
Gumraah. Post that he went on to direct
Vishwanath in 1978,
Gautam Govinda in 1979 and
Karz in 1980. Thereafter, he directed the film
Krodhi (1981) starring
Dharmendra and
Zeenat Aman. In the 1980s and 1990s, he formed a successful collaboration with
Dilip Kumar whom he directed in
Vidhaata (1982),
Karma (1986) and
Saudagar (1991), the latter for which he won his first and only
Filmfare Award for Best Director. He introduced
Jackie Shroff as a leading actor in the action romance
Hero (1983) and helped establish
Anil Kapoor's rising career with the legal drama
Meri Jung (1985). The institute trains students in filmmaking: production, direction, cinematography, acting, animation. Ghai has done brief cameos in his directorial ventures. After a three-year hiatus from directing, he returned in 2008 with
Black & White released on 7 March 2008 and, later
Yuvvraaj released in November 2008 with collaboration Yash Singhaniya (award-winning journalist and writer). which did not perform well at the box office.
A. R. Rahman stated in an interview that Ghai had asked him to use the words "
Jai Ho" in a song. Although intended for
Yuvraaj, the song resulted in
Jai Ho!, featured in
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and won the
Academy Award for Best Original Song at the
81st Academy Awards. At the
Cannes International Film Festival in May 2018, Ghai announced that he is co-producing a biopic on
Osho Rajneesh along with an Italian production house. The movie would be directed by Lakshen Sucameli. , he has written and directed a total of 16 movies.
Advisor Currently, he is also on the
Board of Advisors of
India's International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.). ==Personal life==