Arguably one of the most successful filmmakers in the film industry, Karan Johar is famous not only for his directing skills, but also his production work. He is one of the most influential faces in Indian Cinema and everyone from actors to directors wants to work with him. His forthcoming production Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (HSKD) under Dharma Productions is an upcoming romantic comedy starring Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. Karan spoke about the film and much more in an exclusive interview with a leading PR company.
Asked if HSKD is related in any way to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Karan said, “Our film (HSKD is an ode to ‘DDLJ’. One will see glimpses of ‘DDLJ’ but the love story is different from ‘DDLJ’. We have made this film with honesty, integrity (and) with an intention to entertain people.”
With regards to what attracted him to making the film, Karan mentioned, “I really liked the script and I found it very funny. I also loved the fact that the classic ‘boy-meets-girl’ tale has been made into a unique and quirky youth drama for the modern generation.”
Asked about the heroine of the film Alia Bhatt and her constant comparison to Kareena Kapoor, Karan responded, “There is only one Kareena Kapoor – I am not only a huge fan of her work but I value her as a friend too. Kareena and Alia are two different people. Kareena has been in the Bollywood industry for a long time now; she has created a tremendous niche for herself and set a bar so high that it’s unfair to compare her with Alia. Alia is charming in her own way and I am sure she will make her own space. You just have to give her some time.”
Also speaking about why he tends to make a lot of films that make people cry, Karan said, “I love crying and to me, cinema crying is very cathartic. I remember when I watched The Namesake with Mr Bachchan. All my pent-up emotions of losing my dad came out, even though, thematically, it had nothing to do with losing a parent. But something triggered an emotion and I just remember weeping.”
“The second time I cried was while watching Taare Zameen Par as I was in boarding school for four days, that too, in the same one shown in the film. I remember my parents leaving me behind there. Seeing the film, I think Niagara Falls had begun and I wept and wept and I called Aamir after the show. The first film I cried was in Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se. I was eight years old and was bawling at the end of it. My mother kept explaining to me how that was not real, but that didn’t stop me from crying.”
You can catch Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania when it hits cinemas on 11 July! Meanwhile you can watch the trailer to the film below, which has garnered over 4 million views!
