Nadiadwala, whose career started as an associate producer on the 1967 hit Pathar Ke Sanam, pointed out his family's long association with the Hindi movie business, and their track record of grooming talent.
"Over the decades many well known directors have made their debut with films produced by the Nadiadwalas, especially Shakti Samanta (Aradhana)," he said. "We have had a history of grooming newcomers or bringing back into the limelight distinguished directors who have been lying low."
The Nadiadwala family has produced such hits as Howrah Bridge, Taj Mahal, Chitralekha and Adalat, the last being one of Amitabh Bachchan's big hits in the mid-1970s. "So I was very confident in handing over Jaan-E-Mann to Shirish," the producer said.
He confessed that too many people had asked him about the wisdom of releasing his film on the same day as Farhan Akhtar's Don. The producer did not seem to be tired of assuring the doubters that there need not be any cannibalising -- and that one big budget film does not always have to eat into the box-office gross of its seeming rival.
The market is big enough to absorb two hits, he said, pointing out how in summer Hollywood sees several big budget films released the same week. The Indian market too has become sophisticated in recent years, Nadiadwala felt.
Special: Jaan-E-Mann vs Don this Diwali/Eid
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