Mumbai, July 20: Karan Johar, on moving ahead, moving films and moving towards making remakes and reducing extravagance
Karan Johar has just returned from a fifty-day schedule of My Name is Khan from San Francisco, followed by a short break in London. He left right after his birthday bash in May, and now, has returned to oversee the release of two Dharma films Wake Up Sid and Kurban. He will shortly embark on the final schedule of My Name Is Khan (MNIK) in Mumbai. Over coffee and sandwiches, the coolest director in town talks about his films, his shopping indulgences and why he hates hats. Read on…
You must be bummed about MNIK not releasing this year.
Both Shah Rukh and I were keen to release it this year. But there were some factors that were beyond our control. Now, because of this delay, Shah Rukh doesn’t have a release this year and that is unfortunate. But the circumstances were beyond our control.
Some of the delay was caused by his surgery?
Not really. Yes, the surgery did push us ahead but also the fact that this is a very tough film to film. Other factors have delayed it. A lot of scheduling had to be done… also there was a lot of computer graphic work. So, we just took a call that we won’t be rushing for no rhyme or reason. Let’s not push it.
So early next year?
Hopefully. We are looking at a Jan or Feb release.
But you have Kurban and Wake Up Sid ready for release. How involved are you as a producer?
Up to a point, really. I need to have faith in the director, which I obviously do, because that’s why he is directing a film for me. Once we go through the process of greenlighting the script, scheduling, and structuring the cast and list of technicians, I step out. Because I feel like every filmmaker has to find his or her voice. And there is no point in me sitting there and confusing them. I think that every individual whether it is Tarun or Aayan, or Rensil everyone has his own voice and it has nothing to do with me.
But in the end, it’s your call on the final product…
They really come as creative suggestions. And I think, sometimes, if I feel very strongly about something, I might try and convince the director, rather than enforce my opinion. But, by large, it’s the director’s voice, and being a filmmaker, I know the importance of making a film based on your convictions. In fact, my deciding factor to work with a filmmaker is how original he is. I like that the fact that they combat what I say. That they are so convinced about what they feel that no matter what I am saying, they are not buying it.
The climax of Dostana was changed. Whose idea was that?
That was entirely Tarun’s call. He came to me and said, ‘Look, I have shot it and I don’t think it works.’ I looked at it and I said, ‘Ya, you may be right.’ Initially, I made him opt for the safe climax. Tarun kept saying, ‘It’s an edgy film, lets push the envelope.’ And finally, he came to me and said, ‘Look, I have shot it the way you wanted, but it is not working with the narrative.’ So I told him to come up with something that worked. He came back to me in two days. Tarun works like that. He is very spontaneous. He can write an entire script in a week. He can lock himself in a room and sit and finish it. He came back and said, ‘It has two of the protagonists kissing.’ And I said, ‘WHAT???’ Tarun said he would write it and show it to me, he did and we all thought it worked. Again, that reiterates that, eventually, it is the conviction of the director that is paramount, and not mine.
—Agencies