I have stopped worrying about the ramifications: Karan Johar

Film-maker discloses his take on public opinions, discusses Bollywood journey

Film-maker Karan Johar has stopped taking opinions seriously and is fine with his attitude getting labelled as part of mid-life crisis. “I have stopped worrying about the ramifications or what others say. You have to basically become deaf because today opinions are available everywhere. You wake up to opinions, sleep and you’re reading opinions,” Bollywood.com quoted Johar as saying.

“People have a lot of time in the world to give you their opinion. It’s up to you what you choose to take in or not. I have decided, you can call it a good mid-life crisis. I am 44 and I don’t listen to people anymore,” he said, adding he chooses to focus on his work than ponder over the consequences.

The director said when he started his career with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, his aim was to make Dharma Productions reach a certain economic stability, and it was only after his father’s death that he began taking risks in film-making.



“When I began my career, I didn’t take many risks because the first two films I directed and my father produced, the whole idea there was to seek commerce in art. My intention was to make sure Dharma productions could stand tall and gain the economic strength which we hadn’t before,” added the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director. “It is only in the last decade and ironically after I lost my father, I grew wings. His constant emotional surveillance may not have allowed me to take few chances in cinema.”

Johar revealed that even though he never took any decision which would make him “repent”, he did go ahead with certain choices which made him feel liberated. “I made a film about homosexuality in Bombay Talkies which said how it is sometimes hidden because of societal pressure. I did take that chance because that was the kind of film I was making. Today, I feel there is a lot more freedom I exercise when it comes to my work,” he said.

On a separate note, Johar thanked the makers of Baahubali for letting him being a small part of the project. While he has acquired the theatrical rights of the Hindi version of the Baahubali franchise which he will present under the banner of Dharma Productions, Johar called it “probably the greatest film ever made”. At the pre-release event of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, he said, “This is the biggest movie event in the history of Indian cinema and I have to say I’m amazed. This is pure dedication, pure strength and this is what I want to go back and teach.”



At the event, a special audio-video on Johar’s career was screened. “Baahubali, 67 years later, has beaten the magic created by Mughal-e-Azam on screen. Rajamouli’s cinema has soul, his personality has gumption and I don’t think I even have 10% of it,” he said.

Producer Shobu Yarlagadda thanked Johar for helping them conquer one of the toughest industries (Bollywood) with Baahubali. “We went to Karan Johar to take Baahubali out of Tollywood. When he saw the film, he could see the potential in it. Since he believed in the film and put his name on it, we could conquer Bollywood market. Thank you, Karan Johar, for being a part of this journey,” Yarlagadda said, adding that the film wouldn’t have happened if everybody didn’t stick together for five years.

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