Line of fire: Everybody works for somebody

Ajay Devgn wants investigation against Karan Johar following bribe controversy

Bollywood may appear to be a world of glitz and glamour, home to some of the biggest stars in the Indian film industry, but things there aren’t always as perfect as they seem. At times, all it takes is one remark, one social media post or one fleeting gesture to turn old friends into rivals, giving us some of the most scandalous controversies.

The recent tiff between actor Ajay Devgn and ace director Karan Johar has taken the internet by storm, and things are just getting uglier.

Indian cinema enthusiasts are aware of the name Kamaal R Khan, the self-proclaimed film critic who is currently the centre of all attention after he apparently spilled the beans on Johar, according to The Indian Express.

Johar and Devgn are both planning to release their movies Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) and Shivaay, respectively, this Diwali to cash in on the festival. Both projects boast mega budgets and powerful casts and are therefore being anticipated by fans all over the country. However, it is only natural for competition to exist between two projects of similar stature, hitting screens around the same time.



Initially singing praises for the Devgn starrer on his social media page, the critic took a u-turn when he posted a series of tweets in favour of Johar’s latest offering. These could have been harmless, had they not been blatant comparisons between the two films. For instance, one tweet read, “Only youngsters watch films 2-3 times and they like Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Fawad, so they are going to watch ADHM, not Shivaay!”Another one said, “49% people want to watch ADHM and 43% want to watch Shivaay but 8% will decide after watching my review.”

However, the ones that may have infuriated the Singham star the most were, “I personally suggest Ajay Devgn to avoid clash with ADHM because Shivaay has to do minimum 200 crore business at the box office to recover 150 crore investment only,” and, “ADHM teaser trailer released a few hours ago and it has left Shivaay much behind in survey.” One would think Khan was almost deliberately waving a red flag at the bull, waiting to be attacked.

In a series of events that followed later, Devgn had his business partner, Kumar Mangat, call up the critic to demand an explanation for the sudden change in stance and the open negativity for Shivaay. In the recorded telephonic conversation, Khan confessed that he has been forced to speak in favour of ADHM against his will because Johar had paid him INR2.5 million, a revelation that has led Devgn to contemplate legal action against the director.

Devgn also issued a public statement bashing Johar and Khan, which read, “I have been a part of the Indian film industry for the past 25 years and have been associated with over 100 films. It, therefore, pains me to see that people like Kamaal R Khan are holding the film industry to ransom by spreading negativity about films to extort money from producers. It is very sad that people from our own industry are supporting such elements and spoiling the ethos of the film industry. I would strongly demand that this be thoroughly investigated by competent authorities to clarify if Karan Johar was indeed involved in this.”

The Dharma Productions owner is yet to comment on the matter. Khan, on the other hand, recently posted another tweet, denying he ever received a bribe to promote or badmouth a particular film. “Let me clear it,” he said. “Karan Johar has never paid me or asked me to bash Shivaay and you can hear it in the tape. I said 25 lakhs to avoid Kumar [Mangat].”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2016.

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