Karan Johar's interview about KANK
Says Karan Johar whose KANK has crossed the 100 crore mark worldwide todayZahra Khan 25 Aug
zahra.khan@mid-day.com
Stepping in to watch Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Karan Johar's audience was in for some entertainment and a lot of shock. For those of you who still haven't seen it, KANK is a drama of misplaced love and its subsequent consequences. Unlike his usual candy-floss treatment, this time Karan isn't looking at life sunny side up. The emotions here are deeper, darker and less forgivable. And that has left the audience confused, debating and questioning the moral conflicts of his flawed characters.
Today, when the film has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide, Karan defends what he calls 'a sincere reflection of reality'.
KANK has finally released and there's so much buzz around it. How are you taking it?
It's a relief that it's finally out there, but it's amazing the sort of discussions and debates it has generated. Some of the feedback is really positive while others are so vehement in their disagreement. Frankly, it's a blend of various reactions and I think that's because a certain degree of unrealism is usually attached to my film, and this time KANK's realism has hit home. Whether you love it or hate it, at least you're talking about it. And that's great.
Are you and Shah Rukh now trying to rationalise the film because the audience has no empathy for Dev and Maya?
We're not rationalising. We've always maintained that Dev and Maya are not doing the right thing, hence you're not meant to empathise with them. Their decision is a result of their weakness; we never saw them walking off into the sunset. All their guilt and the hurt that they caused will eventually catch up with them. That's why Dev tells Maya 'live an incomplete life with me, because without you there's no life at all'. So again, you're not meant to sympathise with them, but just understand that they made some wrong choices. Through them, you're supposed to understand not to treat marriage casually. They both made mistakes by marrying the wrong person and are now living the consequences.
Also, are you now sidetracking the issue of infidelity?
Infidelity is not the issue of the film. The film is about relationships and how you can't treat them lightly. How can I sidetrack infidelity when it's the most important aspect of my film? But I'm not looking at it from a sexual perspective. I'm looking at it from an emotional point of view.
In retrospect, would you do anything differently? Like give Rhea and Rishi's characters shades of grey just to make it easier for the audience to digest the story?
Not at all. Why are we so trained to look at characters with only shades of black, white and grey? People don't walk out of marriages only because they can't get along or there's physical abuse. Sometimes, not every reason can be understood. I purposely made Rishi the perfect husband and Maya a wife with no passion. Despite being so perfect, Rishi could never understand Maya's level of passion. She wanted the passion of a man and not of a child, which is why she mothers him so much. KANK is a sincere reflection of reality. If you look into the mirror, you may or may not see what you like.
There has been an SMS campaign to try and sabotage KANK…
No one can sabotage a good product. A good film will always work. So SMSes, emails and letters can go around but that'll never work. You can't underestimate the mind of a consumer. The consumer is king and will always go by his gut feeling, even when people say that it's a rubbish film. People are intelligent and will recognise a good thing when they see it.
KANK made 72 crore in its opening week alone. Is that an endorsement of the smart business model of the film or that audiences have accepted it?
It's a combination of both, I think. KANK could have tanked in the first week itself thanks to its unusual storyline, but I'm glad that it's breaking new ground in cinema. I admit that we had some of the best technicians and bankable stars, but it's not your regular sort of film. It's 'unsafe' and in-your-face. It bothers you and disturbs you and forces you to think and debate it and we're proud of it. In fact, I'd like to thank the audience now for accepting such an unusual film. I'm in London right now and I constantly have people coming up to me and telling me what they thought of my film and sharing their stories with me.
Are you contemplating an alternate career as a marriage counsellor now?
No way!
Finally, has negative criticism brought you down?
