Whistleblower in reel woods: Meghna Ghai Puri

Hyderabad: Meghna Ghai Puri, daughter of showman Subhash Ghai, could have simply done what many star kids do; followed in her father’s footsteps, but here’s how she’s different: Not only has she carved a niche of her own, but has given life to her dad’s dream project Whistling Woods International Film School, which was recently honoured and awarded by Bob Blackman, a member of Parliament of the UK for maintaining the global standards and in contributing to the growth of the Indian education system.

The first obvious question is why did she not choose to act or direct? To this Meghna replies, “I had two left feet, I still do and one can’t think of becoming an Indian actor if you can’t dance! On a serious note, my father isn’t just a filmmaker, he is a businessman, a writer, producer and a director! I didn’t want to concentrate on one aspect of what my dad was. Most of my childhood memories are of spending time with him on the sets. He’s a workaholic and continues to be, he’s very passionate about films and seeing that part of him, I realised maybe this is not for me. I assisted him in many films such as Pardes, Taal, from scripting to post production and even marketing, thankfully, my parents never pressurised. I was given the option to decide for myself whether I wanted to be in the movie-making business or do something else. Also, why should I force myself into expectations, I’d rather do what I like, so this is why I didn’t end up directing or acting.”

A big change in her life came, when her mother encouraged her to go to London to study. Calling it a life-changing moment, Meghna shares, “I was an only child (at that time), and to have my mom push me to study abroad was the biggest sacrifice my parents could make. It was a shock to everyone, initially, my dad refused, but mom convinced him to let me go. She wanted me to become independent and be on my own. Had I remained in Mumbai, I would have an easy, protected life. I was in London for seven years, and it greatly helped me open up and become responsible.”

From a shy young girl who was inspired by Forest Gump when she was leaving home, to study at a boarding school, Meghna has come a long way. She says, “The little girl grew up. Going away from home was the best thing that happened to me. From growing up in Bollywood surroundings to living on my own, and meeting people from different cultures made me responsible and confident about myself.”

Talking about how she became attached to Whistling Woods, Meghna says, “I had started working in London, and dad had just launched an IPO after Taal. He thought the time was perfect for him to set up his school and he asked me to come back and get involved with the school. The project became my baby. Dad and I had no idea how to set up a school, and did a lot of research. We researched hundreds of institutes in India and abroad in Eupore, America and Australia. We both visited over 35-40 schools and saw their curriculum to understand what they’re doing and understand the mistakes they’ve made. We then started work on our curriculum and that’s how the journey began, and today, we’re proud of the institute and what we’ve accomplished.”

Being the president of Whistling Woods International Film School, Meghna takes her job very seriously, trying to strike a perfect balance between work and home. Her two children three-and-a-half-year-old Ranveer, seven-year-old Aanya and husband Rahul are her priorit. At the same time she credits her college sweetheart Rahul and support staff for allowing her to work without any guilt. She says, “We women put a lot of pressure on ourselves to strike a balance..., one can never achieve that. My children understand my work as I have been carrying them to office since they were two-three months old. At work too, we’ve tried to make the culture comfortable for both men and women. I truly believe only if you’re happy, your work and home is balanced.”