Ghai accepts SC verdict, says will build schools elsewhere

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai said that he would abide by the Supreme Court’s verdict, directing him to return land used to build his film school Whistling Woods back to the Maharashtra government, but was saddened by it. “Whatever the case may be it is fine, we will abide by it. I will talk to my lawyers and see what can be done,” Ghai told Times Now after the court’s verdict was announced. The filmmaker said the project would continue with the creation of more film schools in other states and countries. [caption id=“attachment_266472” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The director denied that he had been favoured by Maharashtra CM . AFP”] [/caption] “Fortunately there are so many states that have asked us to start institutes,” Ghai said. “Land is not education. Education makes the land superior. If it is not valued properly, it is a very sad scene,” he said. Ghai denied that he had been favoured by the Maharashtra government or former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh when he was given 14 acres in Mumbai to construct the school in suburban Mumbai. “This project was on merits and not for Subhash Ghai. Why would anyone give it to Subhash Ghai?” the filmmaker said. The director claimed that the merits of the project had not been perceived correctly and it was not right to blame anyone for it. “It pains me to see that governments and people dont value it (the school),” Ghai said, adding that any great work would initially go through rejection but would hopefully be accepted later. “I have thrown my career for 10 years to create the next generation of creators,” he said. The Supreme Court today upheld the Bombay High Court order quashing the land allotted to his film institute in Film City in suburban Mumbai. A bench of justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad also pulled up former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for allotting the land in 2004, saying the CM cannot bend or bypass rules to give away government land.