People’s expectations are scaring me

The three months spent in New York shooting for my latest Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna were the most difficult phase of my life, ace director Karan Johar tells Subhash K. Jha

What for? I am just an ordinary director making an ordinary film. I guess the curiosity comes from my making my first film since 2001 after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G). Kabhi Alvidaa..., too, has a huge cast. So there will be a certain expectation.

Films involving Shah Rukh and me are talked about. They have been very successful in the past. People’s expectations are scaring me. I am not getting much sleep. But, yes, I have tackled marriage, an institution I am not familiar with. Now that I am 33 and greying, I have stopped seeking the support of hair-dye. I was more than ready to take on a mature theme.

I was quite tired of being counted among the new generation of filmmakers. I am not young anymore. I am 10 years into the industry, and quite qualified to tackle a mature subject.

So no research?

None. Except emotional research! My cinema is always a result of personal observations. I don’t read, listen to current music or run to see every film in town. My education comes from past Hindi cinema and music. I observe strangers, or friends at parties...

But let me tell you Kabhi Alvidaa... is not about real people. It’s a complete piece of fiction. It comes from a space I don’t know, but understand. I created the characters for various reasons. I hope to God no one connects personally with the characters.

Most of the film is shot. Does it look as unconventional as people think?

I think people will connect as well with this film as they did with K3G and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Kabhi Alvidaa... is a human drama. It’s about marriages and other man-woman relationships. Last time when I directed, they said it was Yash Uncle’s (Yash Chopra) Kabhi Kabhie. This time I am supposed to be re-making Silsila. It’s also supposed to have elements of the film Closer. But it’s not! I admire Yash Chopra more than any filmmaker. That’s why I would never dare remake his films. Silsila is one of my favourite films. But all of us filmmakers are perfectly capable of doing original work. Don’t you think? We just need to apply ourselves.

I don’t want to say much. Anything I say can and will be held against me.

So let’s just wait for audiences to see the film and let them form their opinions. All I can say is, it’s a Hindi film like any other. I have just fine-tuned it differently.

Who am I to even try to present him differently? There has never been an actor like him. Personally, for me he is my god, my hero and brother. I don’t have to think about how he’ll play a character. He does all the thinking on his own. The character comes from my heart. And then Shahrukh takes over.

Rani Mukerji is someone I appreciate for various reasons. I love Rani as a person and a performer. Her Black is a landmark performance. I don’t think she can ever do it again which is so unfortunate. She stood by me when I was just starting out. And after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai she did a special appearance for me in K3G when she was going through a career-low.

What about her animosity with Preity?

Totally untrue. Problems happen when the navigator is weak. I don’t see myself as a weak captain of the ship. Rani and Preity share very little cinema space in my film. And they got along very well. And I mean that... There was no problem.

How was the New York stint?

Let me put it this way... it was the most difficult phase of my life. Those were the toughest three months ever. I thank my cast and crew for seeing me through them. The conditions and crises were tackled, thanks to my on-line producer and my CEO. It was traumatic. There were production problems, locations issues and a hurricane, plus everyone away from home... — IANS

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