Hindi Cinema: Interview with Director Karan JOHAR

Karan JOHAR

Karan JOHAR is one of the most notable Indian filmmakers and producers. He made his directorial debut at age 25, with the blockbuster love story Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Following this, over the last 15 years, he has directed and written critically and commercially acclaimed films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and My Name IsKhan, Student

of the Year , and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Karan is also a television personality, a talk-show host, a costume designer and an actor. Koffee With Karan is the most watched English talk show on Indian television. Karan has also been a mentor to many successful directors in India. Directors have flourished under his banner, Dharma Productions, and released commercial blockbusters like Agneepath, Dostana and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, as well as critical indie successes like Wake Up Sid and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.

Of the five films from Dharma Productions last year, the most successful was Good Newwz. Did you expect it to do so well? A Yes, I did. And I was surer when I saw the film. What works in India is a film with a high concept or a US likes more cutting-edge films, like Gully Boy, which

film that is a big event. Good Newwz had a high concept, and there was also emotion and humour. I thought it would play well only in multiplexes, but it did very well with the diaspora, too. Also, after a series of films about small towns, this was a very urban film. It broke the clutter, and that helped. The biggest flop was Kalank, which on paper looked very happening, with young and popular stars and great music and sets. What do you think went wrong there? A Kalank is still the No. 1 film of 2019 in the UK. That audience likes beautiful clothes, glamour, scale, and the north Indian texture helped. The film had a lot going in its favour. But the pace was slow and the actors were a wrong fit. Audiences don’t like to see young popular stars in such heavy roles. Another reason is the backDrive was one of the first Indian films to be sold directly to an OTT platform? What drove that decision? A I made this decision when I saw the film. I probably lost more money by selling it to OTT, but for me, it was a question of being sensitive to the paying audience. When they come to a film based on our banner and brand, we must try and satisfy them as much as possible. With OTT, they can sample the film and if they don’t like it, they can switch to another film or show. That’s not possible in a theatre.

Q

Kesari, a historical movie, did much better in India than overseas. Do historical films not traditionally do well overseas? A The Indian diaspora is not the same everywhere. The Middle East and the UAE like big action films, commercial films. The UK likes big, glossy Indian films. The ground of the Partition was glossed over.

was the biggest hit there last year. Kesari is a patriotic action mass film, and not all markets react to that.

Q

How do you go about getting investment for films? A At Dharma, we are not a public company. We have had long-standing deals with big studios like Fox Star and Sony. Sometimes, when the film is announced, we sell music and satellite rights. That then goes into the film.

Q

If there was one market trend you saw in 2019, what would it be? A The way we market a film has changed. We spend less money on print, more on digital and television. The promotional costs come down. Also, the window between the trailer release and the film’s release has become smaller, owing to audience attention spans. It’s come down from six weeks to four weeks.

Q What was the toughest challenge for the domestic industry in 2019?

A

Everything is a challenge – digital, sports. Getting people into cinema halls is a challenge. We don’t have as many screens as China – so that’s a challenge.

Q Do you think OTT poses a serious challenge to theatres, or can the two exist independently?

A

I think both can exist. The digital platform has empowered writers, because web series are a writers’ medium. And cinema has benefited because they come and write films now.

Q Does the prestige of being a producer come down with OTT?

A

The glory that cinema has, I am not sure anything can take that away. The celluloid experience is exceptional. But digital is the future, and we have to love each other to coexist.

Q Finally, how will COVID-19 impact the Hindi film industry?

A

The impact is tumultuous. I hope and pray that they flatten the curve. And then, we need to make sure our films are made in a safe atmosphere. We need to ensure the audiences feel safe. Everything is going to change.