The Cannes Film Festival is on and there's not a single entry from India this year. But that doesn't make filmmaker Karan Johar less proud of Indian cinema as he spends his time exploring business opportunities in Cannes.
Rajeev Masand: Karan, Welcome to the show. Karan, should we be feeling bad that we are not here in Cannes?
Karan Johar: Not at all. Why should we? I mean I don't understand this, very honestly, why is it such a big deal suddenly? We were never at Cannes for many many years. We were never at Cannes. And we made our presence in 2002 with Devdas. And that also wasn't in the competition. But it was a huge hype. It was wonderful to be here, very prestigious. And I think it was an amazing experience for Sanjay Bhansali, I'm sure. But, why the big deal if we are not at Cannes? I am here to sell my film; I'm here for international exposure, for distribution opportunities, which means more income to my film. For monetary reasons and for wider exposure. But it's not a big deal if we are not at Cannes or if we don't get nominated for the Oscars. Why is there such a big hue and cry about this?
Rajeev Masand:Sure. But Karan, don't you think that perhaps the time has come for Indian cinema. The world is now looking at Iranian cinema, Japanese cinema, at cinema from those countries, which perhaps hadn't made their presence felt. When do you think will it be really India's time?
Karan Johar: Well, I think it is. I mean when we consider cinema, it's always been India's time. And India is now making products that have amazing quality, that have short narrative, that have great content and I think it's gonna happen. I think definitely they are going to look at us. They are looking at us. And if and when they find the right kind of film, we will be walking the red carpet. But till then I think we have to take pride in the fact that we are the only film making nation that's not supported by Hollywood or any big studio, have managed tremendously on our own, and we should be proud of that achievement.
Rajeev Masand: Sure. Karan tell me, what is the last good film out of India that you saw?
Karan Johar:Rang De Basanti. I think it was an amazing film. Superb narrative, original story and I think great performances - everything that goes for a good film was in Rang De Basanti.
Rajeev Masand:You make a kind of cinema that's very different from the cinema that you like. I know that you speak very high of films like Lagaan, Satya and now Rang De Basanti. Really, what are your influences, what are your interests?
Karan Johar: Well, I watch world cinema, I watch all kinds of films whether they are in India, whether they are Hindi films or regional films, or international films, they are all a part of world cinema. I am a huge fan of Pedro Almodovar. I think he makes amazing films, wonder if I'm capable of making a single film like that. And I watch lots of films all the time. I'm a movie person. I watch TV shows, I watch films, all kinds of cinema. Cinema, which I make, is me individually, cinema that comes from my inherent sensibility, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate other kinds of work. Like I told you I like Rang De Basanti, but I am incapable of making it. I can't write it, conceive it and eventually film it but I can appreciate it for what it is worth.
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Rajeev Masand: Still, isn't your new film, the one you are going to release in August - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna - a departure from themes that you have tackled before?
Karan Johar: I would say the emotions are more grave. I'm always treading on white, never on black. And I've tried to go from white to grey. And the characters from grey eventually go to white again. They don't go towards black. But grey is definitely a new colour for me.
Rajeev Masand: Tell me about Cannes. Have you watched any films here? I know you've watched The Da Vinci Code.
Karan Johar: I've watched The Da Vinci Code. You know, I've been meeting a lot of international distributors.
Rajeen Masand: That's really the agenda?
Karan Johar: That's really the agenda. I mean I've been meeting my German distributors, French distributors, Polish distributors. I'm making contacts with various other people. My Indonesian distributors. So I think it's been enriching experiences meeting you know, all these kinds of people. Basically a lot of trade talk, money talk, business chat – lot of that's been happening. Which is definitely not my seam, my forte. So I'm kind of living, learning, experiencing the whole stock exchange bit of Cannes.
Rajeev Masand: Sure. That's sort of odd. You're a creative guy, you make pictures. Here you are talking money, striking deals. Does that come naturally to you?
Karan Johar: No, it doesn't. I am miserable at business; I am awful when it comes to money. In fact, I just say, "Ok, take it. Give me whatever price you want to give me," because I am quite stupid when it comes to monetary aspects of things or business aspects. But I have to because I run a production house. I am also a producer. So I have to kind of balance both. It's kind of a balance between art and commerce.
Rajeev Masand: Sure. Now Karan tell me, what are the early films that perhaps influenced you? What are the films that made you want to be in the movies? You were born into a film family.
Karan Johar: Yes I was. It was Raj Kapoor who was impressionable for me.
Rajeev Masand: There were influences of Bobby in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?
Karan Johar: Yes. Bobby came later. Still there were Awara or Sri 420. Guru Dutt, his earlier work, which I think, was amazing. I was always a kind of strange child. Other kind of kids watched all kinds of cartoons or super hero films. I was Guru Dutt and Raj Kapoor. I was not the normal child. I think it came with the fact that I sat at home a lot because I was overweight and couldn't partake in any sports so all I did was watch films and these are the films I watched. And my mother always found it very strange as to why a 10-year-old is so obsessed with Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt and he should actually be watching an Amitabh Bachchan action film, watching Amar Akbar Anthony. I was watching Awara and Pyaasa. So at a very young age, I was strange. So I suppose that strangeness gets translated into being a filmmaker eventually.
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Rajeev Masand: Sure. The first time you went out and directed, did you always know you could do it?
Karan Johar: Yes.
Rajeev Masand: That's great.
Karan Johar: I could.
Rajeev Masand: You knew where to put the cameras, knew how to take your shots?
Karan Johar: I was not technically savvy. In fact, my first assistant Nikhil Advani, who's now a director, was a very big technical help to me in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Because he knew the technical aspects much more than I did. I just knew story telling, I knew narrative, I knew how I could tell my story.
Rajeev Masand: Isn't that the central thing, isn't that the main skill?
Karan Johar: Yes, that is. Of course, knowing the grammar of film making is very critical, very essential. And that's what you learn in a school, in a film institution. But everything else has your basic; it comes from your basic sense of instinct – the ability to know what is right and to identify what's wrong. I think really strongly makes a filmmaker.
Rajeev Masand: And finally, I have to ask. You have this party boy image. It's sort of so contradictory from the conventional image of a serious filmmaker who pours over his script.
Karan Johar: Well, I want to tell you. I am a normal human being. I don't feel intense passion, hysteria. I don't feel I want to project being a filmmaker by looking very serious and intense. I like to party. I love meeting people. I like to holiday, I like to shop. I like to wear new clothes everyday. And I like to make movies. And it can all happen.
Rajeev Masand: Super. Have a great time at Cannes and let's hope we can always see interesting films from you every now and then. Thank you Karan.
Karan Johar: Thank you, Rajeev.
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