"First Among Equals"- Imperia

Here’s tennis-champion-turned-film-producer Ashok Amritraj on his hits and misses, love for the movies and Hollywood dreams.

Redoubled Impact

BY PRIYANKA AGARWAL

T

here’s a tennis match going on in my head right now. When asked what comes first in my mind on hearing the name Ashok Amritraj, I can’t figure out what actually does — whether it’s images of his fierce tennis strokes or of his being a big-shot Hollywood producer.

Ashok Amritraj is one of Hollywood’s most successful producers today.

Right: Ashok Amritraj with actor Steve Martin.

Born in Chennai, Amritraj enjoyed a nine-yearlong career in tennis, including participation in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. He eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he was part of the Los Angeles Strings professional team that won the World TeamTennis (now Mylan World TeamTennis) Championship in 1978. With such success, it would have been standard for him to stick to professional tennis. However, he had something else in mind.

Amritraj entered the make-or-break world of movie production despite the lack of

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Amritraj urtesy Ashok All images co

any relevant background or mentor. Persevering through the risks and odds, he posted several box-office successes such as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Machete, Premonition, Bringing Down the House, Bandits, and The Boondock Saints. He is, today, the Chairman and CEO of the Hyde Park Entertainment Group, which has brought out more than a hundred movies grossing billions of dollars worldwide. The year 2013 has been extra special for this Hollywood mogul, with several achievements and honours, including the prestigious Soul of India Award for his outstanding achievements in the film industry.

Clockwise from above: On the pro tour, Monte Carlo 1978.

Winning the 1978 World TeamTennis Championships with teammates Ilie Nastase, Chris Evert, and brother Vijay Amritraj.

Ashok Amritraj (centre) with brothers Anand (left) and Vijay (right).

So, what’s the result of the match in my head, you ask? I call it a deuce with no match point.

What was Ashok Amritraj like in his childhood?

Growing up in Chennai was wonderful. I shared a beautiful relationship with my parents and brothers (former tennis players Vijay and Anand). Tennis constituted a major part of my day and our lives, and my earliest memories comprised being on the court, picking up balls

and throwing them back while my brothers were playing. I can never forget the first time my mother put a tennis racquet in my hand; I felt a sense of power as I held it. I used to wear very thick glasses and had very bad eyesight, and so, there was always a sense of insecurity, especially with two successful, handsome brothers.

At the same time, films, especially from Hollywood, fascinated me — some of them were Ben-Hur and To Sir, with Love. I remember watching The Sound of Music 34 times as a young boy! I think films have always been a dream for me, and being part of that dream factory was ingrained in my mind in my younger days.

How was the transition from professional tennis to film production?

It was extraordinarily difficult. I wouldn’t recommend it to the weak of heart. Hollywood 11

Ashok Amritraj with actor JeanClaude Van Damme (above) and actor Sidney Poitier (below).

makes you pay your dues. At the time of the 1978 World TeamTennis Championship, I knew a number of people and felt I could easily break into the film business because of them. I was wrong. I took the plunge in 1980 and faced 6–7 years of knocking on doors, developing projects, getting turned down, not getting a movie made, and finally making smaller films for HBO, Showtime and other television networks. However, at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, I met a young limousine driver whom I had stumbled across in 1984.

He told me, “I sent out 800 photographs and got only one phone call back. You and I have to make a movie together.” We made a film called Double Impact at a budget of $11 million. It grossed over $100 million, and the rest is history. That young man was Jean-Claude Van Damme.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of movie production?

I would say one of the most difficult aspects is finding a great screenplay — one you’re passionate about and are willing to spend years to film. We receive over a hundred projects a month but find ourselves turning only 5–6 into movies each year! Additionally, you have tremendous amounts of money being spent on production — even larger on marketing — so a great challenge is to make your film cut through the traffic on television, the Internet and social media, and stand out as one you should go and watch on a Friday or Saturday evening. In short, I find every aspect of movie production challenging.

And the most interesting aspect?

It would be on the set — working with actors, figuring out how to make certain scenes work if they have been written with other actors in mind, and determining how to make certain dramatic and emotional moments effective.

I enjoy working with actors and have good relationships with all the stars I’ve worked with.

Crafting a script into what you want is also very exciting. The post-production process, too, has become extremely important because, in this digital world, you can change a film’s look, tone and feel at that stage. So, I think each aspect is enjoyable in a different way.

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putting us in tennis when it wasn’t exactly professional in India and allowing us to travel at a young age while they kept a close watch on us. They have been amazing role models.

If not a tennis player or movie producer, what would you have been?

I would have probably worked for an organisation like the UN. I think they do great work and are a positive influence on mankind.

Ashok Amritraj’s autobiography, Advantage Hollywood.

IF NOT A TENNIS PLAYER OR MOVIE PRODUCER, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY WORKED FOR AN ORGANISATION LIKE THE UN. I THINK THEY DO GREAT WORK AND ARE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON MANKIND.

What are the projects you have slated for 2014?

Life of Crime, starring Jennifer Aniston and Tim Robbins, closed the Toronto International Film Festival and will release early this year, followed

by Midnight Sun, a wonderful, touching family film about a young boy and a polar bear cub.

Then there’s Careful What You Wish For, a thriller starring Nick Jonas and Isabel Lucas.

Other projects include an action movie that I can’t talk about yet, and a film that is more of a drama, which I would call an actor’s piece.

You haven’t helmed any project as a director. Are you planning to direct one in the future?

I have neither any plans of nor any interest in directing a film. I prefer controlling every aspect of a film, which I get to do as the head of my company. I also like to be involved in marketing and distribution.

Who are your inspirations?

It has to be my parents: they taught me the value and closeness of a family, and had a great adventurous spirit in bringing us up,

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Tell us about your autobiography, Advantage Hollywood.

Initially, when I was asked to write it, I turned it down because I didn’t feel I was at the end of my career. But then I realised that there is so much that has taken place in my life; I had to make notes just to remember the various hardships, incidents and anecdotes.

Also, as my father started to develop a touch of Alzheimer’s, I interviewed my parents for many hours, not still because of the book but because I wanted to know more about their roots, which we had heard over the years but never quite put down on tape or paper. As I did that, I started to feel that there was a story to tell; where they started out from was almost more important than where I started out from.

I believe it’s a story of not just a journey from India to Hollywood but more of an immigrant’s tale, with success, glamour and glitter thrown in. But I think it’s also about how one keeps one’s feet firmly on the ground and sticks to one’s values and traditions while operating in a globalised world. Everything in the book is true and is the way it happened, so I’m very happy and proud of the fact that I could put it all into a story.

GET THE ADVANTAGE • Advantage Hollywood by Ashok Amritraj hit bookshelves last year.

Visit www.harpercollins.co.in for more information.

• Follow Ashok Amritraj on Twitter @AshokAmritraj • For his complete filmography, visit http://www.imdb.com/name/ nm0002170