EXCLUSIVE: “My father’s production Taj Mahal was the first film in which POP (Plaster Of Paris) was used for constructing a set! People would come on the sets just to see what is POP” – Firoz Nadiadwala : Bollywood News

Noted Bollywood producer Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala aka A G Nadiadwala, of Welcome and Hera Pheri fame, passed away early morning on August 22, 2022. He was 91 years old and died due to cardiac arrest while he was being treated at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai.

EXCLUSIVE: “My father’s production Taj Mahal was the first film in which POP (Plaster Of Paris) was used for constructing a set! People would come on the sets just to see what is POP” – Firoz Nadiadwala

Not many are aware of A G Nadiadwala’s achievements and the respect, which he commanded in the film industry. His producer-son Firoz Nadiadwala exclusively spoke to Bollywood Hungama about his father and shared many unknown aspects about him.

Your father, A G Nadiadwala, passed away on August 22. How are you doing now?
I am fine. We are continuing the work that he started and maintained. So, we are trying our best to live up to his expectations (smiles).

Which was the first film made by your family?
The first movie which we made was titled Inspector (1956). It was produced by my grandfather, Abdul Karim Nadiadwala, and my father, Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala. My father was only 23 or 24 at that time.

How did they enter the film industry?
My father and grandfather became friends with some people in the movie industry. That’s how the interest turned into a business. They were originally from Nadiad, Gujarat. My father was born in 1932 and shifted to Mumbai in 1940 or 41. This was a time when we used to stay in Malad and were in the construction business. So, a few people from the movie industry came to stay in the houses that we constructed. That’s how where the friendship started.

You have a great sense of humour. Did you get it from your father?
(Smiles) It was ancestral. My father got it from his grandfather and I got it from my father!

Your father made several films but one film that stands out is Mahabharat…
That is the only film made on the epic Mahabharata in India. It was made in 1964 and was released in 1965. At that time, it did a silver jubilee. If you see the battle sequences, you’d realize that it has been filmed without VFX. There are real chariots, hundreds of junior artists, elephants etc. in the war scenes.

Another film made by your father around the same time was Taj Mahal (1963)…
That film was made before Mahabharat. It was the first film in which POP (Plaster Of Paris) was used for constructing a set! People would come on the sets just to see what is POP as it was unprecedented and never done before.

The common factor between Mahabharat, Taj Mahal and the other films made by your father was that all his films were larger than life. And I believe you also have the same vision…
Cinema is for the big screen and for that, you need to enthral the audience. Hence, you need to have scale and entertainment. But it needs to be sensible and logical. If you see, Tom & Jerry cartoons also have logic! Even in Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy movies, there’s a logic behind humour. It’s neither slapstick nor buffoonery.

Sanjeev Kumar’s book was released recently and the author stated how people who owe him money still haven’t settled the debt. Have there been times when these people failed to return the money given by your father?
Yes. Jab rishta hota hai na kisi ke saath, tab insaan plus-minus sab absorb kar leta hai.

Do you mean he won’t even ask the debtors when they’d return the money?
No. I have also imbibed this quality from him. I maybe financially tight, many people owe me money but I don’t even send them a letter regarding it.

Which was your first film as a producer?
Jhutha Sach (1984). It starred Dharmendra ji, Rekha ji, Asrani ji and Amrish Puri ji and was directed by Esmayeel Shroff. My father put me into production work at the age of 16. Even today, I am working for my father (smiles). Bachchon ki kabhi haisiyat ho sakti hai kya baap se bade hone ki?

What about your education?
I did my graduation in commerce and also did a course in Law and business management. Later, I applied to Harvard where I got a reply that they are interested in having me. However, my father insisted that I stay back and work with him.

Who were his friends with whom he used to hang out?
My father was not that kind of a person. He’d go to the office and be back home. Lekin kisi ko koi pareshani ho, toh pehle khade ho jaate the. He’d wake up, get ready, offer namaz, and head to the office. He’d return at 7:30 pm, have dinner with us, offer namaz, watch television and go to sleep at 10:00 pm. I have never seen my father attend parties. He never touched alcohol or cigarette. He was very simple.

You said that he’d stand by people if they were in trouble. Would people do the same with him if he was facing an issue?
No. Issi ka naam toh zindagi hai. The best part about him is that if he ever faced problems, he’d absorb them. He won’t tell the whole town about it. He knew that life is full of highs and lows.

In an interview 7 years ago, you said that your father was meticulous in his planning…
Yes, my father would plan the budgets very systematically. Both he and my grandfather would focus on every minute aspect of movie making. Tab directors bhi waise hote the who’d understand that they need to deliver quality content under these parameters. He has never reshot a film. We have gone for a half-day patchwork shoot but never reshot for say 10-15 days. We never had to do that as everything is planned to the T.

