Karan Johar

Karan Johar on bringing the three Khans together on screen, his opinion on the Censor Board and juggling many hats on the small screen

Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; September 17, 2012)

 

Dressed in a dapper black suit, Karan Johar seems at ease. He doesn’t give away the fact that he’s very busy otherwise. Not only is his first-ever directorial venture, Student Of The Year, without SRK all set to hit the marquee, he also has umpteen commitments on the small screen lined up before him. But not one to get bogged down with work, the 40-year-old filmmaker shares his thoughts on his multi-tasking skills, King Khan and much more.

How do you juggle all your shows at the same time?
Well, when you aren’t married and don’t have kids, you have a lot of time on hand. Time becomes a constraint for a family guy. I’m free and to top it, I have a very accommodating mother. So it’s easier for me to produce and direct a film and be a part of TV shows too.

How do you judge yourself as a talent show judge?
You can be a good or a bad judge but you shouldn’t be a dishonest judge. On Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, I have to sugarcoat my comments because there are celebrities out there on the stage. In India’s Got Talent, I don’t face that problem as I can just hit the exit buzzer.

As a director, aren’t you taking long gaps?
Two years is not a long gap. My last film happened in 2010 and my next is up for release. I’ll start working on my forthcoming project early 2013, which is likely to release in 2014.

Is a film starring all the three Khans possible?
If I make such a film, I’ll end up in a hospital (laughs). We can’t make an Amar Akbar Anthony out of them. There aren’t many stories available that can absorb three distinct superstars like these.

Do you think Shah Rukh Khan should give up his lover boy image?
I think he was the one who redefined words like pyaar and mohabbat in Hindi cinema of the ’90s and the 2000s. So even if he dons his lover boy avatar 10 years down the line, he can somehow pull it off!

Do you think Bollywood is becoming bolder?
Our Censor Board makes sure that our films aren’t as bold as they are loud. The difference in boldness quotient between Hindi films and world cinema is huge.