The industry has just gone haywire!

Mehboob Productions, Producer Mehboob Khan; RK Films, Producer Raj Kapoor; V. Shantaram Films, Producer V. Shantaram; Guru Dutt Films, Producer Guru Dutt; MKD Films, Producer Manmohan Kikubhai Desai; Prakash Mehra Productions, Producer Prakash Mehra; BR Films, Producer B.R. Chopra; Yash Raj Films, Producer Yash Chopra. Add to this list filmmakers such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Shakti Samanta, among others.

All these and many others staked their names and reputation when they made a film. Their films were sold in their name, not on who starred in the film. You knew who was making the film and expected accordingly. For instance, B.R. Chopra made films of social relevance of that era and yet touched themes that any other producer would consider risky.

His 'Dhool Ka Phool' dealt with an out-of-marriage child abandoned and brought up by a Muslim man who croons, 'Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega ... insaan ki aulaad hai insaan banega'. The film that dealt with such issues was unthinkable in those days, but these were a fact of life. Chopra's 'Gumraah', where a married woman strays, was way ahead of its time, yet was a success, and has inspired many more films on a similar theme.