Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

The Top 10 Subhash Ghai Movies

The Top 10 Subhash Ghai Movies

LEGENDARY filmmaker Subhash Ghai has masterminded some of the most memorable movies in Indian cinema history and given a platform to new talent, who have gone on to become big stars.

The writer, director and producer will celebrate his 77th birthday on January 24. To mark the Bollywood legend turning a year older, Eastern Eye went back through his career to put together a watchlist of his top 10 movies.


Kalicharan (1976): The box office blockbuster will always remain important in the legend of Subhash Ghai because it was his directorial debut. The explosive action-drama saw Shatrughan Sinha play a unique double role of an honest police officer and a ferocious criminal, who looks like him. The movie proved to be so popular that it was remade in Telugu (Khaidi Kalidasu), Kannada (Kaalinga), Tamil (Sangili) and Malayalam Pathamudayam).

Karz AAxm4P

Karz (1980): The all-time classic is regarded as one of the greatest reincarnation stories ever made and would inspire many subsequent films, including 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om. Rishi Kapoor portrays a singer, who is reincarnated and seeks out the woman who killed him in a previous life. The film is taken to another level by its standout soundtrack and would set up Subhash Ghai to rule the 1980s.

Vidhaata (1982): The highest grossing film of 1982 and one of that decade's biggest successes had action, emotion, family drama, great music and romance. The filmmaker assembled a strong star cast that included Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure and Sanjay Dutt in the story of a young man who goes on a collision course with his grandfather, who has been forced onto the

wrong side of the law.

Hero

Hero (1983): Subhash Ghai wrote, produced, and directed one of that year’s biggest hits. Although it had a very strong star cast, it is best remembered for being the movie that turned then newcomer Jackie Shroff into a big star. He portrays a hoodlum who kidnaps the daughter of a senior police officer but is transformed by love. The multi-layered film was remade in various languages and once again had a stunning collection of songs, which became common in Ghai’s films.

Karma (1986): The filmmaker had followed up Hero with blockbuster hit Meri Jung (1985) and then delivered the biggest hit of 1986 with this memorable multi-starrer. He wrote, produced, and directed the story of a high-ranking police officer (Dilip Kumar) who assembles deadly criminals, played by Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Naseeruddin Shah, to take down a villain. Although it was an action film, Karma had much-loved songs like patriotic number Aye Watan Tere Liye.

Ram Lakhan (1989): The all-time classic, widely regarded as Ghai’s best work, was one of the year’s biggest hits and regularly makes lists of greatest Bollywood films ever made. He assembled a strong star cast that included Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Dimple Kapadia in the masala potboiler revolving around two brothers with opposing views of the law. There was a little of everything in the film, from family drama to romance, action, and memorable musical moments.

Saudagar (1991): Ghai launched a lot of newcomers, who went on to become big stars and with this film it was Manisha Koirala. The story of star-crossed lovers is also remembered for Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar playing friends turned deadly foes. After being unfairly overlooked on multiple occasions, Ghai finally won a Filmfare Best Director award for his Romeo and Juliet inspired film.

Khalnayak 0

Khalnayak (1993): The big-thinking filmmaker produced and directed the second highest grossing film of that year. Although it is best remembered for blockbuster musical number Choli Ke Peeche, the film had a strong storyline of a police officer (Madhuri Dixit) who goes undercover and on the run with an escaped villain (Sanjay Dutt). The crime action thriller had iconic moments and has since gained a cult status.

Pardes 1280

Pardes (1997): With this film, he launched Mahima Chaudhry. Shah Rukh Khan headlined the story of an Indian woman going abroad after agreeing to an arranged marriage and developing a bond with her fiancé’s foster brother. The musical drama weighed up traditional Indian values against modern culture and had a heartfelt romance at the centre between protagonists fighting their feelings. It once again had a blockbuster soundtrack.

Iqbal (2005): The filmmaker had slowed down on directing films later in his career but carried on producing. Although he scored a big success with Aitraaz (2004), his best film solely as a producer was this stunning cricket-inspired story. One of the best sports dramas ever made in India revolves around a deaf young man from an impoverished background chasing the impossible dream of becoming a professional cricketer. Iqbal would win multiple honours, including a National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

More For You

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

Keir Starmer speaks during a reception for public sector workers at 10 Downing Street in London on July 1, 2025. (Photo by CARL COURT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer faces revolt as welfare bill vote sparks Labour uproar

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer faced the most serious test of his leadership on Tuesday (1) as his government’s flagship welfare reforms came under fierce attack from within his own party.

The day was marked by emotional speeches, last-minute concessions, and a deep sense of division among Labour MPs, many of whom said the proposed changes would push vulnerable people into poverty

Keep ReadingShow less
Lucy Letby

Letby, from Hereford in western England, was charged in 2020 after a series of deaths in the hospital's neo-natal unit.

Three senior hospital staff arrested in Lucy Letby case probe

POLICE on Tuesday said they had arrested three senior staff members at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies. The arrests were made on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

The investigation was launched in 2023 at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) in northwest England, following Letby’s conviction and life sentence for killings that took place between 2015 and 2016.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dan Houser new game

Fresh take on the open-world genre from one of its most influential creators.

YouTube/ Rockstar Games

Red Dead Redemption creator Dan Houser confirms new open-world game in development

Key points

  • Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser is developing a new open-world video game.
  • The game is set in the universe of A Better Paradise, a sci-fi audio series launched in 2023.
  • A Better Paradise is being adapted into a novel series, with the first volume due in October 2025.
  • Houser left Rockstar in 2020 and founded Absurd Ventures in 2021.
  • There is no confirmed release date for the game at this time.

Dan Houser, the acclaimed co-creator behind Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, has officially confirmed that his new company, Absurd Ventures, is developing a new open-world video game. The title will be set in the universe of A Better Paradise, a science fiction IP first introduced in audio format last year.

A new venture after Rockstar

Dan Houser, a founding figure at Rockstar Games, played a central role in writing and producing some of the studio’s most celebrated titles, including Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto V, and Bully. After leaving Rockstar in 2020, he launched Absurd Ventures in 2021.

Keep ReadingShow less
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh in a still from Sardaar Ji 3 set for overseas release only
IMDB

Diljit Dosanjh’s 'Sardaar Ji 3' becomes highest-grossing Indian film in Pakistan amid boycott in India

Quick highlights:

  • Sardaar Ji 3 rakes in £275,000 (₹3 crore) on opening day in Pakistan, surpassing Sultan.
  • Diljit Dosanjh responds to backlash: “When we shot the film, everything was fine.”
  • Film was not released in India due to controversy over Pakistani actress Hania Aamir’s casting.
  • Worldwide opening weekend collection touches £1.6 million (₹18.1 crore).

The Punjabi-language horror-comedy Sardaar Ji 3, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, has become the highest-grossing Indian film ever released in Pakistan. Despite being banned in India, the film grossed £275,000 (₹3 crore) on its opening day and £825,000 (₹9 crore) over the first weekend in Pakistan alone.

Keep ReadingShow less