Karan Johar: I won't apologise for films I have made

File image of Karan Johar. Image sourced from mid-day archives

Karan Johar is often criticised for only focussing on beautiful, high-class people with perfect lives in his works, but the filmmaker has said that he won't apologise for films that he has made, although he is willing to change his cinematic syntax with changing times.

"I made that kind of films because I was raised in a certain atmosphere and there was also an aspiration that was attached to my way of thinking. I always thought that cinema was meant to be larger-than-life and therefore, I created characters that were aspirational. But somewhere down the line, cinema's syntax changed and I have to kind of adapt to that, and make sure that my characters are more rooted and real, so that they don't seem so flashy anymore. I am accused of affluenza but, having said that, I won't apologize for the films that I have been made, although I think I have to tweak the level affluenza in future," KJo said, while interacting with the media at author Shunali Khullar Shroff's book launch, Love In The Time Of Affluenza in Mumbai.

Affluenza means first world problems. It is vastly believed that the privileged class really doesn't have problems and that their biggest concerns in life are emptiness, feeling disenchanted with life and pursuing money to be happy with it.

In most Karan Johar films, the characters are beautiful, drive luxury cars and live in posh houses, thereby betraying symptoms of affluenza. Asked if he agrees that affluenza is a reality, Karan said: "When you talk about my films and affluenza, then that's been (done by way of) criticism. Everyone says I make films about first world problems. It is said that if Ranbir Kapoor flies a private plane in a film, then his heart shouldn't be broken at all. Apparently, if you are wealthy you are not allowed to feel pain."

A few days back, Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa had alleged that A-list Bollywood celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Vicky Kaushal, Varun Dhawan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, and Malaika Arora among others were in a drugged state at a recent party in Karan Johar's home. The filmmaker had shared a video from the party on his Instagram account and Sirsa claimed the video was proof that drugs were consumed in the party.

After the incident, Karan Johar and the other celebrities present at the party faced severe backlash from all quarters, especially on social media.

"I feel social media has its pluses and minuses. It's a boon and a curse. It's a boon when you have to reach out to millions, connect with the world and to know whatever is happening around. It's a curse when it is misused, misunderstood, and unnecessarily used to add negativity for no reason. But that is the reality of our existence. We have to envelope it and hopefully, some of the negatives eventually get subsided by the positivity that the world must have," said KJo.

On the work front, Karan Johar will be directing the period drama Takht, starring Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Janhavi Kapoor.

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