My father would trust the directors completely. He’d hear the narration from the director, plan the budget and other aspects and then the film will roll. He’d rarely go on film sets. Man ji (director Manmohan Desai) made four films for us in the 70s – Raampur Ka Lakshman (1972), Bhai Ho To Aisa (1972), Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973) and Parvarish (1977). Once my father went on the sets of Man ji’s film. He got worried. He asked him, ‘Seth ji, aap yahaan kaise?’. To which, my father said, ‘Bas aise hi milne aaya hoon’. Man ji replied, ‘Aap 10 minute se zyada rukna mat. Warna sab ko lagega ki main kaam theek se nahi kar raha hoon’ (laughs)! Imagine, Man ji was at his peak and he said this.

Your father also worked with Prakash Mehra…
Yes, he made Mela (1971) and Haath Ki Safai (1974). The same happened with him too. Artists mere father ko set pe bulate the aur directors ghabra jaate the!

Your father would sign lead actors for multiple films. Was the same idea applied in the case of Akshay Kumar as well? He did several films for your banner…
Yes. Unke saath, ekdum ghar ka rishta hai. The same goes for Paresh bhai (Paresh Rawal). With Akshay, we worked in Lahoo Ke Do Rang (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Aan: Men At Work (2004), Deewane Hue Paagal (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006) and Welcome (2007). He has not changed at all. He has the same dedication and focus that he had then in his 90s. He’s a director’s and producer’s actor. He gives you full respect and values work. He never indulges in loose talk or misbehaving. He’d come on time and give his 100%. No wonder he is thriving for 30 years.

Hera Pheri changed the tide for him and brought his comic timing to the fore. He must be thankful to you and your father, isn’t he?
Lekin usne mehnat bhi bahut kiya na. The key people who need to be credited for Hera Pheri are Akshay Kumar, Neeraj Vora, and Ahmed Khan. Ahmed did the two big songs – Akshay’s introduction song, 'Jab Bhi Koi Haseena' and the song with Namrata Shirodkar, 'Tun Tunak Tun'. Those two films gave the film a glamour quotient.

Deepest condolences on the passing of Shri Gaffarbhai Nadiadwala. My father & he were associates during the golden era of our cinema. ? Shanti AG Nadiadwala saab. My condolences to the Nadiadwala family.
— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) August 22, 2022

After your father passed away, Ajay Devgn tweeted and said that he and his father were associates…
Veeru uncle aur daddy ka toh kya rishta tha! It was a very deep bond. Veeru uncle was a highly respected man due to his talent. He’d not shy from taking responsibility. He'd understand the requirement from the director or producer. Then his work would begin and he’ll finish his commitment dutifully. I had got the good fortune of working with him in Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Pratikar (1991), etc. We did 3-4 films together. He was a fine man and even Ajay is like that. He’s committed, disciplined and well-behaved.

Before his passing, did he tell you about how he wants you to take things forward?
He simply wanted clean and big-scale entertaining films should be made for theatres. He used to say, ‘Aadmi ekkees hona chahiye. Technician 19 hoga toh chalega’. The person’s technical qualifications may not be upto the mark but he should be a good person. He also believed that ‘Kisi ke baare mein acha zaroor bolo. Ache ke alawa kuch mat bolo’.

Is there anything else about him that you would like to share?
In the 70s, he was the biggest Overseas movie buyer. He opened an office in London. At that time, he used to buy Hindi films made by other producers and distribute them worldwide. Unhone sirf kaam kiya aur family sambhaali. His idea of relaxing and recreation was to make his family happy. He used to only wear white clothes and white footwear!

Why was that?
Just. But he’ll give us colourful gifts! He was the second person in India in 1977 to get VCR. The first person was someone in American Consulate. At the same time, we were the first people in Bombay at least to get a cordless phone! It was big in size. I still have it somewhere. Sab sambhaal ke rakha hai maine. He also had this record system which can play cassette, film spool and even cartridges. Akai ka tha and it was unique. I am going to one day display all these items.

It seems like he was a lover of new gadgets and devices...
He was very tech savvy but he was not educated. He had studied only till Class 4 in Gujarati. But his education was what life taught him.

And yet, he knew English very well, I suppose?
Absolutely. Daddy ke office se agar koi contract gaya hai, toh bade se bade lawyer usme galti nahi nikal sakte the. Some of the highly reputed actors of that time, before signing an agreement, would insist, ‘Ek baar Seth ji ko dikha do’! So that agreement would be handed over to my father. Unka uss film ya actor ke saath koi lena-dena nahi hai! Yet, he’ll go through it. Then he’ll call the actor and tell him ‘Yeh point aapke favour mein nahi hai. Isko theek karao’! So, he wasn’t educated but he had the basic common sense.

He also had complete knowledge of construction from carpentry to plumbing. This is because woh khud ghar banate the Malad mein, since the age of 12 or 13. His knowledge about pillars, beams, construction materials etc was limitless.

Also Read: MEGA EXCLUSIVE: Firoz Nadiadwala to produce a 5D film on Mahabharat at a cost of Rs. 700 crores; Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh being considered for the lead roles