New Delhi:
Karan Johar’s 2006 film Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna has long divided audiences over its approach to infidelity. Yet, it goes without saying, it is a film that has never stopped grabbing attention. Director Karan Johar recently opened up about the challenges he faced while making the film, adding that his late father, Yash Johar, would never have allowed him to tackle such a sensitive subject.
Karan Johar was at the Marrakech International Film Festival for a Conversation Series and to present a gala screening of his production Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.
In an interaction, Karan Johar shared, “It was a very complicated film to shoot. In the mainstream, this was one of the big-budget films dealing with the topic of infidelity. For Shah Rukh Khan, who is the perfect husband, brother, lover, son, to step outside the boundary of his marriage and have an affair – we didn’t know whether the audience would accept that character or that relationship.”
He continued, “It was very difficult every day. Shah Rukh and I used to discuss it, and he would tell me, ‘I don’t know how to make myself likeable.’ I told him, ‘You are Shah Rukh Khan – how can someone not love Shah Rukh Khan? You are love.’ We had complicated scenes every day that leaned towards infidelity. We were challenged as director and actor. I didn’t know how to justify them.”
Furthermore, he explained how it was a ‘leap’ he took – one he remains grateful for. He recalled how people thought he had probably ‘lost the plot’. There was also much questioning about why he would do something like this with Shah Rukh Khan, given the storyline was considered ahead of its time.
“I remember getting a lecture from a big movie star in the lobby of a hotel, where he asked me, ‘How can you do this to Shah Rukh? How can you endorse infidelity?’ I told him, ‘I can’t endorse something that already exists. There’s no such thing as endorsing infidelity – it exists in everyone’s lives.’ I said I was happy and proud of it: ‘Thank you for your advice, but I won’t be taking it.'”
On His Father Yash Johar Not Approving A Film Like Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
Karan Johar recalled how he lost his father, Yash Johar, right before directing Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
“He was my moral compass. In many ways, I don’t think he would ever have allowed me to direct this film because he was a very traditional, conservative man. And he held Shah Rukh in the highest esteem. When he passed away, I felt that governance was no longer there, so I decided to break all boundaries and barriers and make what I wanted to make. It was me growing up. I felt grown up at the end of this experience.”
About Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
Directed by Karan Johar, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna came out in August 2006, bringing the story of Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) and Maya (Rani Mukerji), who are unhappy in their respective marriages but find true love in each other. What follows is a turmoil of guilt, jealousy, and heartbreak that clouds their affair. The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, and Kirron Kher in key roles.
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