GOLDIE BEHL
Out to strike gold

Upcoming youngsters, and budding talent seem to be taking over the industry slowly but steadily.

Among the sparkling cluster of star-children, is the imaginative and immensely creative Goldie Behl, son of late producer-director Ramesh Behl.

Making his directorial debut with Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. Goldie is out to fulfil his dream which is definitely not itna sa.

"Ambition, betrayal, desire, passion, tragedy, happiness and love is the colourful spectrum of emotions that the protagonist of Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. goes through", says the first-time director about his brainchild which stars childhood pal Abhishek Bachchan along with Jackie Shroff,
Sushmita Sen and Rani Mukherji.

"The khwab germinated when my buddy Abhishek agreed to do a film with me.

The idea further blossomed when he heard my script and suggested that I would be the best person to direct it."

That set the ball rolling, and Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. did not remain a mere dream.

A dreamer by nature, films are a mode of expression for Goldie.

And he considers it as the fifth element without which he cannot survive.

He had always been fascinated with the whole process of germination of ideas from trivial passing thoughts, which ultimately give birth to situations and characters.

Right from his school days he has been a visualiser, fond of writing compositions and taking keen interest in history and English.

"This fascination grew with me as I began writing short stories, screenplays and songs.

As a kid, I would sit in my father's lap and watch him edit his films."

Later when his father would leave the room, young Goldie would imitate his him by cutting and rejoining unwanted footage with a slicer.

Although filmmaking comes to him as an inheritance, he is not influenced by anybody.

His outlook towards films is original and quiet unusual. "I have liked all the films that I have seen.

If you can understand why the film has been made, its purpose is served. Then things like continuity jerks, bad music and other aspects can be overlooked", says Goldie who started as a producer with Angaaray when he
was just a teenager.

He derived the confidence to take such a big leap from two factors, necessity and ambition.

Although Angaaray did not do well, he learnt his most important lessons there.

Battling problems such as finance crunches and non co-operation, Goldie saw the flipside before the good one.

Looking back he does not regret starting with a failure which taught him the definite 'Don'ts' of the game.

And he isn't the first Goldie in the precincts of Bollywood.

Noted filmmaker Vijay Anand is the first Goldie.

"Please don't compare me with him. I am too small a fry," pleads Goldie honestly when asked about it.

Goldie's real is Goldie while Vijay Anand is lovingly called Goldie by close friends and family.

Going on from here Goldie wants to make films that give the people their money's worth.

He hopes to turn on a chain of thoughts in the minds of his audience.

He firmly believes that "even if 10 per cent of the people like my work,

then my aim is accomplished.

"I believe that the satisfaction and happiness of everyone connected with the film is an important yardstick to measure its success."

It is this humane side of his personality that inspires him to pick up day to day experiences from his own as well as other people's lives and give them imaginative curves, building a heart-warming story out of them.

In spite of this prominently thoughtful nature, Goldie is aware of the ground realities and practicalities of the business.

Talking about the dominance of style over substance in the films of today Goldie says, "Packaging and marketing is a part of the business.

How you present your ideas and events is what catches the audience's fascination."

However," adds Goldie, "style without substance cannot hold ground for too long and can never make a lasting impression."

We definitely hope that you do, Goldie.