When director Subhash Ghai's Taal released in theatres in 1999, audiences were unaware that the film would revolutionise the musical genre by not merely incorporating music into the narrative but by structuring the entire story around it. As Taal , starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor, marks its 25th anniversary today, Ghai reflects on the creative process that he considers the pinnacle of his career. Wanted to get out of the image of Khalnayak Ghai, who was already known at the time for his love story Pardes (1997), was still overshadowed by the success of his 1993 blockbuster Khalnayak .
Eager to redefine his storytelling approach, he conceived Taal as a departure from his previous work. "My inspiration was the rebel in me that I will not make a crime film. I was going through Khalnayak's success and I wanted to know if I can make a love story or not," the 79-year-old filmmaker says.
He adds, "It was a big challenge for me on how to go about it. I purposely kept the title Taal, so that main apne aap ko bhatkau nahi. That's when the music was also born.
" Told AR Rahman he was the hero of the film Ghai turned to the acclaimed music composer AR Rahman, whose work in Roja (1992), Dil Se (1998), and Rangeela (1995) had already made a significant impact. For Ghai, Rahman was central to the film's vision. "I had to change my composer and went to AR Rahman.
I told him that 'my title is Taal and you are the hero and rest are my characters and stories'. He .