Karan Johar on 35 years of Agneepath, remaking the cult classic to ‘avenge’ father Yash Johar: ‘Its failure came as a shock, broke my father’s heart’

Congratulations on 35 years of Agneepath, one of your father Yash Johar’s most prestigious and memorable films. You told me how he was very ambitious about it, wanted it to be his best ever. How did he react to the film not doing well?

The very first question on not doing well… Agneepath will always remain my father’s own favourites among the films my father produced. Of course, till Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, because then obviously his emotions for his child will take over. But till up to Agneepath, and that includes Dostana, Duniya, Muqaddar Ka Faisla, Gumrah,  Duplicate… I think definitely Agneepath will always have remained his most favourite film experience.

He felt very proud of the film?

He was very proud of Amit uncle’s (Amitabh Bachchan) performance, of his expertise. I remember sitting up with him at night while he would just say I hope Amitji wins a National award for this film.

And he did!

And he did eventually. When the film was at screenings — we used to call them trials those days. The  trial reports of the film said it’s going to be a huge juggernaut at the box office; it was going to explode. Unfortunately, when the film released in February 1990, there were mixed opinions and all kinds of issues. Prior  to release, we had heard only exemplary things about the film. So it (the  failure) came as a complete shock to my father; it broke his heart.

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Today  Agneepath has a cult following?

I always say that box office an immediate validation and immediate result. But the films that live on beyond its box office numbers are truly the ones in the archives, in the memory of cinema. I believe Agneepath is one of those films. Somewhere Agneepath is the reason why I’m even in the movies. In 1992, Anil Thadani (distributor) came up to me in college. Now, I was keeping my father’s film industry status very quiet in the college as I didn’t want to say I’m from the movies. And not for any other reason, but I was just shy about it. And he came up to me and said, ‘Oh, did your dad make Agneepath?’ I replied in affirmative and he said that I and all my friends are crazy about it. We’ve seen it about like hundreds of times on video. Aditya Chopra was very close to Anil Thadani and I connected with Adi through him. And so I feel somewhere Agneepath paved the way for even me in many ways. I will be eternally grateful to that film.

Like I said, now Agneepath is cult?

The kind of love Agneepath has received, it is truly cult.  I think we use the term, incorrectly at times. A cult film is the one that doesn’t have mass commercial mainstream numbers, but has a huge following that really roots for it. I feel like Agneepath got so much cult love and the day Amit uncle won the National award — it was announced in May 1991 — my father felt that all his dreams had come true.

Sadly the box office numbers didn’t live up to expectations?

 It did get an underwhelming box office at the time but even now, the satellite of Agneepath receives a massive response from Gen Z. When we at Dharma  renew rights for screening, Agneepath is on top of the list of the older Dharma lot that people really want to watch, and quote. So today, even Amit Uncle’s dialogues from Agneepath are quoted.

Back then the way he spoke in that gravelly Godfather tone was considered a major reason for the film’s failure?

The texture of the voice that everyone wondered whether it was the right decision or not, that voice is mimicked, quoted, dialogues are quoted, and that very voice became the signature way of fans expressing their love for Amitabh Bachchan. I believe that Mukul Anand’s instinct as a filmmaker was bang on. I believe they needed to do something pathbreaking with the character. Changing Amit Uncle’s voice was one big, strong decision.I don’t believe that’s the reason why Agneepath  didn’t work. I feel it was  ahead of its times in terms of its texture.

In that case why did you get him to  re-dub his lines?

Well, there was pressure, I suppose, from exhibitors and distributors. I don’t remember what was it at that time. But I stand by the voice. I will always maintain that. Amit uncle’s instinct as an artiste was bang-on and it’s bang-on today. He says it’s his best performance to date. I remember that film getting such tremendous love and applause and accolades. I think the film is beyond the box office, which is what cinema should be eventually — beyond numbers

As a homage  to your father and his Agneepath  you remade the film in 2012?

I’m glad I could remake it and give it a hit status. It is exactly that — a homage. And I believe it was never a remake and adaptation for me. It was always a homage to my father, to his dreams for that film. It was wonderful to get a hit status on the remake. And I think we managed a super hit status. I feel my job is done. Agneepath is about the revenge of a son for his father. In the sense, this was possibly the same for me. My Agneepath in 2012 was a son’s revenge… I don’t know what I was avenging, but I just felt my father was so broken. At the time when he was given a tag of a failure, his Agneepath didn’t deserve that.

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What made  you select Karan Malhotra to direct the Agneepath remake?

I realized that Karan Malhotra would be the right person because I’d worked with him on My Name is Khan and had the most wonderful collaboration. And I realized he has a solid mainstream mind. I knew that he would tackle the subject with the finesse and expertise of a solid filmmaker, which he did.

What would your father have thought of Chikni Chameli?

Well, I don’t know, I have no idea. We knew it was a requirement to have a solid entertainment point, because the film was so heavy in its syntax. We needed a song that would be bright. I have to be eternally grateful to the work Katrina Kaif put into that song; she rehearsed for two weeks. There’s never a better item song than that. She gave it so much of her time and energy. I feel that song really was one of the pillars of the film, apart from Hrithik’s stalwart performance and Karan Malhotra’s filmmaking, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor, all of them.

So, how come you never worked with her again?

We have always wanted to collaborate. There was a film that we never got made. She will always remain one of my favourite people in the business. She and I have always had our own one-on-one,  irrespective of work. I remember meeting her at a party; she was quietly standing and I went up to her and we chatted. We have had an equation from then on. We meet rarely, but there’s just love in my heart for Katrina.

And you gave her Chikni Chameli, which is really her signature tune.

I didn’t give anything to her. She gave it to me. She was so good. If she hadn’t done it, the song would never be what it is. It’s all her.

There’s a trend, a passion for re-release these days. Would you like to see it back in the theaters?

Not in the same form. But  that intense hyperbolic  revenge with the syntax that Agneepath has, if there was a script that came by, I’m like, why not? It has been 35 years and it still looks very relevant. Even Mithunda is so good in the film.