Not at all. In fact, I don't look at it negatively. It's only when it hits home hard that you evoke any sort of reaction. For the first time, people are talking about the characters rather than the stars, saying 'why did he do this?' or 'why doesn't Maya feel any passion for Rishi', etc. Life's like that. It's unpredictable. You win some, you lose some and that's the way it is.
zahra.khan@mid-day.com
Stepping in to watch Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Karan Johar's audience was in for some entertainment and a lot of shock. For those of you who still haven't seen it, KANK is a drama of misplaced love and its subsequent consequences. Unlike his usual candy-floss treatment, this time Karan isn't looking at life sunny side up. The emotions here are deeper, darker and less forgivable. And that has left the audience confused, debating and questioning the moral conflicts of his flawed characters.
Today, when the film has crossed the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide, Karan defends what he calls 'a sincere reflection of reality'.
KANK has finally released and there's so much buzz around it. How are you taking it?
It's a relief that it's finally out there, but it's amazing the sort of discussions and debates it has generated. Some of the feedback is really positive while others are so vehement in their disagreement. Frankly, it's a blend of various reactions and I think that's because a certain degree of unrealism is usually attached to my film, and this time KANK's realism has hit home. Whether you love it or hate it, at least you're talking about it. And that's great.
Are you and Shah Rukh now trying to rationalise the film because the audience has no empathy for Dev and Maya?
We're not rationalising. We've always maintained that Dev and Maya are not doing the right thing, hence you're not meant to empathise with them. Their decision is a result of their weakness; we never saw them walking off into the sunset. All their guilt and the hurt that they caused will eventually catch up with them. That's why Dev tells Maya 'live an incomplete life with me, because without you there's no life at all'. So again, you're not meant to sympathise with them, but just understand that they made some wrong choices. Through them, you're supposed to understand not to treat marriage casually. They both made mistakes by marrying the wrong person and are now living the consequences.
Also, are you now sidetracking the issue of infidelity?
Infidelity is not the issue of the film. The film is about relationships and how you can't treat them lightly. How can I sidetrack infidelity when it's the most important aspect of my film? But I'm not looking at it from a sexual perspective. I'm looking at it from an emotional point of view.
In retrospect, would you do anything differently? Like give Rhea and Rishi's characters shades of grey just to make it easier for the audience to digest the story?
Not at all. Why are we so trained to look at characters with only shades of black, white and grey? People don't walk out of marriages only because they can't get along or there's physical abuse. Sometimes, not every reason can be understood. I purposely made Rishi the perfect husband and Maya a wife with no passion. Despite being so perfect, Rishi could never understand Maya's level of passion. She wanted the passion of a man and not of a child, which is why she mothers him so much. KANK is a sincere reflection of reality. If you look into the mirror, you may or may not see what you like.
There has been an SMS campaign to try and sabotage KANK…
No one can sabotage a good product. A good film will always work. So SMSes, emails and letters can go around but that'll never work. You can't underestimate the mind of a consumer. The consumer is king and will always go by his gut feeling, even when people say that it's a rubbish film. People are intelligent and will recognise a good thing when they see it.
KANK made 72 crore in its opening week alone. Is that an endorsement of the smart business model of the film or that audiences have accepted it?
It's a combination of both, I think. KANK could have tanked in the first week itself thanks to its unusual storyline, but I'm glad that it's breaking new ground in cinema. I admit that we had some of the best technicians and bankable stars, but it's not your regular sort of film. It's 'unsafe' and in-your-face. It bothers you and disturbs you and forces you to think and debate it and we're proud of it. In fact, I'd like to thank the audience now for accepting such an unusual film. I'm in London right now and I constantly have people coming up to me and telling me what they thought of my film and sharing their stories with me.
Are you contemplating an alternate career as a marriage counsellor now?
No way!
Finally, has negative criticism brought you down?
Not at all. In fact, I don't look at it negatively. It's only when it hits home hard that you evoke any sort of reaction. For the first time, people are talking about the characters rather than the stars, saying 'why did he do this?' or 'why doesn't Maya feel any passion for Rishi', etc. Life's like that. It's unpredictable. You win some, you lose some and that's the way it is.